If all your teammates ...

If all your teammates …

… Communicated as you do

… Sacrificed as you do

… Encouraged as you do

… Cared as you do

… Worked as you do

… Had the same attitude as you do

… Treated others as you do,

Would your team be better or worse?

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.

Year two is getting underway.

When I took over the Lima Senior boys soccer program I knew there were things that needed to change if we were to advance to the next level. As is the case when change is encountered I also knew there would be resistance to the changes I wanted to bring to the program. I anticipated there would be excitement for a new approach and new direction and there was. These are all accepted dynamics that will be present anytime a new coach takes over.

All in all, the first season went about as expected. That is, we were able to begin the process of redefining the program. That process met with resistance from some.  Some embraced the new approach and were eager to pursue a new direction.  We had the best season in perhaps 12-15 years and some said ever although I think that might be a bit ambitious.

(Hit the jump for the rest of the article)

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?

What separates the good from the best?

Conducting  team camps throughout the summer months gives me exposure to a great many athletes. Each week a different location with a different team. I love the variety but at the same time each week can be much the same as the last.  Each team has a hierarchy within the player ranks. Over the years I have come to appreciate what separates the good players from the best players on any team can be summed up in one word - preparation.

There is, of course, a minimum level of ability within any team that sets a standard. For many teams this standard is remarkably similar. The difference in both individuals and teams is found in the intangibles  It is the intangibles that separate good from great and are the difference between a win and a loss.

Every team works on the same sets of fundamentals. Every player knows the basics. Not every team brings the same dedication to preparation.  Not every player will exhibit the same level of dedication to preparation.  Not every team or individual will define preparation in the same manner. We are talking about STANDARDS.

An individual player may spend countless hours on his own  preparing himself as a player but devote very little time towards being a teammate. He might shine on the ball but provide very little to his team off the ball. A talented group of individuals might never achieve to its collective potential because they lack team oriented intangibles. It is the intangibles that make the difference and this is especially true when teams are closely matched or when a coach must decide between which players make varsity or start games.

So it is that coaches should work to develop and accentuate the intangibles of both individual players and the collective team. When talent level is comparable it is the intangibles that make the difference.  And it's often not about the quantity of preparation or the quantity of effort given, but rather about the quality of the work being put in.

Every week I see players arrive early to camp sessions. It is  always the same individual or small group of players that arrive early for each session. In fact, as a rule of thumb, individuals of a team tend to arrive in a regular and specific order.  Early arrival itself does not make a difference. What one does upon arriving early can make a difference. 

Some arrive early to put in extra preparatory time before practice. This might be working on their individual game. It might be to work with a teammate or group of teammates on improving a specific facet of the team's game. It might be to help set up for practice so actual practice time is devoted to practicing.  

In the end, the players that stand out each week are those who  best combine talent and intangibles. These are the players who tend to win starting assignments and play the most. They are the ones who separate themselves from the pack largely through an intelligent dedicated approach to preparation. 

Attitude. Commitment. Culture. What of it?

I suppose I should have included "Patience" in the title as well.

As I enter my third year (second as head coach) in the Lima Senior soccer program I find myself fixated on Attitude, Commitment and Culture as the areas key to the Spartans rising to another level. I am fond of saying "culture can win or lose you games" and am of the belief this was proven true this past season .  Our culture did, in fact, both win and lose us games during the 2016 season. On the surface, that might seem like an odd statement, but just as technical skill and tactical understanding impact the game so too does a teams culture.  Sometimes skill and tactics are enough to win games. Sometimes it is one teams culture that separates it from the opponent.

I want to be clear that the culture was not excessively poor when I took over the program. If we used Jannsen's Commitment Continuum to rate the culture of the program I took over last season we would find it in the compliant range.




That is, the team and individual players largely tried to do what was asked of them. They did enough to get by. Where they were lacking is in the areas of accountability and responsibility to one another, the team and the program as a whole. One year later we have made progress, but are still probably in the compliant range as a team.

As I ask myself why our progress has not been swifter or more dramatic I keep coming back to the three words in the title of this article - Attitude, Commitment and Culture. I think sometimes we use these words interchangeably and that does each a disservice. They are related and interconnected yet different and unique each in its own way.

