Intelligent Effort

I've watched a lot of soccer this month. I always marvel at how hard high school athletes compete.  Rare are the occasions when I witness a lack of effort from individual players or a team. That said, I don't always see intelligent effort and that is often the difference between winning and losing a match.

I recently caught up with a couple of our camp teams each of which demonstrated they were in different places of the process.  The first team came out and played a very solid opening 10 minutes of intelligent team soccer. As the opponents began to settle into their own game our camp team began to unravel. It wasn't long before intelligent team effort gave way to strong individual effort or what we call "hero ball."  The result was predictable and it did not end well for our camp team.

A second camp team entered a match in which they were likely considered underdogs if only because they lacked the same quality depth as their opponents.  This camp team came out and gave great intelligent effort for 80 minutes against a quality side and came away with a good result. They did not dominate the match but they held their own in a battle of styles and wills.

The difference between the two camp teams at this stage of the respective processes? 

I've been giving that a lot of thought these past few days. One obvious factor is the 2nd team referenced has been camping with us for a number of years whereas this was the first year we have camped with the first team referenced. I don't think that fully explains the differences though. Both teams started out well but while one team continued their strong intelligent play the other faltered mightily. I suspect the difference is trust.

Trust in the process. Some will call this buy-in. And buy-in itself can be a process. There has to be a taste of success to whet the appetite. Once the hunger is there the process can thrive and confidence grows.

Trust in each other.  The second team played with a spirit of camaraderie that carried them through the rough patches in the match. They bent but never broke. They were resilient in the face of adversity. The first team panicked in the face of adversity. They were good until the opponents counter-punched at which time they retreated from intelligent team effort to a previous comfort zone of great individual effort. They did not trust the process nor did they trust one another as teammates. They went from possessing the ball to whacking the ball and the rout was on.

I really believe in both of these teams. The talent is present on both squads to have very good seasons. Each team is at its own point in similar processes.  Where each goes from here will be extremely interesting to observe. I am expecting good, possibly great things from the second team.  If they build upon their recent performance good things will follow.

In regards to the first team, I believe good is an obtainable goal this season if, and only if, they can build upon and sustain the level of intelligent play I witnessed them give in those first 10 minutes of of a recent match. It's a start. Can they build 10 minutes into 15 minutes and progress from there?

Next week I am off to check on another of our camp teams.  This particular team just completed their third year of summer camp with us. I was amazed by the improvement witnessed last month and early results are indicating something good may be happening with them.  Where once technique was a weakness they have developed a strong understanding not only of how to execute skills but are now able to apply these skills in a cohesive intelligent manner. They are not a finished product, but from what they demonstrated in camp I am excited for them.

The Currency of Success is Appreciation

I have been strolling down memory lane of late reminiscing about past glory of teams I have been associated with seeking the common threads.  Several words have come to mind including leadership, resiliency, work ethic... and appreciation. It seems to me I always felt appreciated on the best of those teams. Be it the 4th grade undefeated Parkmore Tigers or the St Matthew men's softball team or the Grand Lake United U19 team... I have always felt appreciated for the contributions I made to the teams success.

I have, of course, also remembered the talented teams that underachieved and found appreciation was almost always lacking on those teams. There was the basketball team that seemingly had everything - great size, speed, skill - yet struggled to a .500 record.  A softball team as talented as any I have ever played on that failed to win the league and was routinely bounced from tournaments early. The soccer team with mediocre success despite an abundance of individual talent. On these teams I often felt like a piece of meat, a number on the roster, someone to round out a line up. Underappreciated and longing for a word of acknowledgement for the contributions I had made to the team effort.

I recall that when participating on those underachieving teams I made a point of acknowledging the efforts of others because of the lack of appreciation I felt for the contributions I made.  That's me. However, I am not a saint. I also recall how I focused on individual accomplishments when a team was not performing to potential.  I wanted to lead the team in doubles, or to lead the team in scoring irregardless of the teams success. A selfish attitude for sure, but if my teammates or coaches did not appreciate me I could at least appreciate myself.

It occurs to me that successful teams celebrate one another's individual successes as contributions, big and small alike, to the teams efforts.  In fast pitch softball it might be the laying down of a bunt, a sacrifice. In basketball or soccer, making an extra pass to a teammate who has a better scoring opportunity than you do, an assist. I have myself described this as playing for one another. 

