In James Kerr’s book “Legacy” there is a phrase used repeatedly that has stuck with me: “Better people make better All Blacks”. The original context inferred this was about populating the All Blacks with the right kind of people. Be it administration, coaches or players: better people makes better All Blacks. Common sense, right? Weed out those who don’t buy-in and replace them with those who are all-in. As I finished reading the book I came to realize it’s so much more than that.
I have been working at a high school that has some truly outstanding educators on staff yet the school is not viewed favorably on state report cards. This has been on my mind for much of the last two years. Why doesn’t the school perform better on state tests than it does? I can ask the same about the schools soccer program I have led. A common theme (in my mind) is that the best and brightest students (/athletes) do not make those around them better. In a general sense, they tend to settle for and into the norm.
Why is that?
I do not profess to have all the answers, but that phrase from the book keeps rattling around my brain: Better people make better ...
A public school system pretty much takes any student and it can be very difficult to cull the student population. I’m walking a slippery slope here and so I want to be clear that there are truly quality people in this school - adults and students alike. But could they be better? And should a stronger focus be on improving the people? Not exchanging them for others, just improving on what is here. Invest in and take care of the people in your organization for better people make better ...
This, then, is what I believe James Kerr’s message is. At least in part. Invest in the people for better people make better ... students, better athletes, et al. If students lack social graces and are rude, inconsiderate towards both peers and adults, can we not make an effort to help them improve in these areas. For instance, as players report to practice there is an expectation, a standard, that they will greet each of their teammates and coaches with a handshake and small talk. Could this not be carried over to each classroom each period? It would take but a couple of minutes ... time invested in the people. For better people make better ...
I have proposed starting a Gentlemen’s Club at the school modeled off successful programs at other schools. Basically a club that focuses on social graces, how to tie a tie and other things that can impact self-esteem and confidence ... improving the people. Would this then positively impact state test scores?
Better people make better All Blacks
Better people make better students
Better people make better soccer players.
If we improve the people, raise their self-esteem and confidence they become better people and by extension better students, better soccer players and so on. This seems a simple formula and one easily implemented. Seems likely to be worth the effort, does it not? What say you?
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Showing posts with label CBA Soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBA Soccer. Show all posts
Thursday
A different take on warm ups.
This fall finds me once again coaching high school soccer. The team I am working with is young, inexperienced and coed playing against boys teams. The odds are definitely stacked against us. I m having a blast!
I have pretty much a blank canvas to work with.
If focused on results, this could definitely be considered a negative. If we take an approach of this being an opportunity, then the challenges we face are a blessing. I choose to see this season as a blessing of amazing proportions.
My assistant and I have no choice but to teach. What we teach is every single aspect of game and team. Why we teach it is not solely based in pursuit of better on-the-field results. No, both what we teach and why we teach are grounded in helping the young men and women we work with to learn the value of confronting adversity, learning from mistakes and working cooperatively together to solve problems encountered in the process of becoming a better team and through the experience, better people.
A favorite saying of mine is "Failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail." This quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin who was by all accounts a pretty accomplished man. When applying this quote to soccer most will think of practicing well and warming up properly in front of playing a game. This, especially the warming up part, is usually equated to physical preparation. In practice players perform repetitions of technique and tactics to develop muscle memory that allows them to play instinctively. Warm ups are often about perfection or striving to be as perfect as possible in preparing for the game. This is where I find fault with standard warm ups that involve stretching followed by performing well rehearsed routines. It reduces warming up to finding a rhythm and getting comfortable before playing the game. The problem here is not in what you do, but is found in what you do not do.
A soccer match is a exercise in problem solving ability - that of individual players and the collective team. If we accept this to be true, then should we not include adversity and problem solving in our preparation to play the game?
A wise old coach once told me he could spot an American soccer player in the first few seconds of watching them step on the field. American players step on the field and immediately begin whacking the ball at the goal. Players from other countries step on the pitch and immediately have a ball at their feet working on individual ball handling skills.
I love watching professional athletes warm up, especially the stars. Invariably they begin small and work their way up to the act required to put points on the scoreboard. Watch Tom Brady warm up. He gets his body warmed up and then begins with simple ball handling tasks like taking snaps from his center. He progresses to handing the ball off to running backs and moves on to throwing the football to receivers. Kyrie Irving comes out early and does ball handling exercises. These include the now famous two ball drill, dribbling and passing with either hand. The last thing he does is practice his shooting. He takes care of all the things that will get him to taking a shot before actually working on taking the shot.
I firmly believe failing to warm up properly is one reason the United States has yet to produce a world class striker. We warm up to get comfortable instead of warming up to problem solve in the game. We need to address our problem solving skills as much or more than establishing our comfort. Game environments are rarely comfortable so I'm a bit mystified by the emphasis on establishing comfort in our warm ups. We need challenges in warm ups to prepare our problem solving skills.
Light intensity and conserving energy for the actual game is another aspect of traditional warm ups that leave me scratching my head. When one is about to play a contest should one not prepare for the intensity of the contest? Rest and restoring energy can take place in the moments before kickoff - during the captains meeting, last minute instructions, playing of the national anthem and player introductions. Pre-creating game-like intensity cannot. This must be done as a gradual build up from the first step onto the pitch until active warm ups conclude prior to the pre-game festivities outlined above. Ramping up intensity should be a designed component of warm ups.
Warm ups, especially the individual components of warming up should be fraught with challenges. Working on simple ball handling to attempting more complex combinations and moves. Failures in warm ups are okay for the simple reason that failures are part of every game. A critical component of every game is learning from in-game failure and overcoming in-game adversity. Should not preparing to do this be a part of our warm up?
By now a new vision of warming up should be emerging. At least it should be if I have written well. Warm ups are an opportunity not just to prepare for playing, but to learn and improve. It's not just about "perfecting" things worked on in practices leading up to the match. No, warm ups should be a continued exploration of your capability's and evolution of your abilities.
I have pretty much a blank canvas to work with.
If focused on results, this could definitely be considered a negative. If we take an approach of this being an opportunity, then the challenges we face are a blessing. I choose to see this season as a blessing of amazing proportions.
My assistant and I have no choice but to teach. What we teach is every single aspect of game and team. Why we teach it is not solely based in pursuit of better on-the-field results. No, both what we teach and why we teach are grounded in helping the young men and women we work with to learn the value of confronting adversity, learning from mistakes and working cooperatively together to solve problems encountered in the process of becoming a better team and through the experience, better people.
A favorite saying of mine is "Failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail." This quote is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin who was by all accounts a pretty accomplished man. When applying this quote to soccer most will think of practicing well and warming up properly in front of playing a game. This, especially the warming up part, is usually equated to physical preparation. In practice players perform repetitions of technique and tactics to develop muscle memory that allows them to play instinctively. Warm ups are often about perfection or striving to be as perfect as possible in preparing for the game. This is where I find fault with standard warm ups that involve stretching followed by performing well rehearsed routines. It reduces warming up to finding a rhythm and getting comfortable before playing the game. The problem here is not in what you do, but is found in what you do not do.
A soccer match is a exercise in problem solving ability - that of individual players and the collective team. If we accept this to be true, then should we not include adversity and problem solving in our preparation to play the game?
A wise old coach once told me he could spot an American soccer player in the first few seconds of watching them step on the field. American players step on the field and immediately begin whacking the ball at the goal. Players from other countries step on the pitch and immediately have a ball at their feet working on individual ball handling skills.