Attitude alone is not a guarantee of a win or a loss. I have seen teams with great attitudes lose games to teams with lesser attitudes. And there are certainly teams with poor attitudes that manage to overcome them and win games. Still, there can be no doubting the importance good attitudes. This set me to thinking about what attitude can provide ... or deprive a team of.

Attitude is not static - that is, it must be nurtured to grow in a positive direction and if this is not diligently attended to one's attitude will surely regress.

Attitude is not a substitute for technical, tactical or physical competence.

Neither can attitude alone be substituted for experience.

In short, attitude cannot change facts, but attitude can change how we deal with facts.

For example, attitude can make the difference in how we deal with one another - our relationships with each other.

Attitude can also make a difference in how we deal with adversity and challenges.

One positive attitude can be a beacon shining bright that draws others to it. A team with a collective good attitude can become something greater than the sum of its parts.  And that is what I am seeking to create at Lima Senior.

So, what are the obstacles slowing our progress?

Change.

More is being asked of individual players and the team alike. Everyone is being asked to step out of established comfort zones and embrace growth. This can be an intimidating task, especially if one's attitude is not positively energized.

Fear of change leads to indecisiveness, inaction, drains positive energy and generally inhibits potential from being reached. Fear also magnifies adversity, challenges and problems when affecting change. In the absence of a positive attitude discouragement can gain a foothold.

Energy is contagious whether it be of a positive or negative nature.  So, how change is approached is of vital importance. Positive energy will allow for smoother transition than negative energy will. Those who are reluctant to change may have to be eliminated from the program in order to foster an overall positive energy. I faced and dealt with this problem last fall. There were a few stragglers with poor attitudes who refused to buy-in to the changes being made. They were energy drains to our positive attitudes. They have been removed from the program. More may yet decide to leave as they find their energy, their attitude to be in conflict with the growing majority.

The 85% rule.

The 85% rule refers to having 85% of your team members being either Compliant, Committed of Compelled on Jannsen's Commitment Continuum.  This would represent 85% of your team having "good" attitudes. What I have done is to make a list of every player on our roster.  Not as easy of a task as one might think in our situation. I had 57 student / athletes express interest in playing. Of those, we had 46 who actually participated at least one day.  We lost several to academic ineligibility. Others were dismissed from the team due to disciplinary problems. Still others self-selected and just stopped showing up. We finished the season with 33 players. These 33 are the players I have on my list. Beside each of their names I have written their commitment level in my eyes. I have also asked each player how they would rate themselves. There are differences of opinions - some subtle and others quite dramatic.

Resistant: Complainers. They complain about coaching, teammates, program rules. They are generally selfish and against team goals and in favor of their own goals.

Reluctant: Skeptics. They are hesitant, wait and seers. Go through the motions but without much, if any conviction. Have not totally bought-in.

Existent: They are present but not completely engaged. They give little of themselves and expect little from others or the team as a whole.

Compliant: These student / athletes do what is asked of them, but give no extra effort. Generally not self-motivated. Not disruptive, but not fully engaged.  They neither provide energy nor drain energy.

Committed: Self-motivated.  They will do what is expected of them and then some. Take initiative to improve self and team.

Compelled: The Standard Bearers. No matter the adversity or challenge they are 100% engaged. They prepare, train and compete at the highest level. They are driven to achieve team goals and achieve team success.

In general, the 85% rule states a successful team needs 85% of its members in the Compliant, Committed and Compelled ranges in order to be successful. Obviously all of those falling in the Compliant range would not be satisfactory. There must be some in the Committed range and at least a few in the Compelled range. A balance among these three ranges is necessary with the more towards the top of the range the better. But I would submit there is value to each of the ranges being represented. Can you imagine the disconnect between 11 players in the Compelled range and a couple in the Compliant or lower ranges with no one representing the in between?

Culture.

Some combination of Attitude and Commitment define the culture of the program, team and its individual players. Where program rules meet team goals success if found.  So it is moving forward we will continue to work on our attitudes and foster commitment in search of a winning team culture. That is a key consideration to take from this writing - attitude and commitment, culture, must be worked on. All coaches work on technique and tactics, physical conditioning. We must also give conscious effort to the psychological aspects of the game We must train attitude, commitment and culture until these things become second nature in the same manner as technical ability, tactical understanding and physical conditioning.  This is our platform for success,

There are no shortcuts on the road to success.

This is something I preach and teach to my teams.  It is also something I watch for in tryouts. If a player allows himself to take shortcuts in practice or at tryouts he will look to do the same during games and that is a recipe for mediocrity at best.  There can be no place for this on winning teams.

