Conducting summer camps is, obviously, something I really enjoy doing. The hours are long. The days are hot. The travel can be exhausting. The players and coaches make it all worthwhile. And that is what I take from the camps we conduct - the relationships built with the people we meet.
On a personal level, I enjoy seeing teams improve under our tutelage. It is rewarding to see the concepts and ideas about the game come to life for the teams that camp with us. To see them take the pitch for a summer tournament and witness their excitement over improved play and success is heart warming. And still it is the relationships that leave an enduring impression.
This generation of young people are an amazing lot as I am sure each generation is. I marvel at their problem solving skills on the pitch and in life. I am in awe of their time management skills. Astounded by the wide range of activities and interests they lend themselves to with dedication and discipline.
Brittany lives on a working cattle farm and rearranged her chore and work schedule to be able to attend goalkeeper training. Jacob worked 2 jobs and came to training over an extended lunch break having to make up the time at the end of his day. Brianna brought her baby sitting charges to training and those youngsters respected her so much they were hardly even noticed. Nick convinced his parents to allow him to stay home from vacation to attend our camp at his school.
When I see dedication to soccer on this level it sends vibes of positive energy throughout me. I literally get charged up with excitement to work with these young people. But let's remember how I learned of their stories - I engaged these young men and women in conversation. I showed a genuine interest in them as people. In turn they shared with me and a bond developed. A working relationship centered round soccer was established and we learned a little about one another along the way.
Candace is a young woman who attend our camps in previous years. Now a graduate, I invited her back for this summer's camp with her old team. No pay. No incentive other than to play some soccer and hang out with friends. She readily accepted and showed to camp despite having totaled her car and being banged up from an accident a few days prior. That's dedication. That's following through on commitment. That's working to establish a tradition and legacy in a young program. I have to believe big things await Candace in her future.
My son Lance and two of his teammates, Hunter and AJ accepted my request to volunteer as instructors for a high school girls camp. These young men are all 19 years of age and placing them in camp with high school aged girls might seem a cautionary tale, but I have known these gentlemen for years. They are trustworthy, honorable and will someday, imo, become very good coaches in their own rights should that be a path they choose to follow. It turned out to be one of our best weeks of camps ever. From 9:00 am through 6:30 pm for five straight days we worked for this high school girls team ... and they worked for us.
"Team bonding" is the catch phrase often bandied about when people talk of uniting a team these days. Team chemistry is still an elusive intangible sought after in pursuit of making a good season a great one. Whatever we call it, it still comes down to the most simple of concepts - building relationships with those we associate with,
I don't care if you like each other or not, but you will respect each other. This is a phrase I have heard repeatedly over the years. It is a phrase uttered by Coach Boone in Remember the Titans as he addresses the team after an early morning run through the Gettysburg battlefield. In this instance the established relationships were of very poor quality and Coach Boone knew individual change must occur or they were collectively doomed.
With many of the teams we work with changing the way the team plays is the focus of what coaches ask us to work on during camp week. Relationship building with the members of the coaching staff and team is a crucial ingredient in our recipe for success. Establishing a foundation of trust rooted in honesty is our primary objective as camp clinicians. If we fail in this mission, the camp itself will be a failure.
This is the lesson Coach Boone sought to impart on the young Titan squad and his coaching staff. Liking one another is not a prerequisite. Respect is. And the only path to respect is through honesty and trust.
I have recently written of the two greatest coaching tools being a chair to sit on and the ability to be silent during games. Both were somewhat tongue in cheek ways of making the point that its a players game. Today I have identified the single greatest coaching tool in existence - the ability to build relationships. This also happens to be the secret to living a productive and happy life. And for us here at CBA Soccer we enjoyed a wonderful summer camp season. One I would term our best ever for precisely this reason - the relationships established, developed and renewed while "working" in an environment of soccer. Thank you to each instructor, coach and player who worked with us this summer! It was our best summer so far!