I love watching professional athletes warm up, especially the stars. Invariably they begin small and work their way up to the act required to put points on the scoreboard. Watch Tom Brady warm up. He gets his body warmed up and then begins with simple ball handling tasks like taking snaps from his center. He progresses to handing the ball off to running backs and moves on to throwing the football to receivers. Kyrie Irving comes out early and does ball handling exercises. These include the now famous two ball drill, dribbling and passing with either hand. The last thing he does is practice his shooting. He takes care of all the things that will get him to taking a shot before actually working on taking the shot.
I firmly believe failing to warm up properly is one reason the United States has yet to produce a world class striker. We warm up to get comfortable instead of warming up to problem solve in the game. We need to address our problem solving skills as much or more than establishing our comfort. Game environments are rarely comfortable so I'm a bit mystified by the emphasis on establishing comfort in our warm ups. We need challenges in warm ups to prepare our problem solving skills.
Light intensity and conserving energy for the actual game is another aspect of traditional warm ups that leave me scratching my head. When one is about to play a contest should one not prepare for the intensity of the contest? Rest and restoring energy can take place in the moments before kickoff - during the captains meeting, last minute instructions, playing of the national anthem and player introductions. Pre-creating game-like intensity cannot. This must be done as a gradual build up from the first step onto the pitch until active warm ups conclude prior to the pre-game festivities outlined above. Ramping up intensity should be a designed component of warm ups.
Warm ups, especially the individual components of warming up should be fraught with challenges. Working on simple ball handling to attempting more complex combinations and moves. Failures in warm ups are okay for the simple reason that failures are part of every game. A critical component of every game is learning from in-game failure and overcoming in-game adversity. Should not preparing to do this be a part of our warm up?
By now a new vision of warming up should be emerging. At least it should be if I have written well. Warm ups are an opportunity not just to prepare for playing, but to learn and improve. It's not just about "perfecting" things worked on in practices leading up to the match. No, warm ups should be a continued exploration of your capability's and evolution of your abilities.
Friday
Like beauty, Success is in the eye of the beholder.
I started the off season wondering if we could field a team for this fall season. We had 16 players last fall. Eleven graduated and one changed schools. Four returning players and no feeder system put the 2018 season in doubt. One senior, one junior and two sophomores is what we had to build a foundation on. Yikes!
There was a glimmer of hope when we received two transfers into the school district. Both were athletic young men with some experience playing soccer. Alas, both decided against playing for their new school.
In an effort to insure I would have a team to coach this fall, I applied for other coaching positions in the area. My Athletic Director had full knowledge of this. In fact, he was very understanding and even supportive of my doing so. I received two offers to coach elsewhere. In the end I turned both down to stay at Fairlawn and build.
Why?
Good question. The 2017 season was a disaster by my standards. Some members of the senior class drove some younger interested players away to protect their own playing time. I know this because several of those who decided at the last minute not to play told me they didn’t feel welcomed on the team with two of those specifying certain seniors made them feel that way. In all honesty, this is more common than people may want to believe. The frequency at which this occurs does not justify it happening in any program though. In this case, the legacy of the departed senior class having contributed to the death of a program stood as a real possibility.
When official practice began on August 1st our roster stood at 9 players. The decision was made to cancel all non-league contests reducing our schedule to a mere seven games. The idea was to survive the season and maintain good standing in the league. We only need to field 7 players to play a game. I was not sure the league would agree playing undermanned would keep us in good standing, but honoring our league contracts seemed like the bare minimum we could do.
We played that first game with 10 players. We lost big on the scoreboard. We won elsewhere. The courage and spirit the student athletes played with was something to behold. By the second game we had grown the roster to 13 players. None of the new players had any soccer experience worth mentioning. They had want-to though! All played their first match on a day when the temperature soared into the 90’s with humidity close behind. We lost big again. And to be honest, for awhile we lost some of the fearlessness and spirit we had shown in the first match. We regained it after a water break we used as a timeout. I had seen enough by games end to believe the start of something good, potentially very good, indeed was upon us.
The day after the second match was a recovery day. We watched a YouTube video titled Watch this every day.
Afterwards, the players were fired up. Their spirit was again palpable. We have been riding the crest of this new momentum ever since. Tremendous esprit de corps. Great work ethic. And the want-to? Oh my! Needless to day I have really enjoyed coaching these young men and women. I made a conscious effort to bring and give energy to them, but have found it is they who have brought energy to me as well.
Our season came to an end last night as we lost to the #3 team in the state at their place in the OHSAA tournament. We wet 0-7-0 in the regular season and lost our lone tournament game. Never scored a goal. On won / lost record alone this was easily my worst season ever as a coach. But I knew what we were up against this season and measured success differently.
A co-ed team playing boys varsity soccer has a built in disadvantage to begin with. We ended up having 14 players at season's end. Three seniors (2 boys and 1 girl) - one of whom was a legitimate experienced varsity caliber player. The other two are new to high school soccer. One junior (girl) who if she played on a girls team would fair well and never backs down against the boys teams we play. Four sophomores (3 boys and 1 girl). Two of the boys played extensively as freshmen. The other boy and girl were first time soccer players. That 3rd boy really excelled though by combining tremendous work ethic with becoming a student of the game. And five freshmen ( 3 boys and 2 girls). Both girls are very good for freshman girls. Not ready for varsity boys soccer good, but quite good for high school freshman girls. One of the boys is of average ability for a freshman boy - on the smallish side and decent skills. The other two freshman boys were new to soccer.
Our focus was almost exclusively on developing individual skills as practice opened. It had to be. What we did was to quantify and track every skill we could. We also timed and recorded for every conditioning exercise we did. Setting and breaking personal records was a means to show improvement on both an individual and collective basis. We did not focus on the scoreboard. Our focus was on setting and meeting in-game goals and the process of improving as measured by PR's. This allowed us to feel successful and measure improvement throughout the season. We strove to be a better, improved version of ourselves eat the end of every practice and every game.
By not setting unrealistic goals like winning games or even scoring a goal we allowed a spirit to take root, grow and blossom. It was truly a special sight to behold for this old coach. These young men and women competed with everything they had every game they played. They competed to become better versions of themselves and were wildly successful.
The experienced players were exceptional teammates. It would have been so easy for them not to have played soccer this season or to play hero ball in trying to do more than their fair share, but they did not do these things. They mentored the new players and helped coach them up. They strove to play the right way. There was so very little negativity ... amazingly so. I am in awe and wonder of this TEAM of young men and women.
Over decades of coaching I have worked with many a team and thousands of individuals. This group is special. I will forever remember fondly these young men and women of Fairlawn Soccer 2018.
For the first time ever, Fairlawn fielded a middle school soccer team. There were approximately 20 student athletes who participated in that program. Eleven of those were 8th graders eligible to play high school soccer next year. If everyone from this years high school team with eligibility remaining returns for next season this would give us 22 players. Plus, there are two others who have expressed interest in playing next year - both with club experience.
Is it possible to double the number of participants despite not winning a game, despite not scoring a single goal? Apparently so. And that will be the legacy of the 2018 Fairlawn Soccer TEAM.
There was a glimmer of hope when we received two transfers into the school district. Both were athletic young men with some experience playing soccer. Alas, both decided against playing for their new school.