It takes zero talent.

IT TAKES ZERO TALENT

* To be on time

* To be prepared

* To have a great attitude

* To be focused on the task at hand

* To pay attention to the details of the process

* To be energetic and enthusiastic

* To work hard and always give your best effort

* To give extra to the process

* To be coach-able

* To be a great teammate

Doing any or all of the above simply requires making the decision to do so. These are things only YOU control. So, what's YOUR decision going to be?

How to Increase Your Value to Your Team.

A very self-aware player recently asked of me, what do I need to do in order to increase my value to the team? This question came about in the context of what the athlete could do during the off season to improve for next fall. Now, I am not the athlete's coach so I cannot speak directly to what areas his coach feels should be the focus of off season work. However, I can address the general concept of increasing one's value to the team.

First and foremost is the players approach to the team, his attitude. As positivity and negativity are both contagious a player with a positive attitude is something all coaches prize.  The conscious recognition that one's attitude is a choice is a starting point. One can decide to have a positive attitude, or not as the case may be. So how we approach the decision making progress in regards to attitude is very important.

Sometimes we have athletes who are very good at talking the talk but struggle when it comes to walking the walk. That is, their words and actions are not always in one accord. So, we might ask if the player is mature enough to take things seriously. Can they adhere to the details of the process even when they would rather not do so?

Another way to phrase this is to ask. what are you personally willing to sacrifice towards the success of the team? Is there present in the student / athlete a recognition that sacrificing for the betterment of the team also promotes an athletes personal agenda? The trendy phrase today is When We Replaces Me. Is the athlete willing to place We before Me?

Respecting authority is another prime example of attitude.  If the athlete disrespects authority this is a manifestation of bad attitude. And when talking about authority the list includes parents, teachers, referees, coaches, captains and those placed in charge of organizing and directing play on the field - goalkeepers for instance. Differing opinions can be a strength to a team, but only when they are expressed at the appropriate time and in a respectful manner. Arguing with referees, coaches, captains, teammates during a match or even during active training is not appropriate.

Much of what has been discussed to this point  might be classified as a players maturity level.  Is the student / athlete mature enough to handle constructive criticism in the spirit it is offered or does the student athlete take such efforts personally as a condemnation of his play?  Can the player give constructive criticism to teammates in the spirit and tone of helping as opposed to placing blame or condemning their play?

How does the athlete deal with adversity? Is there self-discipline and mental toughness present that manifests itself in determination and resiliency to overcome?  These are traits prized by coaches and teammates alike.  They go to the issue of trust.  Is the player worthy of being trusted? Is he honest in his dealings with others - his teammates, his coaches, the referees ... himself?

Attitude is so very important, but has been so overused in the context of team sports it has lost some of its effectiveness in identifying what it is to be a good teammate.  And being a good teammate is at the core of increasing one's value to his team. At the root of being a good teammate is the ability to build productive relationships with all other members of the team.

When an athlete is a good teammate bringing positive energy and enthusiasm to the team and its pursuit of common goals, good things will follow.  Sure, working on technical skill sets and tactical understanding are important and improving in these areas will enhance a players value to his team, but we must not forget the difference attitude makes - be it good attitude or bad attitude.  Be of service to your team and its members and good things will follow.

Attitude. Work Ethic. Productivity

I've been pondering what makes one team more efficient and effective than another team. By no means is this a scientific undertaking, It is very much my musings on observations I have made about teams I have been a part of in one capacity or another.

Mission. Goals. Standards.

Teams with a clearly defined mission tend to be successful. The mission statement defines who we are and what we are about. Separate from a mission statement are a team's goals. These can and should range from short term goals to long range goals. The goals can be viewed as stepping stones toward fulfilling the mission. Standards are how we are going to go about achieving our goals. What behaviors are acceptable and which are unacceptable.

Communication and Respect.

Among the standards successful teams share are effective communication and respect.  All opinions are welcomed and valued. Beginning in the 1980's a cottage industry came to the fore that focuses on team bonding activities. Both the corporate world and the sports world has taken advantage of such activities to promote effective communication, conflict resolution, the organizational structure and decision making process. The underlying premise is every team member is acknowledged and valued for the contributions they make towards the team's goals and fulfilling the team's mission,

Cooperation and Teamwork

Together Everyone Achieves More. Effective teams have a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. All voices are heard in the decision making process. Team members who trust the decision-making process tend to cooperate even the when a decision is not entirely to their liking. When teamwork extends beyond the field and into every facet of the team buy-in to team philosophy, mission and goals comes much easier.