Welcome to the web home of Conceive Believe Achieve Soccer. We specialize in conducting high school team camps. This website began as a means to promote our camps and keep campers informed of upcoming opportunities. There are now over 650 articles archived here. Use the search function in the right hand column below to find ones on topic for you. You may contact us at coachtjbrown@gmail.com or 567-204-6083 Thanks for visiting!
Showing posts with label player / player relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label player / player relationships. Show all posts
Thursday
Trust in communication
My twitter profile includes the following quote:
Have you ever participated in the ice breaker activity where the leader whispers something to the first person in line followed by that message being conveyed to everyone else by whisper one at a time? The last person then speaks the message out loud followed by the leader sharing what the actual message was. Yes, the message invariably changes from the first person to the last. The changes may (or may not) be significant in nature, but changes will almost certainly occur.
I was witness to such a phenomenon recently where I as the leader conveyed a message that was then changed significantly in the retelling of it. When in the retelling a message is changed it might occur quite honestly and simply. The message might be changed to embellish the actual truth - The movie Sergeant York contains a great example of this. And sometimes the message might be changed intentionally either in an attempt to protect one's self or bring harm to another.
All of these examples occur in team sports. The movie Remember the Titans contains an example of intentionally misconveyed information that sees "Rev" become injured. In baseball we see "missed"signs. In soccer it might be something as simple as instruction over which way to force an attacker that brings confusion to the defense and results in a goal allowed.These are some of the reasons we teach players to be concise and precise in their communications. Short and sweet. Simple, on point and directly to the point.
Arrow
Stick
Force right
Force left
Line
Square
Drop
Diagonal
Channel
Close down
Contain
Feet
Space
In-swinging
Out-swinging
Step
All examples of concise and precise communication that is difficult to misconstrue or misunderstand. And because it is difficult to misunderstand the information being shared the requisite trust to make it effective is inherently present. Like any other facet of the game, communication must be practiced and trained for. Be diligent in this pursuit to bring out the best in your team.
Trust is the glue of life,
the most essential ingredient
in effective communication.
Trust is the foundational principle
that holds all relationships together.
I was witness to such a phenomenon recently where I as the leader conveyed a message that was then changed significantly in the retelling of it. When in the retelling a message is changed it might occur quite honestly and simply. The message might be changed to embellish the actual truth - The movie Sergeant York contains a great example of this. And sometimes the message might be changed intentionally either in an attempt to protect one's self or bring harm to another.
All of these examples occur in team sports. The movie Remember the Titans contains an example of intentionally misconveyed information that sees "Rev" become injured. In baseball we see "missed"signs. In soccer it might be something as simple as instruction over which way to force an attacker that brings confusion to the defense and results in a goal allowed.These are some of the reasons we teach players to be concise and precise in their communications. Short and sweet. Simple, on point and directly to the point.
Arrow
Stick
Force right
Force left
Line
Square
Drop
Diagonal
Channel
Close down
Contain
Feet
Space
In-swinging
Out-swinging
Step
All examples of concise and precise communication that is difficult to misconstrue or misunderstand. And because it is difficult to misunderstand the information being shared the requisite trust to make it effective is inherently present. Like any other facet of the game, communication must be practiced and trained for. Be diligent in this pursuit to bring out the best in your team.
Sunday
Loyalty & Trust
The past couple of weeks have seen me inundated with soccer related job offers. I sorted through these and decided which to accept. In one instance I sent an email to regretfully decline a possible position just as the other party was making an offer official. Timing. In two other instances offers came in after I had accepted positions. I am comfortable with the positions I have accepted, but was a bit miffed at being called out on not being loyal in one particular case.
Loyalty is a two way street. I believe passion is a key consideration in loyalty. To an extent that I am unsure if loyalty exists without passion for whatever or whomever it is you are being loyal to. But loyalty is not simply given, it is earned and must be constantly nurtured. Loyalty is a relationship and all parties to it must continuously work on the relationship to maintain its health. I feel as though I have done my part in remaining loyal to the people and organization, but that loyalty has not been reciprocated even to an extent where some made it known I was no longer needed or welcomed. That's fine. Only now some others in the organization are beginning to appreciate the time, effort, dedication and passion I donated to the cause. Would I be willing to re-invest to once again build something? The short answer is I have moved on and in LeBron speak am taking my talents elsewhere.