In an effort to insure I would have a team to coach this fall, I applied for other coaching positions in the area. My Athletic Director had full knowledge of this. In fact, he was very understanding and even supportive of my doing so. I received two offers to coach elsewhere. In the end I turned both down to stay at Fairlawn and build.
Why?
Good question. The 2017 season was a disaster by my standards. Some members of the senior class drove some younger interested players away to protect their own playing time. I know this because several of those who decided at the last minute not to play told me they didn’t feel welcomed on the team with two of those specifying certain seniors made them feel that way. In all honesty, this is more common than people may want to believe. The frequency at which this occurs does not justify it happening in any program though. In this case, the legacy of the departed senior class having contributed to the death of a program stood as a real possibility.
When official practice began on August 1st our roster stood at 9 players. The decision was made to cancel all non-league contests reducing our schedule to a mere seven games. The idea was to survive the season and maintain good standing in the league. We only need to field 7 players to play a game. I was not sure the league would agree playing undermanned would keep us in good standing, but honoring our league contracts seemed like the bare minimum we could do.
We played that first game with 10 players. We lost big on the scoreboard. We won elsewhere. The courage and spirit the student athletes played with was something to behold. By the second game we had grown the roster to 13 players. None of the new players had any soccer experience worth mentioning. They had want-to though! All played their first match on a day when the temperature soared into the 90’s with humidity close behind. We lost big again. And to be honest, for awhile we lost some of the fearlessness and spirit we had shown in the first match. We regained it after a water break we used as a timeout. I had seen enough by games end to believe the start of something good, potentially very good, indeed was upon us.
The day after the second match was a recovery day. We watched a YouTube video titled Watch this every day.
Afterwards, the players were fired up. Their spirit was again palpable. We have been riding the crest of this new momentum ever since. Tremendous esprit de corps. Great work ethic. And the want-to? Oh my! Needless to day I have really enjoyed coaching these young men and women. I made a conscious effort to bring and give energy to them, but have found it is they who have brought energy to me as well.
Our season came to an end last night as we lost to the #3 team in the state at their place in the OHSAA tournament. We wet 0-7-0 in the regular season and lost our lone tournament game. Never scored a goal. On won / lost record alone this was easily my worst season ever as a coach. But I knew what we were up against this season and measured success differently.
A co-ed team playing boys varsity soccer has a built in disadvantage to begin with. We ended up having 14 players at season's end. Three seniors (2 boys and 1 girl) - one of whom was a legitimate experienced varsity caliber player. The other two are new to high school soccer. One junior (girl) who if she played on a girls team would fair well and never backs down against the boys teams we play. Four sophomores (3 boys and 1 girl). Two of the boys played extensively as freshmen. The other boy and girl were first time soccer players. That 3rd boy really excelled though by combining tremendous work ethic with becoming a student of the game. And five freshmen ( 3 boys and 2 girls). Both girls are very good for freshman girls. Not ready for varsity boys soccer good, but quite good for high school freshman girls. One of the boys is of average ability for a freshman boy - on the smallish side and decent skills. The other two freshman boys were new to soccer.
Our focus was almost exclusively on developing individual skills as practice opened. It had to be. What we did was to quantify and track every skill we could. We also timed and recorded for every conditioning exercise we did. Setting and breaking personal records was a means to show improvement on both an individual and collective basis. We did not focus on the scoreboard. Our focus was on setting and meeting in-game goals and the process of improving as measured by PR's. This allowed us to feel successful and measure improvement throughout the season. We strove to be a better, improved version of ourselves eat the end of every practice and every game.
By not setting unrealistic goals like winning games or even scoring a goal we allowed a spirit to take root, grow and blossom. It was truly a special sight to behold for this old coach. These young men and women competed with everything they had every game they played. They competed to become better versions of themselves and were wildly successful.
The experienced players were exceptional teammates. It would have been so easy for them not to have played soccer this season or to play hero ball in trying to do more than their fair share, but they did not do these things. They mentored the new players and helped coach them up. They strove to play the right way. There was so very little negativity ... amazingly so. I am in awe and wonder of this TEAM of young men and women.
Over decades of coaching I have worked with many a team and thousands of individuals. This group is special. I will forever remember fondly these young men and women of Fairlawn Soccer 2018.
For the first time ever, Fairlawn fielded a middle school soccer team. There were approximately 20 student athletes who participated in that program. Eleven of those were 8th graders eligible to play high school soccer next year. If everyone from this years high school team with eligibility remaining returns for next season this would give us 22 players. Plus, there are two others who have expressed interest in playing next year - both with club experience.
Is it possible to double the number of participants despite not winning a game, despite not scoring a single goal? Apparently so. And that will be the legacy of the 2018 Fairlawn Soccer TEAM.
Saturday
What does commitment look like?
What does commitment look like?
I've been asking this question of myself quite a bit lately. Commitment is kind of one of things that you recognize when you see, but to define it is a bit more elusive a proposition. So, of course defining what commitment looks like is what I am about to attempt.
On this fall's team I had two great examples of commitment among the players. As I have thought about these players the last couple of days I was able to come up with some commonalities I believe distinguish them from their teammates in terms of commitment.
1) They were not only present but also punctual. These two players simply did not miss team activities and both were always on time and usually quite early. Being present and punctual seem like such simple common sense things to many of us, but we all also recognize being present and or on time is a very real struggle for others.
2) Attentiveness. We might call this an ability to focus or concentrate. Attentiveness, to me, is the ability to listen and carry out instructions. I loathe having to repeat myself seemingly ad naseum to some players and value greatly those players who are attentive and responsive first time.
3) The questions committed players ask tend to be far different from the questions of others. Attentiveness will lead to this. They seek out nuances in details and ask for clarifications of the process. Their questions are both about improving themselves and improving their team / teammates.
4) Their effort is never questioned. They are the pacesetters for the team. This is true in terms of work ethic, attitude, spirit and enthusiasm. They bring the best effort they have day in and day out.
5) And I have found their commitment is not contained between the lines of the pitch but permeates everything they do. Their lifestyle and habits outside the lines mirror what they do inside the lines. School work, nutrition, rest - the same level of effort they give inside the lines ... it's a product of what they do outside the lines.
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Monday
Everyone wants to win a championship.
It's not the will to win that is important for everyone wants to win.
It is the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.
To win a championship you must first win the grind.
Win every individual workout.
Win every practice.
Win every training session.
Win the logbook sessions.
Triumph over discomfort.
Find victory in each obstacle and every adversity.
Communicate with winning frankness and honesty.
Win first, then play the game!
Friday
Lessons from Mentors.
I have a stated goal of learning something new each and every day. My coaching mentors have been great aides in this pursuit. One lasting lesson that resonates with me is to focus on those things you can control and do not waste time on those things you cannot control. Taking this advice to heart has allowed me to exercise great patience which has been of benefit to me personally and also to the teams I coach.
Properly preparing for whatever task is at had is another lasting. I can recall as a young coach preparing meticulously for practices. I chose activities carefully and with purpose. Planned specifically. Truth be told, I do this in almost all facets of my life. For example, I rarely have gone into a meeting unprepared. Preparation is the foundation of confidence and in turn confidence is the key to success.
Sometimes learned lessons can seemingly come into conflict with one another. Usually, this eventually proves not to be the case. As a young coach it drove me crazy to diligently prepare for practice including a specific number of players expected to be in attendance only to have players not show up for one reason or another. All that diligent effort on my part blown all to hell! How dare they just not come to practice?!?
