Work. Harder or Smarter?

I have often said it is difficult to find fault with the quantity of effort a player gives. On any given day, players tend to give you the best effort they have that day.  The quality of that effort can be another matter.  As a coach, one of my primary responsibilities is to teach athletes how to give smarter or more efficient effort.

Work smarter not harder.

You will get out of something what you put into it.  Too many people equate this to quantity of work and believe the problem can be resolved by "doubling down" and working harder.  The truth of the matter might well be they need to work smarter.

"I love your effort!"

"What do you have to show for it?"

This is an exchange I will sometimes use to get a player to think about the quality of the effort they are giving.  We have all seen players who pursue the ball relentlessly. I have overheard coaches implore players to "be first to the ball!".  The objective is to beat opposing players to the ball.

The objective should be to win possession of the ball.

There is a difference between being first to the ball and winning (possession) of the ball.  This is where working smarter becomes more important than working harder. We do not want to lessen the effort given.  We want to improve the quality of the work being performed.

Think of it in terms of using a system of pull-ups and or levers to move a heavy object.  The work amount of work to be done doesn't change, but we can make the work being done easier or be more efficient in performing the work.

Matthew was a player who gave tremendous effort on the pitch. No one would dispute that, absolutely no one. One type play epitomized Matthew's style of play.  A ball rolling towards the touch line with Matthew and an opponent in hot pursuit.  Mathew arrived first to the ball!  His first touch played the ball out of bounds.  "Great effort, Matthew!  What do you have to show for it?"

I reviewed such plays with Matthew. We watched them on tape.  It took a few tries before Matthew began to understand that he had far too little to show for the amount of energy he was expending. Yes, he was first to the ball but his efforts resulted in the opposing team gaining possession of the
ball. Essentially a lot of effort given towards a lost cause.  Prompting Matthew towards a better, more efficient use of his effort / energy proved an exercise in patience as well. Eventually Matthew caught on to the idea that allowing the opposing player to "win" the ball if the likely result was the opponent was going to lose the ball out of bounds. This was a very foreign concept to a 17 year old who had been praised for many years for simply being first to the ball.  Once the objective changed to gaining possession of the ball Matthew became an even more productive player.

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.

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.

Give your best effort.

You will play as you train

 

If you only ever give 90% in training

 

Then you will never be able to give 100% in the game.

Pride.

Personal

Responsibility

In

Daily

Effort

Opportunity follows struggle.

 

It follows effort.

 

It follows hard work.

 

It doesn't come before.