Appearance and Character

A former coach of mine was fond of saying, "If you want to be a champion, you need to look the part." At first I thought this meant we had to tuck in our shirts and pull up our socks.  I came to realize the dress code was only a very small part of it. How our team was perceived and how the team perceived itself was the lesson being imparted to us. Team rules and standards of conduct.  Conduct detrimental to the team mission, goals and standards cannot be tolerated. In short, the personal decision making process begins with, if your behavior or conduct would reflect negatively on the team, don't do it.

Attendance

My high school coaching mentor addressed attendance in one brief sentence, Attendance is mandatory and will be punctual. One unexcused absence or tardiness resulted in suspension. A repeat offence resulted in dismissal from the team. This might sound strict, but Coach understood that disruptions to the team caused by unexcused absences and tardiness reduced productivity. Unexcused absences affect and impact the entire team in a negative sense. Being recognized as a dependable teammate is a prerequisite to earning trust. Dealing consistently with misconduct in a manner positive to the team's mission, goals and standards directly impacts trust, respect and productivity.

Organization

In many ways it is how a team structure is organized that determines its Attitude, Work Ethic and Productivity. If the organization is sub par, then productivity will likely be less efficient than it should be. Ownership is a shared responsibility.  If the team is set up as a dictatorship with the coach in the lead role it will be difficult for team members to fully buy-in to his process because they will not view it as their process.  It's difficult to fully enjoy an experience when it's not yours to enjoy. Ownership or lack thereof also impacts ones motivation.  If you feel ownership of the team, you are much more likely to be self-motivated as team performance will reflect directly on you as a member of that team.

To end I will tell the story of Alex.  I was coaching a club team comprised of the very best players in the area. I hand selected this team not only on talent, but on attitude, character and maturity.  Still, early on the team was not performing at peak level. Then we faced a disciplinary issue involving a member of the team. We discussed the situation with the team captains. When an agreement was reached as to what the discipline would be our lead captain, Alex, took charge.  The captains, led by Alex, met with the individual. They described the conduct detrimental to the team and informed the offender of his discipline.  I thought we might lose the player, but we did not. He was not happy, but it came to be a turning point for both the player and the team as a whole. The team rose to new heights and went on to a tremendously successful season. The player who had committed the violation of team conduct became a very productive team member who contributed significantly to our success.

The team captains took responsibility and addressed the situation and individual on their own, but with full support of the coaching staff.  I spoke with the individual in question after the captains had addressed him, but this was only necessary so that he understood I supported the captains decision. I had their backs on this.

If we had not upheld the teams mission and standards at that point in time our season might well have been lost. Thankfully we had an organizational structure in place that allowed us to address the issue with positivity and within the framework of expectations and the standards of how we wanted our team to be viewed and remembered.

The Four Elements. No, not a rock band.

As I have conducted camps and clinics this summer a theme has developed during question and answer sessions - What can I (the coach or parent) do to help players develop properly.  I have settled into a somewhat standard response that I will share with you in today's writing.

There are five basic elements that need to be given attention in properly developing soccer players. Yes, I realize I titled this article The Four Elements. I will list the four elements with brief descriptions in a moment, but first we need to concentrate on the most important and sometimes overlooked element - the passion for the game a player must have. 

The Four Elements

Technical
Tactical
Physical
Psychological

A good coach will have at least a basic understanding of these four elements and know enough to incorporate all of them in each training session.

A players technical ability references the ability to perform fundamental skills or the quality of mechanics in the skills being performed.

For example: When executing a "push pass" are the athlete's toes up, heel down and does he strike through the ball with the ankle bone?

The tactical element refers to the decision-making involved in playing the game. The who does what, when and where in game. And maybe most importantly why and how it is done. This includes both decisions made "on-the-ball" and of at least equal importance the decisions made when not in possession of the ball.