And so I learned the importance of flexibility. My first coaching mentor planned practice sessions with adaptability being a key component. A theme was constant but activities had an element of fluidity to them and could be changed or adapted to fit the number of players available. You see, he could not control whether any given player would attend practice or not. For some, indeed a vast majority of players, missing a practice was simply not an option. Attendance was expected. There always seems to be an exception to the rule though.
It took awhile for me to understand this. While my expectation remains every player will attend every practice, if numbers for practice are not what I expected then to be I simply adjust the activities. Now, experience has made this a much easier task to take on and achieve with acceptable results.
I have wondered on occasion if I knew then what I know now, would I have been so upset as a young coach when players failed to show for practice? The experience factor plays a large role in this process. I'm not sure I would have had the mental catalog of soccer activities I now possess that allows me to easily adapt on the fly.
Dealing with difference of opinions with referees ... Yeah, this is an area I am much improved in. In all the thousands of games I have participated in as a player, coach, referee or even as a fan, I can probably count on my fingers the number of times I have witnessed an official change a call. Just something I cannot control so I don't waste time arguing with officials.
Difficult parents? When a parent believes they are acting in the best interests of their child there is no other opinion that matters. A coach certainly is not going to control a parent. I have had mothers flirt with me in an attempt to gain favor with me for this child. I have had confrontational parents attempt to bully me in order to have their child play a preferred position, start or play more. Helicopter parents who hover over their child in order to protect them from ... well, whatever perceived threat they imagine in the way of their child's athletic success. In any of these instances and countess more not mentioned here, a coach cannot control the parents. I have learned to not waste my time worrying about parents. I cannot control them so why worry about them?
Another lesson learned is a coach really needs to limit social interaction with parents and families. As a young adult league coach I often found myself coaching friends. Not really a good idea. It can be done successfully and I was able to navigate those potentially treacherous waters fairly successfully. And as a parent coach I often found myself coaching sons and daughters of our friends and neighbors. Again, not something I would recommend for inexperienced coaches. Sports have a strange super power that can cause the most sane of individuals to become stark raving mad lunatic parents out of their minds.
I tried to attend team social functions where the player families were present. Disaster. I took my cue from ultra successful coaching mentors who were cordial with parents but never socialized with them. Communications were limited strictly to "business" in the sense of interacting with a single team parent to coordinate travel, pre and post game meals, parents night, senior night and the end of season banquet. And these communications consisted of the parents doing all the work and informing the coach of need to know details only. I take my cue from Dick Hagen, Bob Seggerson, Larry Lewis and others.
As a parent I was often involved in selecting coaches who we would allow our son's to play for, but beyond that I did not intrude on the coaches space. I didn't always agree with a coaches strategies or tactics. I sometimes questioned starting lineups or distribution of minutes, but only to myself. I supported our sons coaches. The only time I recall being upset enough to confront a coach was when one played my son almost an entire game after he had two days before been carried off the field with severe cramps. We had gone to an alternative medical specialist to deal with the cramps and she had performed miracles to relieve the cramping. He could not walk into to the office but two hours later walked out under his own power. Genesen Acutouch, Un-freaking-believable!
I continue to learn on a daily basis. Many times lessons learned long ago are revisited. The world is constantly changing and this affords endless opportunities to continue learning. And even when the status quo seems to remain the same, there still exists opportunities to learn anew. For example, today I learned about Donatello's David and other art and artists of the quattracento era, Who knew?!? Right?
Go forth to gain knowledge, control what you can control and don't sweat the rest.
Properly preparing for whatever task is at had is another lasting. I can recall as a young coach preparing meticulously for practices. I chose activities carefully and with purpose. Planned specifically. Truth be told, I do this in almost all facets of my life. For example, I rarely have gone into a meeting unprepared. Preparation is the foundation of confidence and in turn confidence is the key to success.
Sometimes learned lessons can seemingly come into conflict with one another. Usually, this eventually proves not to be the case. As a young coach it drove me crazy to diligently prepare for practice including a specific number of players expected to be in attendance only to have players not show up for one reason or another. All that diligent effort on my part blown all to hell! How dare they just not come to practice?!?
And so I learned the importance of flexibility. My first coaching mentor planned practice sessions with adaptability being a key component. A theme was constant but activities had an element of fluidity to them and could be changed or adapted to fit the number of players available. You see, he could not control whether any given player would attend practice or not. For some, indeed a vast majority of players, missing a practice was simply not an option. Attendance was expected. There always seems to be an exception to the rule though.
It took awhile for me to understand this. While my expectation remains every player will attend every practice, if numbers for practice are not what I expected then to be I simply adjust the activities. Now, experience has made this a much easier task to take on and achieve with acceptable results.
I have wondered on occasion if I knew then what I know now, would I have been so upset as a young coach when players failed to show for practice? The experience factor plays a large role in this process. I'm not sure I would have had the mental catalog of soccer activities I now possess that allows me to easily adapt on the fly.
Dealing with difference of opinions with referees ... Yeah, this is an area I am much improved in. In all the thousands of games I have participated in as a player, coach, referee or even as a fan, I can probably count on my fingers the number of times I have witnessed an official change a call. Just something I cannot control so I don't waste time arguing with officials.
Difficult parents? When a parent believes they are acting in the best interests of their child there is no other opinion that matters. A coach certainly is not going to control a parent. I have had mothers flirt with me in an attempt to gain favor with me for this child. I have had confrontational parents attempt to bully me in order to have their child play a preferred position, start or play more. Helicopter parents who hover over their child in order to protect them from ... well, whatever perceived threat they imagine in the way of their child's athletic success. In any of these instances and countess more not mentioned here, a coach cannot control the parents. I have learned to not waste my time worrying about parents. I cannot control them so why worry about them?
Another lesson learned is a coach really needs to limit social interaction with parents and families. As a young adult league coach I often found myself coaching friends. Not really a good idea. It can be done successfully and I was able to navigate those potentially treacherous waters fairly successfully. And as a parent coach I often found myself coaching sons and daughters of our friends and neighbors. Again, not something I would recommend for inexperienced coaches. Sports have a strange super power that can cause the most sane of individuals to become stark raving mad lunatic parents out of their minds.
I tried to attend team social functions where the player families were present. Disaster. I took my cue from ultra successful coaching mentors who were cordial with parents but never socialized with them. Communications were limited strictly to "business" in the sense of interacting with a single team parent to coordinate travel, pre and post game meals, parents night, senior night and the end of season banquet. And these communications consisted of the parents doing all the work and informing the coach of need to know details only. I take my cue from Dick Hagen, Bob Seggerson, Larry Lewis and others.
As a parent I was often involved in selecting coaches who we would allow our son's to play for, but beyond that I did not intrude on the coaches space. I didn't always agree with a coaches strategies or tactics. I sometimes questioned starting lineups or distribution of minutes, but only to myself. I supported our sons coaches. The only time I recall being upset enough to confront a coach was when one played my son almost an entire game after he had two days before been carried off the field with severe cramps. We had gone to an alternative medical specialist to deal with the cramps and she had performed miracles to relieve the cramping. He could not walk into to the office but two hours later walked out under his own power. Genesen Acutouch, Un-freaking-believable!
I continue to learn on a daily basis. Many times lessons learned long ago are revisited. The world is constantly changing and this affords endless opportunities to continue learning. And even when the status quo seems to remain the same, there still exists opportunities to learn anew. For example, today I learned about Donatello's David and other art and artists of the quattracento era, Who knew?!? Right?