Exciting times for me!
I will be serving as an assistant coach at a Division I (large) school that plays in a league with some perennial powers. I like to compete against the best and will have the opportunity to do so. I will also be serving as DOC for a local soccer club as they transition from playing recreational soccer to playing in a competitive league. My plate will be full this fall, but I am anxious to begin both adventures.
To tide me over until then I have camps through the end of July. I love conducting team camps. The progress a team can make over the course of a week can be so very rewarding. I have conducted camps for some of these teams for many years now. To think I have in some small way contributed to the building success these programs are enjoying is satisfying to me. Yet in the end it is all about the relationships I have formed with coaches and student / athletes while conducting these camps. As I build relationships through team camps I find myself becoming loyal to the people in those programs. I consider myself a Spartan, a Tiger, an Indian, a Wildcat, a Viking and so on. I return to the schools whenever I can to watch the teams play during the regular and post seasons. I share whatever resources I have with the coaches and players throughout the year. As a result, I often am recommended by these people to others and my business grows ... or as has been the case this summer, the job offers come.
Loyalty to a team goal and the efforts made toward achieving said goal needs to be nurtured before during and yes, even after, a season. Tradition is built upon a foundation that includes loyalty among its cornerstones. Trust is a product of relationships built around loyalty. Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together. It might be considered that Loyalty and Trust are twin pillars in the establishment of healthy productive relationships. They are certainly difference makers capable of moving a team from good to great. When in disrepair or poor quality they are also deal breakers that will mire a program in mediocrity and even despair.
Both Loyalty and Trust are built over time through commitment and effort to the relationship. Tradition, strong traditions are seen where Loyalty and Trust have thrived for a long time. Yet what can take years to build can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. Broken trust or misplaced loyalty are among the most destructive forces known to team culture and life in general. Neither are easily rebuilt once shaken to their core foundations. In this sense Loyalty and Trust are earned by the respective parties in a relationship. If they are not perpetually growing, then they are surely dying. In the end, successful soccer is not about technique, tactics, physical or mental abilities - just like anything else in life soccer is about the quality of relationships we build with one another.
Loyalty is a two way street. I believe passion is a key consideration in loyalty. To an extent that I am unsure if loyalty exists without passion for whatever or whomever it is you are being loyal to. But loyalty is not simply given, it is earned and must be constantly nurtured. Loyalty is a relationship and all parties to it must continuously work on the relationship to maintain its health. I feel as though I have done my part in remaining loyal to the people and organization, but that loyalty has not been reciprocated even to an extent where some made it known I was no longer needed or welcomed. That's fine. Only now some others in the organization are beginning to appreciate the time, effort, dedication and passion I donated to the cause. Would I be willing to re-invest to once again build something? The short answer is I have moved on and in LeBron speak am taking my talents elsewhere.
Exciting times for me!
I will be serving as an assistant coach at a Division I (large) school that plays in a league with some perennial powers. I like to compete against the best and will have the opportunity to do so. I will also be serving as DOC for a local soccer club as they transition from playing recreational soccer to playing in a competitive league. My plate will be full this fall, but I am anxious to begin both adventures.
To tide me over until then I have camps through the end of July. I love conducting team camps. The progress a team can make over the course of a week can be so very rewarding. I have conducted camps for some of these teams for many years now. To think I have in some small way contributed to the building success these programs are enjoying is satisfying to me. Yet in the end it is all about the relationships I have formed with coaches and student / athletes while conducting these camps. As I build relationships through team camps I find myself becoming loyal to the people in those programs. I consider myself a Spartan, a Tiger, an Indian, a Wildcat, a Viking and so on. I return to the schools whenever I can to watch the teams play during the regular and post seasons. I share whatever resources I have with the coaches and players throughout the year. As a result, I often am recommended by these people to others and my business grows ... or as has been the case this summer, the job offers come.