For example, before a player receives the ball he should already have made a decision based on data gathered via scanning the pitch. He then decides how to properly position himself to execute that decision before his first touch on the ball. The amount of space he will have to play in will impact the decision he makes. Shoot, advance into position to shoot, pass to a teammate in position to shoot, advance the attack, maintain possession for his team possibly by dropping the ball back to relieve pressure or by executing a switch of fields to change the point of attack. It's a complicated yet simple process that requires constant attention in training. These are all components required to achieve a fast pace of play.

The physical or fitness element of the game is exactly what it sounds like.  Physical speed, explosive strength, quickness, agility, flexibility and balance are all necessary to performing at peak ability. 

Unlimited substitutions in youth and high school soccer might diminish the importance of being properly conditioned to some small degree, but if you want playing time and a lot of it physical fitness is paramount.

For a lack of a better description the psychological element refers to the intangibles a player can bring to the game. Attitude, confidence, mental toughness and other controllable emotions or mindsets that result in an even keel or stability in the athletes approach to the game.

The athlete can train for these things as well. This often includes asking or forcing an athlete to step beyond his established comfort zone to redefine a new comfort zone.  It involves problem solving  and overcoming obstacles the game or opponents present in  successful manner. In that regard it is very much about developing and maintain confidence.

A sound understanding of these elements of the game will help the player (and by extension the coach and parents) enjoy the game to the fullest extent possible. 

Good training session will address all of these elements of the game. That holds true whether the session is an organized team activity or simply an athlete working on his own.  The role of coaches and parents to provide the athlete with the opportunity to experiences all elements of the game as a set as often as is reasonably possible. It is then up to the fifth element of the game, the athlete himself, to decide whether to take advantage of the opportunity he is presented with.  If the passion is present in the athlete he will embrace the opportunity.

I firmly believe the game remains the best teacher. This is when athletes demonstrate their technical proficiency by passing, receiving, executing a move to defeat a defender or tackling the ball away. It is also when they make the decisions that impact the pace of play, possession and general flow of the game - the tactics of playing soccer. Physically they walk, jog, run, backpedal, shuffle, change directions, jump and play the ball. And psychologically they learn to deal with both success and failure with failure often preceding success when failure is handled appropriately,

 

In conclusion, it takes a team environment to help an athlete develop - the parents and coach play critical parts secondary only to the athlete himself. Understanding the four elements will help the parent and coach understand a players strength and weaknesses enabling them to help the athlete address these.

 

If I had to choose one word to focus on in developing players it would be confidence. It is the parents and coaches role to help instill confidence in the athlete.  I often refer to the necessity of coaches to give their confidence to the player. This is accomplished with honesty to praise and critique.  The same holds true for the role of parents. Give a realistic assessment of your child when and only when your child asks for one.  Otherwise, cheer the efforts of your child and his teammates... even the opponents. Do not coach your child from the parent sidelines or when you play with him in the backyard. Enjoy the experience of watching your child play, compete and grow as a player and more importantly as a person.  Remember, soccer is something your child does, but is only a very small part of who he is in the grand scheme of life.

 

 

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Team Culture in Soccer

Culture: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time.

Philosophy:  a set of ideas about how to do something.

The culture of a particular team will be reflective of it's leadership. A coach's philosophy will go a long ways toward determining the team's culture. Player leadership will also impact a teams culture. Great team culture sees player leadership buy into the coach's philosophy.

Establishing a productive team culture is so important I write about it often.  Most recently I authored the article Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast based on a quote I found on Twitter.  The title says it all. We have all seen teams with great talent lose to "inferior" teams with great culture.

Every team has a culture be it great, good, indifferent or toxic. 

Just think about that for a minute.

A great culture enhances and magnifies a teams technical, tactical, physical and psychological abilities. Perhaps most importantly a great team culture manifests itself as passion to participate with teammates and play the game together as many working towards a common goal.

The foundation of great team culture is Honesty.

A soccer team is a group of people who develop, nurture and grow relationships based around a common interest - soccer. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together. Trust is dependent on honesty, on truth, to exist. Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Healthy relationships are all about effective communication.

Belief takes root in the ground prepared by Truth and Trust.  When a team believes, when a team buys in to the coach's philosophy, the potential for success increases exponentially.  The momentum created can be palpable. Confidence can be felt exuding from vibrant athletes who are eager to test themselves against opponents. 

When I scout a team the first thing I try to determine is its culture.

When I observe an opponent warming up, the first thing I try to determine is its culture.

Why?