In softball after failing to get a hit with runners in scoring position we would often ask the next batter to "pick me up" and when they came through would always thank them for having done so. In basketball taking a help side charge or coming from across the lane to block a shot were having a teammates back. We were there for one another and not concerned with who got credit for a job well done because we lavished praise upon one another in celebrating our success.

I think the most important contribution any of us can make is to be appreciative of those around us and the contributions they make to our team, our lives and the success we find in these. I was on the right track as a player, but did not persevere to see it through and change the culture on those underachieving teams. I don't know if I could have been successful or not... and that's a regret. I regret surrendering myself to a negative team culture when I knew better.

This is not to say we should never be critical of one another, but the appreciation we show of and for one another must be dominant over any negativity shown to one another. The "Oreo" or "sandwich" approach to coaching.  Before criticizing a player, find a positive in his play. Then address the issue at hand before concluding with another word of praise. Let that player know you care not just about his play, but about him as a person.  Let him know you value his contributions. Praise his efforts. In return that player will redouble his efforts for the team.

Both positive culture and negative culture are contagious. Breed a culture of positive re-enforcement with the recognition that the choice is yours to make. Praise the players, your teammates, their efforts much more than you criticize them. Be patient through mistakes understanding they are opportunities to learn.  Teach in a calm enabling manner instead of being critical and condescending.  Bring out the best in one another by telling each other frequently how much you appreciate efforts on behalf of the team.  When you score a goal, go find the person who assisted immediately and thank him for the great pass. Celebrate the accomplishment together.  When the goalkeeper makes a great save, let him know as soon as possible what a great play he made... and thank him for doing so, for having your back, for picking you up.

Appreciation, the currency of success. How rich in appreciation is your team?

Give your players your confidence.

It is important that a player knows his coach believes in him. The ability of a coach to give his confidence to his players is one of the most important skills a coach needs. Giving your confidence to players helps to build their own confidence in themselves. It is a foundational block to building a positive team culture.

To be successful in building the confidence of your players you must demonstrate you are interested in and willing to invest in their long term success. The work you put in towards helping them develop will help motivate the players to work hard for the team.

When I observe training sessions, watch matches and speak with coaching colleagues I am sometimes struck by the negativity present in assessing player performance. It seems to me there can be too much emphasis on a players current limitations and far too little focus on a players potential abilities.

Mistakes are learning opportunities for the players and by extension teaching opportunities for coaches. When a coach over reacts to a player mistake he is in effect eroding that players confidence. Isn't the wiser course of action to look for signs of progress, to praise successes no matter how small and to encourage the player to build upon these?

If you can encourage, enable and instill enthusiasm in a player over the course of a season you will witness that player grow, improve and develop at a steady pace. By the end of the season a markedly improved player should emerge. Such is the power of letting someone else know you believe in them.

It has been my observation that the coach who first starts criticizing players and substituting players for mistakes made is far more likely to see his team lose than is the coach who is first to compliment and encourage good play. It's just that criticism is rarely positive and when done in front of peers (and spectators) it is degrading and potentially harmful. I believe most times players recognize when they have made a mistake and certainly do not need to be immediately reminded of it.  If the player does not recognize his mistake, it is your training of the athlete that is to blame.

Good coaches make note of player mistakes during games so they can address them during the next training session as part of the individuals and team's long term seasonal plan.  Coaches often use film review sessions in an effort to "help" their team. What if that film review session consists of nothing more than critical review of player performance?  Do you think that player will leave the session feeling good about himself and eager to return to playing?

What if the film session is presented with patience and poise as a teaching session to learn from mistakes? What if good plays are celebrated and held up as examples? That same philosophy holds true when coaching on game day. If you want positive results, accentuate positive play. When mistakes occur, encourage the player to move on.  "Next Play!"  Address the mistakes through technical and tactical training during the next training session.

Confidence can be a fragile thing.  One negative remark can negate a lot of praise. Young players seek validation of their worth and a steady diet of negativity can leave them feeling beat down and devalued.  When a player makes a mistake shouldn't the idea be to help him overcome it and not further beat him down for having made it?

Think about it coach.

If the majority of the communication you have with a player is negative can you hold a realistic expectation for that player to play confidently and towards his full potential? 

Give the players your confidence in them and you will be rewarded with confident play from them.