Go forth to gain knowledge, control what you can control and don't sweat the rest.
Monday
Christmas!
Isaiah 9:6King James Version (KJV)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Christmas is so much more than just a season. For millions of people people round the globe Christmas is second only to Easter in its importance to the tenets we strive to live our lives by. It is important to keep and nurture Christmas in our hearts every day of our lives that its light will shine through us onto and into others.
When to much emphasis and focus is placed on Christmas Day or the week leading up to Christmas it can become a stressful time indeed. People try to be something they are not for most of the year. Everyone is a little nicer, a bit more tolerant and exert extra effort to be nice and get along with family, friend and foe alike. Invariably, the stress gets to people and tensions can bubble over into open conflict. Thee can exist a feeling of gratefulness that Christmas only comes once a year.
But that's the point I make - Christmas does not come but once a year. Christmas is a state of mind, a way of life. Every day is Christmas day just as every morning is Easter morning. God is constant and so too should we be constant in our remembrance of His gift of a Son to us.
Love.
I've considered this long and hard. In fact, it is an on-going process with me. There are people in this world whom I simply do not like. Can I still love them? That is really the challenge God puts to us and the lesson Jesus teaches.
Jesus was born in a manger, a stable. Why, would the King of Kings be brought into this world in such lowly surroundings? Why should he not have been born in a palace? The answer is self-evident when we consider accessibility. Not everyone would have been permitted access to Jesus had he been born in a palace or perhaps even in his family's house. Would the unclean shepherds been welcomed in a palace? I think not. But would anyone be turned away from a manger, a stable?
And this is how Jesus lived his life. Lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, thieves and more were all welcomed into Jesus' presence. The Son of God associated with anyone and everyone. All of mankind are welcome in God's presence. All that is asked in return is that you believe in God.
As our family Christmas winds down I am reminded of this. I find my mother-in-law to be one of the most difficult people in my life. My father-in-law a close second for different reasons. I do not like them and I have struggled with this over the years. I believe I would be fine if I never saw or spoke with either of these people ever again. They bring stress to my life. I struggle to be myself around them because of the standards they would hold me to. Yet I see them break their own standards time and again. They are not accepting of difference. While they hold themselves up to be good Christian people, I find them to be hypocritical in practicing the Word. Yes, I am as judgmental as I accuse them of being.
As much as I struggle to like the in-laws, I find that I do love them. I wish them no ill will. I pray for their wellness and safe being. I would just rather not associate with them due to the stress associated with being in their presence.
Yes, I have work to do with my own relationship with God. It is an on-going process that needs constant attention, nurturing and guidance.
I cherish the blessing the in-laws are in my life. I have and continue to learn so much about God and myself through their presence in my life. It's not always a negative they bring to light that I learn from for these are good people with positives to learn from as well. The dysfunctional nature of our relationship is a sturdy educational platform I am fortunate to have at my disposal. That doesn't mean I wish to perpetuate the nature of our current relationship forever. No, I do harbor hope of a better relationship with my in-laws but am keenly aware I can only control certain aspects. There must be a willingness from all parties. It is not compromise that would bring us closer together but an understanding of God purposefully manifesting himself differently in each of us. I am not here to conform to their expectations, but to God's expectations for me. I have as much to teach them about God and his Love as they believe they have to teach me.
You see, that's a message of the Savior's birth in the manger we overlook. Our KING was born in a manger. Shepherds and Wise Men both and together came to honor Him. All were and are welcomed in God's presence. No one man or woman better than any other in God's eyes. We are not here to compete for God's favor, but to relish in the pure delight and Peace of God's favor that He has made available to us all.
Have a Merry Christmas each and every day of your life everyone!
As much as I struggle to like the in-laws, I find that I do love them. I wish them no ill will. I pray for their wellness and safe being. I would just rather not associate with them due to the stress associated with being in their presence.
Yes, I have work to do with my own relationship with God. It is an on-going process that needs constant attention, nurturing and guidance.
I cherish the blessing the in-laws are in my life. I have and continue to learn so much about God and myself through their presence in my life. It's not always a negative they bring to light that I learn from for these are good people with positives to learn from as well. The dysfunctional nature of our relationship is a sturdy educational platform I am fortunate to have at my disposal. That doesn't mean I wish to perpetuate the nature of our current relationship forever. No, I do harbor hope of a better relationship with my in-laws but am keenly aware I can only control certain aspects. There must be a willingness from all parties. It is not compromise that would bring us closer together but an understanding of God purposefully manifesting himself differently in each of us. I am not here to conform to their expectations, but to God's expectations for me. I have as much to teach them about God and his Love as they believe they have to teach me.
You see, that's a message of the Savior's birth in the manger we overlook. Our KING was born in a manger. Shepherds and Wise Men both and together came to honor Him. All were and are welcomed in God's presence. No one man or woman better than any other in God's eyes. We are not here to compete for God's favor, but to relish in the pure delight and Peace of God's favor that He has made available to us all.
Have a Merry Christmas each and every day of your life everyone!
Saturday
Sunday
Writing and Reading - the beat goes on.
By my standards ... we had a bad season. And just like after a poor performance in a game, I am champing at the bit to get right back out there to put things right. The self-evaluation is on-going and will be until I can get back to working with this team. Hungry? I'm starving! And surviving on leftovers right now. Leftovers in terms of reading through notes on past seasons. I write and read and re-read constantly. Reading and writing are two of my favorite pastimes. They have proven to be both cathartic and educational throughout my life. This is certainly the case this off-season.
What I am discovering ... or remembering ... is I have been here before. It has been awhile, fore sure, but nonetheless I have traveled this path before. There is some solace in this. There is some frustration in this. Two main themes have emerged (as they always do). First is to focus on what I could and can control. Secondly, ask and answer the question "why?".
Did I do a good job with what I could control? For the most part, I believe I did. Yes, that response indicates there was room for improvement in some areas. For me recognition and flexibility are key words in this process. I took some things for granted and therefore was slow to respond. I am coming to believe I was also too ridged in my consideration of the best formation and systems of play for this team. In fact, where I once believed I was on the cutting edge in terms of formation and systems of play in local high school soccer I now realize this is no longer true. I allowed myself to become comfortable in success.
The past couple of seasons I have not been pleased with the defense played by my teams. Where my teams were once feared because of our vaunted defense we were now average at best. I approached this from a fundamentals standpoint - we went back to basics and drilled the basics. Some improvements were made but it seemed like opponents capitalized on every single mistake we made. Something was amiss and I was blind to what it was.
My teams have played with 4 in the back since the late 1990's. It worked because of the prevalence of 3 forward systems. In today's high school game the preponderance of systems we face have 2 forwards and occasionally only one forward. Four in the back is unnecessary. In fact, I am coming to the realization 4 in the back has contributed to our defensive woes these last couple of seasons. If a defender has no one to pressure he is in a supporting role. Four in the back saw a redundancy in supporting roles and a decrease in concentration levels in those filling non-direct support. In a sense we were lulled to sleep by a false sense of security. it turns out this impacted our effectiveness on both defense and offense.