Whatever problems an opposing player, their team or their teams tactics present can be dealt with and solved to the best of our ability.  The opponents culture?  If it is stronger than ours, we will face a difficult battle because there is virtually nothing we can do to counteract an opposing teams strong culture. We must match or exceed the opponents team culture.  This being the case, it is of utmost importance to establish a strong team culture and intentionally work on strengthening it every day.

Teamwork

I cannot begin to count the number of pickup games I have played over the years.  Basketball, baseball, soccer, football, kickball, whiffle ball: we learned early to pick sides and play. My wife always marvelled at how I could find a group of complete strangers playing a game at a park and in no time be a part of the action. A quick introduction during a break in the action and when play resumed I had a new set of teammates and more often than not new friends as well.

As I watched my son and his friends participate in the Ohio South ODP College Showcase event this past weekend I was struck by how quickly the players established roles on the field. These were basically pick up games involving 70 of the best 16 year old soccer players in Ohio South. There was potential for a lot of selfish play to present itself, but on my son's "Ireland" team this never became a problem.  From the very beginning the individuals shared the ball with the passing being quite good. It was much the same on the defensive side of the ball as players instinctively worked together.

Yes, there was some individualism that reared its head but the kids took care of that themselves and did so in relatively short order. I have seen this through the years and it never ceases to amaze me.  If you won't pass the ball, soon you will not be passed the ball either.  If you pass the ball and in doing so help your teammates look good, they will generally return the favor or will find themselves being isolated from play.  If you play defense, you immediately earn the respect of your teammates. If you don't defend, your team will work to isolate you so you are not involved in defending.

The boys were allowed to call off the player they wished to substitute for and by the end of the first session it was clear which players were earning the trust of their teammates and which were being subbed off on a regular basis. The best teammates played the vast majority of minutes in these games. Not always the best players although that pecking order was being established as well, but the players that played best with others.

As a coach, I am always conscious during training of the player(s) who constantly breakdown an activity. Who are the players whose decision making is most questionable, who take excessive touches, who are always losing possession of the ball or are the weak link defensively.  Even in training, as the competitive spirit comes forth, these players will be isolated from play. I observed the same thing happening at the ODP event this weekend.

I remind the members of my teams constantly that every time they step onto the field it is a tryout. Not only a tryout in terms of soccer but also in terms of life. You never know who is watching: a college recruiter or a possible future employer, someone you might call upon as a reference, the young lady you might want to date or even marry might be watching you.  First impressions as crucial. This was evident at the ODP event this weekend as well.  If your first touches on the ball involved poor decison-making or selfish play, it set the tone for your weekend. If your first opportunity to defend involved poor or little effort, it set the tone for your weekend.

These were lessons I learned early in life.  Scoring the basketball was always my strength, but sometimes that was not the role I needed to play for my team. In those pickup games of my youth, there were often older established players or perhaps scorers who were better than I or merely more familar to the group I had joined. I filled other roles until I earned the right to score the ball by taking advantage of opportunities through the run of play. Defending and passing the ball are excellent ways to establish trust with new or familar teammates. Making hustle plays endears yourself to teammates - rebound goals as opposed to the primary shot or winning / saving a loose ball to a teammate instead of waiting for someone to do so for you.

I became a very good defender by choice.  In pickup games almost no one wants to defend the other teams best scorer. It involves hard work of both mind and body. I always took the other teams best scorer.  I gained immediate acceptance in any group by doing so. And it led to opportunities to do what I liked to do best - score the ball. That approach helped earn me my first job in corporate accounting for an international retailer before I ever graduated from college.

As I watched the play this weekend one thought was constant in my mind: the kids that were showing well all played with an attitude of "what can I do for my team" while the ones that struggled were seemingly all about "what the team should do for me".  Pickup games are often like that, but so too is life. As a coach I look at a players decision-making abilities as the key consideration in any evaluation of their play.  This lesson was learned from playing (and observing) countless pickup games over the years. The ability to identify players who make good decisions with, AND perhaps especially without, the ball are the ones I want on my team. 

Next time you ask players to choose up sides or are involved in a pickup game yourself take note of when players are taken.  The ability of being a good teammate is highly prized often times even over playing ability. There's are reasons for that.

Just do it.