Loyalty to a team goal and the efforts made toward achieving said goal needs to be nurtured before during and yes, even after, a season. Tradition is built upon a foundation that includes loyalty among its cornerstones. Trust is a product of relationships built around loyalty. Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together. It might be considered that Loyalty and Trust are twin pillars in the establishment of healthy productive relationships. They are certainly difference makers capable of moving a team from good to great. When in disrepair or poor quality they are also deal breakers that will mire a program in mediocrity and even despair.
Both Loyalty and Trust are built over time through commitment and effort to the relationship. Tradition, strong traditions are seen where Loyalty and Trust have thrived for a long time. Yet what can take years to build can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. Broken trust or misplaced loyalty are among the most destructive forces known to team culture and life in general. Neither are easily rebuilt once shaken to their core foundations. In this sense Loyalty and Trust are earned by the respective parties in a relationship. If they are not perpetually growing, then they are surely dying. In the end, successful soccer is not about technique, tactics, physical or mental abilities - just like anything else in life soccer is about the quality of relationships we build with one another.
Monday
Communication and Relationships - The Art and Science of Coaching
Back in my college days I took a couple of courses on coaching. The "professors" were basketball and football coaches. Both courses were largely anecdotal with a fair smattering of logistical considerations thrown in. I'm not sure how much I actually learned about coaching, but they were fun classes.
Soccer is one sport that actually promotes coaching education through the USSF and NSCAA as well as a few smaller organizations. Even so, many people in our area are given a whistle, clipboard and roster of players then declared a coach as is the standard in most sports.
Even within the soccer family the quality of education provided and required is a bit murky. The USSF largely tests ones knowledge to an extent if you do not know what you are doing the only real benefit to be gained from some of their courses is the re-verse engineering of them so that you might pass on your second try. The NSCAA does a much better job of teaching the art and science of coaching but in no way, shape or form provides an extensively inclusive education.
While the two organizations are friendly rivals competing for your dollars they are also complimentary in the sense many coaches take the NSCAA courses as preparatory work for the USSF courses. For all I know, the two organizations may be in cahoots with one another?
The fact remains, if you wish to coach at the upper levels of the game - college or professional - one must have passed the USSF "A" licensure course or a foreign equivalent. There is not another major sport that requires such a license to coach. In sports like baseball, football, basketball and hockey the "license" a coach obtains is from experience and success. If your teams are successful, your experience as their coach is deemed proof of your ability to coach.
That leaves many people to stumble upon the art and sciences of coaching. Playing experience becomes a factor, but the most important aspect of learning to coach will be those you learn the game from - your coaching mentors. When it comes to soccer, for me this is Graham Ramsay and Ken White. I learned the "do's" of coaching from these gentlemen. I have learned what not to do from the school of hard knocks - my own mistakes and those of people who have coached me or my sons.
Becoming a student of the game is something I have written often about, but as I type today I think a better description of that process would to become a student of coaching and a student of the game. Even in this context the single most important thing to recognize is the relationship aspect of coaching. Building the coach / player relationship is the very foundation of coaching.
Over the years I have certainly learned more about soccer. I know far more about each component of the game - technique, tactics, physical and psychological - then I ever dreamed existed when I started out as coach of an undefeated U6 team 20+ years ago. I've learned even more about relationships - how to build and maintain them - and this has been the enduring life lesson soccer has taught me.
It's not all been positive though. I recently wrote a letter of recommendation for a coaching candidate and closed it by offering the highest form of endorsement I have - I would not only allow, but welcome the opportunity for my children to play for the candidate. There are very few people who receive that endorsement from me. For example, my wife and I allowed our sons to play for the local high school coaches even though we did not welcome their opportunity to do so with open arms. We recognized the coaches as trustworthy men even if we did not always appreciate or respect their coaching methodology. More specifically we did not appreciate the lack of quality in the coach / player relationships.
Going through the college selection and recruiting process with your youngest son the considerations are finding a school Lance likes that offers the degree he seeks and has a coaching staff he connects with. Trust me, that is a tall order. Lots of good schools. Many offer the course of study he wants to pursue. Several have soccer programs with coaches who are expressing interest. Do any of them meet his expectations in all three areas?