So it is that in addition to reviewing and analyzing my own teams' performance I have gone back to analyzing the high school game in general. Next years team will play a different formation and adjusted systems of play. I'm already moving into design mode on this. No, I am not going to share the changes I am contemplating and instituting for I know some rival coaches read this blog. Our readers will need to wait until fall of 2018 to fully appreciate what is coming. Suffice it to say, we are going back to forcing opponents to adapt to what we do. The problems we are going to present opponents next year are going to be very different from those we have presented them these past couple of seasons.
The past couple of seasons I have not been pleased with the defense played by my teams. Where my teams were once feared because of our vaunted defense we were now average at best. I approached this from a fundamentals standpoint - we went back to basics and drilled the basics. Some improvements were made but it seemed like opponents capitalized on every single mistake we made. Something was amiss and I was blind to what it was.
My teams have played with 4 in the back since the late 1990's. It worked because of the prevalence of 3 forward systems. In today's high school game the preponderance of systems we face have 2 forwards and occasionally only one forward. Four in the back is unnecessary. In fact, I am coming to the realization 4 in the back has contributed to our defensive woes these last couple of seasons. If a defender has no one to pressure he is in a supporting role. Four in the back saw a redundancy in supporting roles and a decrease in concentration levels in those filling non-direct support. In a sense we were lulled to sleep by a false sense of security. it turns out this impacted our effectiveness on both defense and offense.
So it is that in addition to reviewing and analyzing my own teams' performance I have gone back to analyzing the high school game in general. Next years team will play a different formation and adjusted systems of play. I'm already moving into design mode on this. No, I am not going to share the changes I am contemplating and instituting for I know some rival coaches read this blog. Our readers will need to wait until fall of 2018 to fully appreciate what is coming. Suffice it to say, we are going back to forcing opponents to adapt to what we do. The problems we are going to present opponents next year are going to be very different from those we have presented them these past couple of seasons.
Monday
Looking for recommendations and an offer to help you.
So, I injured my knee at work a couple of weeks ago and am under doctors orders to stay off of it until all the testing on it is complete and a course of action is settled upon. With little else to do I have been reading. Not strictly on soccer or even sports. I just finished up A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution by Carol Berkin. Friend of the CBA Blog, Graham Ramsay has also kept me busy searching for out of publication soccer / football books from around the globe. I am happy to announce I have been successful for him with one exception - a book titled Making Teams by Tom O'Neil. This book was self published in 1994 with a print run "possibly" following a couple of years later. The publisher is long since out of business.
Long ago when I first started coaching soccer I recognized the need to become a student of the game. At this point in my coaching career I have a decent library of books / videos and other sources of soccer knowledge. I continue to seek out information on the game anywhere I can find it.
Anyway, what I want to do is to solicit book recommendations from you, the readers of this blog. Soccer, or as the world knows the game, football related books are the priority although I will entertain recommendations of books on other subjects as well.
In return I am going to publish a listing of soccer / football related books I have in my own library. I can make recommendations, provide reviews and or help you track down copies to add to your own library. Sharing knowledge of the game is the best way I know to grow the game.
Contact me at coachtjbrown@gmail.com
Listed Alphabetically
Long ago when I first started coaching soccer I recognized the need to become a student of the game. At this point in my coaching career I have a decent library of books / videos and other sources of soccer knowledge. I continue to seek out information on the game anywhere I can find it.
Anyway, what I want to do is to solicit book recommendations from you, the readers of this blog. Soccer, or as the world knows the game, football related books are the priority although I will entertain recommendations of books on other subjects as well.
In return I am going to publish a listing of soccer / football related books I have in my own library. I can make recommendations, provide reviews and or help you track down copies to add to your own library. Sharing knowledge of the game is the best way I know to grow the game.
Contact me at coachtjbrown@gmail.com
Listed Alphabetically
| 101 Teambuilding Activities | Dale & Conant |
| 2 v 1 Attacking Drills and Exercises | David Goladstein |
| 248 Drills for Attacking Soccer | Del Freo |
| 300 Innovative Soccer Drills for Total Development | Wilkinson & Critchell |
| Attacking Down the Center | Henk Mariman |
| Attacking Down the Flank | Henk Mariman |
| Attacking Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Attacking Soccer: A Tactical Analysis | Lucchesi |
| Attacking Soccer: A Tactical Analysis | Luxbacher |
| Build-Up Play | Henk Mariman |
| Captain for Life | Harkes |
| Catch them being good | Tony DiCicco |
| Championship Team Building | Jeff Janssen |
| Coaching & Motivation | Warren |
| Coaching Soccer | Bert van Lingen |
| Coaching Soccer (2) NSCAA | Edited by Tim Schum |
| Coaching Team Shape | Cecchini |
| Coaching the 4-2-3-1 | Steve Grieve |
| Coaching the 4-2-3-1 | Harrison |
| Coaching the 4-2-3-1 Advanced Tactics | Harrison |
| Coaching the Dutch 4-3-3 | Robert Podeyn |
| Coaching the Goalkeeper | Tony Waiters |
| Cobi Jones Soccer Games | |
| Complete Conditioning for Soccer | Sigi Schmid & Bob Alejo |
| Conditioning for Soccer | Joe Luxbacher |
| Defending & Goalkeeping Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Design of a Soccer Training Session Based Upon the Physiological Match Demands of Competitive Soccer | Coyle |
| Developing Game Intelligence | Horst Wein |
| Don Howe - Super Soccer Skills | |
| Dutch Soccer Drills: Game Action Drills | Kentwell |
| Dutch Soccer Drills: Individual Skills | Kentwell |
| Dutch Soccer Drills: Practice Drills for Attacking | Kormelink |
| English Premier League Academy Training Sessions Vol. I | |
| English Premier League Academy Training Sessions Vol. II | |
| Feeding the Young Athlete | Lair |
| Flat Back Four: The Tactical Game | Andy Gray |
| Focused for Soccer | Beswick |
| Full Season Training Program | Lawrence Fine |
| Games Girls Play | Caroline Silby with Shelly Smith |
| Game Situation Training for Soccer | Wayne Harrison |
| Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently | Kathleen DeBoer |
| Goalkeeper Medicine Ball Training | Dicicco & Caruso |
| Goalkeeper Soccer Training Manual | Dicicco |
| Goalkeeping Drills | Thissen & Rollgen |
| Goalkeeping Drills: Volume II | Thissen & Rollgen |
| Hotshots #1 Workbook for 9, 10 & 11 year olds | |
| Hotshots #2 Workbook for 9, 10 & 11 year olds | |
| Hotshots #3 Workbook for 9, 10 & 11 year olds | |
| How to Play and Beat the 3-5-2 | David Platt |
| How to Play and Beat the 4-3-3 | David Platt |
| How to Play and Beat the 4-5-1 | David Platt |
| Improve Your Soccer Skills | Pavla |
| Indoor Soccer | Sterling |
| Inverting the Pyramid | Jonathon Wilson |
| KNVB Coaching Course | |
| Learning & Teaching Soccer Skills | Eric Worthington |
| Making Mistakes | Brown |
| Making Teams (photo copy) | Tom O'Neil |
| Modern Tactical Development | Allen Wade |
| NSCAA Regional / Advanced Regional Course Book | Ken White |
| NSCAA Match Analysis Notebook | |
| NSCAA Goalkeeping Level I Course Book | Tippin, Waiters & Murphy |
| NSCAA State Goalkeeping Course Book | Ken White |
| NSCAA Goalkeeping II Adavanced Course Book | Mike Coles |