As a young adult working in corporate finance at an international retailer one day I found myself participating in the company's annual golf outing.  The format was a four person co-ed best ball scramble.  One member of our team was a non-stop talker, what we called a blowhard back in the day. We got off to a decent start but it was soon obvious the blowhard was grating on nerves and having a negative impact on everyones enjoyment if not their golf games.  As we approached one green our best ball was about 20 yards off to the side.  In the spirit of encouragement I stated "we're about due for one" meaning a chip into the cup. The VP said, "talk is cheap, just do it."  The tone was condescending and although I recognized he was frustrated with the blowhard I took it a bit pesonally. There was only one thing I could do. I played my chip shot onto the green where it bounced twice then rolled right into the cup!  Yes,  I am sure I had a smug and self-satisfied look on my face after completing that shot.

That memory has stayed with me not so much because of the great shot I made, but because of the lesson learned. Talk is cheap. It is action that resonates long and loud. Belief is a huge factor as well. I had made similar golf shots before. I knew I could again. I had self-induced pressure through being called out on my words. Perhaps this pressure forced me to concentrate more on that shot. I was able to block out the aggravation of the blowhard and concentrate on the game. Maybe I was just lucky.

Years later as a soccer coach I find I do not panic when things are not going our way. I do not yell or scream at players. I refocus on the simple things in the game and remind the players to do the same. I use a calm voice and as few words as possible. The message to players is simple. - You know what to do. Just relax, concentrate and do it. Far more often than not my teams have responded very favorably to this approach. Many have commented how my calmness in crisis gave them confidence and belief in themselves. If I was not panicked, why should they be? If I believed in them, why shouldn't they believe in themselves?

What I took from a disruptive blowhard and a VP chastising me at a golf outing 30 years go was the importance of blocking out distractions and controlling those things within my control. My attitude. My effort.  My work ethic.

Warming up the Goalkeeper II

I utilize a footwork grid to warm the legs up before stretching. Begin at an easy relaxed pace. The final time through should be at approximately 90% of full speed. The goal keeper should have broken a sweat by the time we finish with the last repetition of this exercise.

The best and fastest way to learn to play the game is to

 

watch and imitate a champion.

Poor Attitude

A poor attitude is like a flat tire,

 

You can't go anywhere until you change it.

 

As I watched a player commit the same decision-making error he has been making for years I was reminded of this saying. This kid thinks he knows it all to the point of being damn near un-coachable. I know, I had tried.  There exists a thin line between being determined and being stupid.  And it's not just players who suffer this malady for I have seen coaches flirt with this line as well. The worse of the lot confess they have much to learn and then continue to do as they have always done.

 

I recently sat a young man down in the figurative sense and explained to him that knowledge is not going to find him. Rather, he is going to have to seek knowledge out.  He has to be willing to learn, but that is only the first step.  Acquiring knowledge does you little good if you do not apply it correctly.  The king consideration is a practical and useful application of knowledge.

 

The coaching sphere might provide the best demonstration of what we are discussing here.  It is a well known fact that great players do not always make great coaches.  By extension, some who never played the game turn out to quite successful coaches.  The important difference between the two is not in how they acquired knowledge, but in how they apply and communicate the knowledge they do possess.

 

In the 30+ years I have in coaching various sports on a wide rage of levels I have witnessed humble players excel in the game only to turn into arrogant coaches who fail on the sidelines.  It is a bitter transformation of attitude.  It attests to the stark cold reality of change being constant in the world, but not always positive in nature.  There is also a fine line that exists between a humble attitude and one of arrogance. 

 

Failure on the pitch or on the sideline can be a humbling experience.  It can make one bitter or make one better dependent on your approach to dealing with failure - your attitude. If bitterness is allowed to permeate your consideration of failure chances are your failure will perpetuate itself. If there is recognition and acceptance that you failed, then the possibility for improvement exists.  It really is all about attitude, or how you handle adversity ... and prosperity... that determines your chances for success.

 

 

 

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?

Discipline is the foundation upon which all


Success is built.

 

 

 

Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.

 

 

 

All great teams play for one another.

Each new season starts anew the process of becoming a team.  A group of individuals gathers, some familiar and others new, to share a path for awhile.  Will they travel that path as individuals, in small groups or cliques, or will they learn to travel the path together as a band of brothers?

Some of my earliest memories of participating in sports revolve around the idea of "team".   In fact my first two experiences in sports were defining moments for me.  One was a basketball team and the other a baseball team. The basketball team was ultra successful.  I suppose we had the best talent, but what I remember most about that group was how we all got along.  It showed in how we played the game.  In contrast, that baseball team was not very good and to be quite truthful although we were in elementary school, we just didn't like one another. Teamwork was always secondary to personal agenda.  In elementary school?