As I contemplate this, I cannot help but wonder how many parents approach youth soccer or youth sports in general in this manner? I know there were youth coaches I did not want anywhere near my sons. We either avoided them or in the one instance with Lance we pulled him out of the program to avoid his exposure to her "coaching."
I know there are some who do not wish to play for me. I understand that. With me, I do not play favorites. You might believe you are the best player around, but if you expect special considerations you might as well go elsewhere. Not happening in my program. A classic example of this was a player named Kelly. Kelly and her parents had the perception she was the best player the program had ever produced and somehow based this and her value / worth as a player on Kelly scoring a great preponderance of the teams goals. When I introduced a system of play with balanced scoring, they thought Kelly's soccer playing world had come to an end even as the program enjoyed its most successful seasons ever on the field. I understood this even as I never understood this.
We are speaking to the "art" of coaching in the sense that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Kelly and her parents never really challenged the science behind my coaching. They readily admitted that I knew the game as well as anyone they had encountered, they just didn't appreciate how I applied that knowledge when it came to Kelly. Their contention was I held Kelly back even as the team was wildly successful. The disconnect was on a relationship level.
The art and science of coaching are tied together by the relationship bond between coach and players. Sometimes I feel salesmanship is one of the most important aspects of coaching. Being able to sell players (and their families) on the programs goals and ideals is crucial to achieving "buy-in" which in turn is the single most important determining factor in a teams success. Of course, we are talking about communication. The players, the team must be receptive to what the coach is selling and effective communication is the cornerstone for success in this area.
If a team does not buy into the coach's program - his formation and system of play, his expectations for standard of conduct - it's going to be a long season marked by underachievement and discontent... even if the team happens to be winning. A team that buys-in tends to be a happy team even when the on-field results are not as good as they might be. The perception that they are improving each time they step on the field, that the process is working, can cover for a lot of disappointment and frustration. Again, we address not only the art and science of coaching but the importance of building relationships. Coach / player relationships. Effective communication.
What about player / player relationships? Team Chemistry. Team Bonding. This too is very important and within the purview of the coach. It's not about fostering an environment in which everyone loves one another. Its all about building trust and respect within the team setting. It's all about individuals being able to effectively communicate with one another and trust what is being communicated to each other.
Relationships.
Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together. The beauty of art will always be in the eyes of the beholder and the science of the game will always hold certain truths therefore the difference maker from a coaching perspective is found in relationships. Coach / player and player / player relationships. Effective Communication. Trust and Respect.
Soccer is one sport that actually promotes coaching education through the USSF and NSCAA as well as a few smaller organizations. Even so, many people in our area are given a whistle, clipboard and roster of players then declared a coach as is the standard in most sports.
Even within the soccer family the quality of education provided and required is a bit murky. The USSF largely tests ones knowledge to an extent if you do not know what you are doing the only real benefit to be gained from some of their courses is the re-verse engineering of them so that you might pass on your second try. The NSCAA does a much better job of teaching the art and science of coaching but in no way, shape or form provides an extensively inclusive education.
While the two organizations are friendly rivals competing for your dollars they are also complimentary in the sense many coaches take the NSCAA courses as preparatory work for the USSF courses. For all I know, the two organizations may be in cahoots with one another?
The fact remains, if you wish to coach at the upper levels of the game - college or professional - one must have passed the USSF "A" licensure course or a foreign equivalent. There is not another major sport that requires such a license to coach. In sports like baseball, football, basketball and hockey the "license" a coach obtains is from experience and success. If your teams are successful, your experience as their coach is deemed proof of your ability to coach.
That leaves many people to stumble upon the art and sciences of coaching. Playing experience becomes a factor, but the most important aspect of learning to coach will be those you learn the game from - your coaching mentors. When it comes to soccer, for me this is Graham Ramsay and Ken White. I learned the "do's" of coaching from these gentlemen. I have learned what not to do from the school of hard knocks - my own mistakes and those of people who have coached me or my sons.