| NSCAA National Goalkeeping Level III National Course Book | George Parry |
| NSCAA High School Coaches Course Book | Doug Williamson, Jeff Vennell, Matt BillMan, Mike Barr |
| NSCAA State Course Book | Ken White |
| NSCAA Regional & Advanced Regional Course Book | Ken White |
| Nutrition for Soccer Players | Enrico Arcelli |
| Organizing Successful Tournaments | John Byl |
| Passing & Possession Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Peak Performance Playbook | Jeff Janssen |
| Playing as One | Tom O'Neil and Alex Saltonstall |
| Positional Play: Back Defenders | Wade |
| Positional Play: Goalkeeping | |
| Positional Play: Midfield | |
| Positional Play: Strikers | |
| Practice Games for Winning Soccer | |
| Practices & Training Sessions of Worlds Top… | |
| Principles of Play | Allen Wade |
| Principles of Teaching Soccer | Allen Wade |
| Pro Coach - Coaching Pad | Simon & Reeves |
| QuikSkills Folder | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Recognizing the Moment to Play | Wayne Harrison |
| Secrets of Soccer: Practices & Secrets | |
| So Now you are a Goalkeeper | Machnik & Hoek |
| Soccer Attacking Schemes & Training Exercises | Fascetti & Scaia |
| Soccer for Girls | Graham Ramsay |
| Soccer for Thinkers | Malcolm Allison |
| Soccer Guide to Training and Coachin | Allen Wade |
| Soccer - How to play the Game | USSF - Edited by Bobby Howe |
| Soccer is Fun - 1 Workbook for 6, 7 & 8 year olds | |
| Soccer is Fun - 2 Workbook for 6, 7 & 8 year olds | |
| Soccer is Fun - 3 Workbook for 6, 7 & 8 year olds | |
| Soccer Offense For Winning | |
| Soccer Referee | Clive Thomas & Tom Hudson |
| Soccer Restart Plays | Simon & Reeves |
| Soccer Rules - OK | Geoff Hales |
| Soccer Skills & Tactics | Moore |
| Soccer Star | |
| Soccer Strategies: Defensive & Attacking Tactics | Jones & Turner |
| Soccer Tactics Made Simple | David Clark |
| Soccer Techniques and Tactics | Jolex |
| Soccer Systems and Strategies | Bangsbo and Peitersen |
| Soccer's Dynamic Shortsided Games | Andrew Caruso |
| Sports Psychology Basics | Andrew Caruso |
| Success in Football | Mike Smith |
| Systems of Play | Allen Wade |
| Team Defense is a Dance | Brown |
| Team Training for the Goalkeeper | John Murphy |
| Technique & Skill Drills | Edited by Mike Saif |
| The Best of Soccer Journal | Jay Martin |
| The Brazilian Box Midfield | Dos Santos & Reis |
| The Champion Within | Gregg |
| The Complete Book of Coaching Youth Soccer | |
| The Complete Book of Soccer Conditioning | |
| The Complete Keeper | Greiber & Freis |
| The Full Season Goalkeeper Training Program | Murphy |
| The Great Book of Inspiring Quotations | Jeff Janssen |
| The Handbook of Soccer | Don Howe & Brian Scovell |
| The Scottish FA - Goalkeeper | |
| The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaching | |
| The Soccer Games Book | Simon & Reeves |
| The Soccer Coaching Bible | NSCAA |
| The Soccer Goalkeeper | Puxel & Lawniczak |
| The Soccer Goalkeeping Handbook | Welsh |
| The Spanish Goalkeeping Bible | Ruiz |
| The Team Captain's Leadership Manual (5) | Jeff Janssen |
| The Ultimate Dictionary Of Sports Quotations | |
| The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Soccer | Robert G Price |
| Thoughtful Soccer | Russ Carrington |
| Training Sessions of Europes Top teams | |
| Training to Win Football | Wolfe |
| Triangle Midfield | Robert Podeyn |
| Umbro Conditioning for Football | |
| United States Youth Soccer Association Handbook for Small Sided Games | |
| USSF D Manual | |
| USSF E Manual | |
| Usborne Superskills: Improve your Soccer Skills | Ian St. John |
| Warm Up Drills for Soccer | Chris James |
| Warm Ups for Soccer: A Dynamic Approach | Critchell |
| Winning Soccer | Yeagley |
| World Class Coaching: Training Sessions… | Edited by Mike Saif |
| Zonal Defending: Flat Back Four … (2) | Jack Detchon |
| Zone Play: A technical & Tactical Handbook | Pereni & Di Cesare |
Playing fast soccer is all about vision and brain power.
I often recognize problems in the game of soccer before fully identifying them. I will allow that to sink in for a moment.
Soccer is a game that is all about angles. To play at the highest level possible players need to see as much of the game as possible. This is a fundamental truth of the game.
In watching our local high school team the last couple of fall seasons this has been driven home hard. They tend to play in channels which makes their play extremely direct. Now, I am not against direct play, per se. However, if a team's m.o. is to play in a single channel, they become very predictable. As I watched these teams play my mind began to scream "Change the Channel!" In this day and age of "pressing defense," remaining in the same vertical channel on the pitch plays right into the press.
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
Soccer is a game that is all about angles. To play at the highest level possible players need to see as much of the game as possible. This is a fundamental truth of the game.
In watching our local high school team the last couple of fall seasons this has been driven home hard. They tend to play in channels which makes their play extremely direct. Now, I am not against direct play, per se. However, if a team's m.o. is to play in a single channel, they become very predictable. As I watched these teams play my mind began to scream "Change the Channel!" In this day and age of "pressing defense," remaining in the same vertical channel on the pitch plays right into the press.
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
Winning isn't always about which team scores more goals.
I am one of the most competitive people you will ever encounter. That said, those who have played for me will attest to my rarely knowing the score during or after a match. As a player, I always knew the score. Not so much as a coach. This is because I am not in competition with the opposing team or the opposing coach. As a coach I compete with myself.
As a player I learned the need to improve each day. With each new sunrise I was driven to be better than the day before. Not blessed with blazing speed of incredible quickness I learned to read the game, to anticipate and to out-think the opponent. These things allowed me to play much faster than my physical speed would allow for.
In coaching I am fond of saying "the game is my test" to determine how well I prepared the team to play. One might consider if my team won, I have passed my test, but this is not always true. I have had teams play poorly and win. Similarly I have had teams play very well and lose. Passing my coaching test, my self-evaluation of how well my team was prepared to play, is the the key to being successful as a coach.
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
As a player I learned the need to improve each day. With each new sunrise I was driven to be better than the day before. Not blessed with blazing speed of incredible quickness I learned to read the game, to anticipate and to out-think the opponent. These things allowed me to play much faster than my physical speed would allow for.
In coaching I am fond of saying "the game is my test" to determine how well I prepared the team to play. One might consider if my team won, I have passed my test, but this is not always true. I have had teams play poorly and win. Similarly I have had teams play very well and lose. Passing my coaching test, my self-evaluation of how well my team was prepared to play, is the the key to being successful as a coach.
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
Friday
Lead yourself.
In our locale there is a political rift between the mayor and the president of the local chapter of the NAACP. Their feuding has boiled over into the local social media in a purely negative manner. I find the whole thing terribly embarrassing and can only wonder what others must think of our community.
As I pondered this situation it occurred to me the quality of leadership can be found to be lacking. Believe it or not, that is not a condemnation of either of the primary individuals involved in this on-going dispute. Rather, it's simply an acknowledgment that leadership has many levels and a certain diligence must be put into the process of leading if we are to have the best possible leadership.