Yes.

Now, the personal agendas on that baseball team were fostered by the coaches who were fathers of players on the team. Their kids played the "key positions" and batted lead off or cleanup whether deserving of doing so or not. And trust me, even at a young age players detect favoritism.

The basketball team was coached by a former major college player who enjoyed working with kids. He did not have a son on the team. Everyone earned their spot and had to work to keep it.  Certainly a pecking order was established in terms of best to worst players, but also a recognition that each player was important to the team in their own right.

I grew to love basketball and became largely disinterested in baseball. 

As a 10 year old I did not appreciate these things even though I did recognize on a certain level what was happening. It really wasn't until my family moved to a new location that some of these lessons began to be driven home to me.  At the new school I had a terrible experience with basketball. Despite being a talented group, wins were few and far between. This became the norm for my experiences with team sports throughout my school years.  Talented individuals, but poor teams.

Two different other teams from my teenage years really standout in my memories.  One was a basketball team that to this day was as talented a group of individuals as I have ever seen at the high school level. They had good skill sets and the physical attributes required for success, yet they struggled to reach a .500 record. Height, size, speed, athleticism... they had it all in abundance. Ball handling, shooting, passing, game intelligence... it was all present.  They could never move past their disdain for and jealousy of one another. Instead of competing against other teams that were constantly in competition with one another. To say they underachieved would be an understatement and I really struggled with this.

The other team was a men's softball team.  Now, softball was huge in the area during those years. I began playing with a church team in an church league. We won and won a lot. We moved on from church competition to playing any and all comers... and still we won, a lot.  We did not even have all the best softball players from the congregation playing on this team. Some played for their work based teams or on teams with friends they socialized with.  What was the key to our success?  We liked playing the game together. 

That is far different from liking one another.

In all honesty, there were some people on that team that forced me to struggle upholding my Christian beliefs at times. I just did not care for them as individuals, but I certainly appreciated their abilities as ball players.  As individual players some of us were quite talented and others not so much, but everyone was valued as equals for what they brought to the team. Appreciation of and for one another was our most valuable trait.

Now some 30+ years later as I coach teams I find myself putting a lot of effort into recreating the team atmosphere of those successful teams from my youth.  There is an understanding of  team building being a process and team bonding a critical part of that process. 

It's been a few years now that I have participated in email groups with other coaches.  A couple of these groups have had profound impact on how I approach team bonding. I found that some coaches have made a science of team bonding. They have studied it, defined it and developed methodology to develop and nurture it.  I have learned from them.

I am not about to tell you that I can take any group and mold them into a successful team. No, that remains largely dependent on the players that comprise the team. What a coach can do is make the individual players and collective group aware of the necessity of sacrificing individual agendas for the common good of the collective team. 

"Buy in" is the term I hear used often these days.  Coaches speak to the importance of players buying into the philosophy or system.  Just another way of stating the need to put personal agendas aside for the good of the team.  I refer to this as the need to play for one another. In soccer, we ask players to make a run for a teammate.  I implore ball carriers to pass the ball to the second runner - the first runner manipulates defenders away from an area allowing a teammate to run into the space just vacated to receive the pass.  That's an example of playing for one another.

It goes beyond simply making runs for one another. Another aspect of becoming a team is the defining and accepting of roles on a team.  Coaches often speak of starting the 11 best instead of the best 11.  This is an acknowledgement that the 11 most talented are not always the 11 who work best together.  Sometimes a more talented player is passed over for a player who recognizes, accepts and fills a role on the team. This might be a player who sacrifices his favored position to play where needed.  Sometimes the motivation to do so may well be selfish in the sense the individual just wants to play, but the sacrifice is still very real and tangible to and appreciated by teammates.

It's the attitude of gratitude.

Whether consciously recognized or not players on great teams consistently ask of themselves "what can I do for my team?" instead of approaching things with an attitude of "what can this team do for me?"

In this sense, the decision to be a great team is a choice made by each of its individual players. Buy in or team chemistry is a product of those choices, those decisions. In you are not for your team, for your teammates, then you are surely against them. Even one dissenter can hold a team back from achieving to its full potential.  So, what is your decision?  Are you for yourself or are you for your team?