Becoming a student of the game is something I have written often about, but as I type today I think a better description of that process would to become a student of coaching and a student of the game. Even in this context the single most important thing to recognize is the relationship aspect of coaching. Building the coach / player relationship is the very foundation of coaching.
Over the years I have certainly learned more about soccer. I know far more about each component of the game - technique, tactics, physical and psychological - then I ever dreamed existed when I started out as coach of an undefeated U6 team 20+ years ago. I've learned even more about relationships - how to build and maintain them - and this has been the enduring life lesson soccer has taught me.
It's not all been positive though. I recently wrote a letter of recommendation for a coaching candidate and closed it by offering the highest form of endorsement I have - I would not only allow, but welcome the opportunity for my children to play for the candidate. There are very few people who receive that endorsement from me. For example, my wife and I allowed our sons to play for the local high school coaches even though we did not welcome their opportunity to do so with open arms. We recognized the coaches as trustworthy men even if we did not always appreciate or respect their coaching methodology. More specifically we did not appreciate the lack of quality in the coach / player relationships.
Going through the college selection and recruiting process with your youngest son the considerations are finding a school Lance likes that offers the degree he seeks and has a coaching staff he connects with. Trust me, that is a tall order. Lots of good schools. Many offer the course of study he wants to pursue. Several have soccer programs with coaches who are expressing interest. Do any of them meet his expectations in all three areas?
As I contemplate this, I cannot help but wonder how many parents approach youth soccer or youth sports in general in this manner? I know there were youth coaches I did not want anywhere near my sons. We either avoided them or in the one instance with Lance we pulled him out of the program to avoid his exposure to her "coaching."
I know there are some who do not wish to play for me. I understand that. With me, I do not play favorites. You might believe you are the best player around, but if you expect special considerations you might as well go elsewhere. Not happening in my program. A classic example of this was a player named Kelly. Kelly and her parents had the perception she was the best player the program had ever produced and somehow based this and her value / worth as a player on Kelly scoring a great preponderance of the teams goals. When I introduced a system of play with balanced scoring, they thought Kelly's soccer playing world had come to an end even as the program enjoyed its most successful seasons ever on the field. I understood this even as I never understood this.
We are speaking to the "art" of coaching in the sense that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Kelly and her parents never really challenged the science behind my coaching. They readily admitted that I knew the game as well as anyone they had encountered, they just didn't appreciate how I applied that knowledge when it came to Kelly. Their contention was I held Kelly back even as the team was wildly successful. The disconnect was on a relationship level.
The art and science of coaching are tied together by the relationship bond between coach and players. Sometimes I feel salesmanship is one of the most important aspects of coaching. Being able to sell players (and their families) on the programs goals and ideals is crucial to achieving "buy-in" which in turn is the single most important determining factor in a teams success. Of course, we are talking about communication. The players, the team must be receptive to what the coach is selling and effective communication is the cornerstone for success in this area.
If a team does not buy into the coach's program - his formation and system of play, his expectations for standard of conduct - it's going to be a long season marked by underachievement and discontent... even if the team happens to be winning. A team that buys-in tends to be a happy team even when the on-field results are not as good as they might be. The perception that they are improving each time they step on the field, that the process is working, can cover for a lot of disappointment and frustration. Again, we address not only the art and science of coaching but the importance of building relationships. Coach / player relationships. Effective communication.
What about player / player relationships? Team Chemistry. Team Bonding. This too is very important and within the purview of the coach. It's not about fostering an environment in which everyone loves one another. Its all about building trust and respect within the team setting. It's all about individuals being able to effectively communicate with one another and trust what is being communicated to each other.
Relationships.
Trust is the glue of life, the most essential ingredient in effective communication. Trust is the foundational principle that holds all relationships together. The beauty of art will always be in the eyes of the beholder and the science of the game will always hold certain truths therefore the difference maker from a coaching perspective is found in relationships. Coach / player and player / player relationships. Effective Communication. Trust and Respect.
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