What in the world does this have to do with soccer?
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
As I pondered this situation it occurred to me the quality of leadership can be found to be lacking. Believe it or not, that is not a condemnation of either of the primary individuals involved in this on-going dispute. Rather, it's simply an acknowledgment that leadership has many levels and a certain diligence must be put into the process of leading if we are to have the best possible leadership.
What in the world does this have to do with soccer?
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
Thursday
Everyday is a Tryout
Everyday is a tryout is a mantra I repeat to my teams on an almost daily basis. My teams are a strange combination of dictatorship and meritocracy. I strive to give as much ownership of the team as possible to the players while retaining final say on certain matters to preserve order for the common good. Sometimes I wonder if the message being sent is the same as the message being received.
Everyday is a tryout. Four words that can define a process, a life even. They go to the very heart of what has become known as the daily grind. What you earned yesterday should be but a platform for what you will earn today. What you earn today is the starting point for tomorrow's growth. This is what a meritocracy is. This is what life is.
I have begun meeting with potential leaders of next years team. These are the players who have expressed interest in being captains. What I am seeking to determine is which of this group understand everyday is a tryout. Who among them understand that leadership is an action word, a verb, long before it becomes a noun?
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
Everyday is a tryout. Four words that can define a process, a life even. They go to the very heart of what has become known as the daily grind. What you earned yesterday should be but a platform for what you will earn today. What you earn today is the starting point for tomorrow's growth. This is what a meritocracy is. This is what life is.
I have begun meeting with potential leaders of next years team. These are the players who have expressed interest in being captains. What I am seeking to determine is which of this group understand everyday is a tryout. Who among them understand that leadership is an action word, a verb, long before it becomes a noun?
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
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Wednesday
Tuesday
Experience.
I have this general idea for an article based loosely on gaining experience in coaching. It's not completely formulated so, we'll see where this goes. lol.
As I watched a new coach conduct a training session my mind drifted back to my first solo practice sessions as a coach. I remember having spent the night before preparing. The head coach would be absent from practice the next day and his instructions were short and sweet - "We need to work on off-the-ball movement." Well, okay then. This was pre-Internet days and I was reliant on the coaching books and videos I had for ideas. I selected a basic three team transitioning drill that I felt fit my needs, I tweaked it a bit to better fit the team I was working with. I know I put in at least 3 hours planning for the next day's one and half hour practice session. I wanted to be prepared.
I have fond memories of that day in part because the smiles on the players faces told me they were having a good time and the exercises I had chosen, including the featured 3 team transition game, went smoothly. I had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish in the training session and prepared to achieve it.
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
As I watched a new coach conduct a training session my mind drifted back to my first solo practice sessions as a coach. I remember having spent the night before preparing. The head coach would be absent from practice the next day and his instructions were short and sweet - "We need to work on off-the-ball movement." Well, okay then. This was pre-Internet days and I was reliant on the coaching books and videos I had for ideas. I selected a basic three team transitioning drill that I felt fit my needs, I tweaked it a bit to better fit the team I was working with. I know I put in at least 3 hours planning for the next day's one and half hour practice session. I wanted to be prepared.
I have fond memories of that day in part because the smiles on the players faces told me they were having a good time and the exercises I had chosen, including the featured 3 team transition game, went smoothly. I had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish in the training session and prepared to achieve it.
(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)
Monday
High Character. Leadership. Standards.
In the context of team sports, I believe the word leadership refers primarily to high character. That is, the people who are positive leaders think of and act intentionally on behalf of the team. They commit to using their leadership abilities to engage in the call to progress in the process. This is accomplished by building up and strengthening the quality of relationships between teammates which in turn strengthens the quality of teamwork through the development of trust among team membership.
There is no such thing as a team not having leadership. Every team has leadership. It is only the quality of leadership that can be called into question. In the absence of strong high character leadership, self-serving negative leadership will be the standard.
Leaders set the standards by which the team will be judged. If the leadership will not adhere to the higher standards set for the team, there can be no expectation for the team membership to adhere to even the lowest of team's standards. The higher the standards team leadership holds itself to the higher the standards they can reasonably expect to hold their teammates to.
The question then becomes, what are the standards your leadership will set for their team?
There is no such thing as a team not having leadership. Every team has leadership. It is only the quality of leadership that can be called into question. In the absence of strong high character leadership, self-serving negative leadership will be the standard.
Leaders set the standards by which the team will be judged. If the leadership will not adhere to the higher standards set for the team, there can be no expectation for the team membership to adhere to even the lowest of team's standards. The higher the standards team leadership holds itself to the higher the standards they can reasonably expect to hold their teammates to.
The question then becomes, what are the standards your leadership will set for their team?
The Second Team
In my day they were called second string. Second team, second unit, it doesn't really matter what the designation for these players is. What is important is the vital role these players play on winning teams.
There can be no question starters play a key role in a teams performance, but so too does a team's substitutes. Players on the second unit may not often be directly responsible for winning goals, but they also cannot be responsible for allowing game winning goals.
So what do substitutes need to bring to their teams when their chance to play comes?
Tuesday
If all you ever do ...
If all you ever do
is all you've ever done,
then all you'll ever get
is all you've ever got.
I have done some small business consulting over the years. I enjoy the process of identifying why I have been called in to help a business. The owner always recognizes their business is struggling but are often too closely involved to fully comprehend why their business is struggling. Sometimes they have ideas and I am asked to help find a solution that will improve a particular aspect of their business. Other times, it's more like they throw their hands into the air in general exasperation and figuratively scream "Help!" Invariably there is a reluctance to implement changes to the extent needed and they end up doing pretty much what they have been doing all along. Throughout the process I often hear "this is how we became successful" to which I reply "it's also why your business is struggling now."
I watched as an owner of a long established business was forced to eventually shut his doors. He refused to listen to advice from his family, his employees and people like me who he asked for help. In the end, he refused to change and so lost the family business. I am currently watching the slow death of another long standing business under similar circumstances. They have lost upwards of 50% of their customer base in recent years. They seem to believe they have a product that sells itself even as reality is telling them they do not. People tired of dealing with poor customer service are finding similar products to be more to their liking. It's a shame.
Change is not a bad thing.
Most of the people I work for in these situations agree that change is not a bad thing. They are looking to me to help them identify changes to make that will restore their business to a former more prosperous status. Many are even open to personnel changes. At least in terms of reassigning people if not actually firing anyone. But what happens when it is the person in charge who actually needs to go?
Jon Taffer, the bar consultant from Bar Rescue often mentions he must first fix a relationship or a person before he can fix the bar. This idea is not isolated to failing bars. It can hold true for any type of business ... or sports team. And as can be seen when Mr. Taffer revisits bars from previous shows the personal aspect of failing cannot always be fixed. Sometimes when this has happened I have had the business owner inquire as to my interest in buying him out. I have not done so to date, but that is subject to change going forward. In fact, I am facing a time in my life where rather significant change seems to be on the menu. It's difficult to let go of of what I have loved to do for so many years, but changes are dictating that I may have no other choice. I am an odd mix of fearful and excited about the prospect. I am drawing from my experiences with small business and conducting soccer camps these past many years to guide me. Change, it is a coming and I am learning to embrace it early rather than fight it for I wish to save what I have rather than risk losing it all.
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