Match Day Heads!

[74offsuit]

I'm looking for any advice on match day psychology.

Some games the lads turn up fired up and ready to play. Yet other days down and disinterested!

I have yet to find a reason for this, but suspect the coach is at fault(me!)

all advice appreciated.

[ian.curry]

Rafa Benitez stated 'the way a team plays reflects the personality of the coach'.

I found that recently the will to win is evident between top division teams and my own - because perhaps I don't have that winning mentality. So, every thing in training is geared towards winning, or at least competing until the end, and the 'losers' have punishments - squats, press ups etc. The number of which is based on how much they lose by -eg tonight my team lost 2-1 and had to do 10 press ups, if we lost 3-1 then 15 and so on.

Another technique is a time consuming one and often difficult. Taking the particular players to one side during training, pre match warm up and having a good two way conversation with them, being motivational but completely honest. This has worked for me with two players this season - other players have actually commented on how well they have played since I spoke with them.

Try it, and let us know how it goes.

[thevillan]

What you do will depend on the age of the players. You must never "punish" young players with press ups, laps etc.
I coach under 12, under 15 and adult teams. Your match day preparation should always be the same. Preparation for the next game starts at the end of the last one!
On match day you should assemble your players in plenty of time. On arrival you should adress the players as a group. Be positive and supportive. Remember that nobody is there with the intention of performing poor. Check equipment, jewellery etc while you are together. I would suggest that you start with some dynamic stretching to avoid injury. Then go into a non contact 2 touch small sided session for about 10 minutes to get players ball touch ready. Do not allow them to cool down after this. You should time it so that they are not waiting around for kick off. Dont let them go mad! Talk to individuals during this session - take them out of the session and dont talk them to death. Just explain in simple terms what you want them to do. Remember that some players learn best from pictures and may need you to draw what you want. Seriously! There are 4 basic ways that players learn. Keep to this. Even do the stretching before training. This conditions the brain to get the body ready for sport. Encourage players to believe in self and each other and you! Be in it with them. Good luck

[ian.curry]

I disagree wholly with saying you must never 'punish' young players. It is part of the camaraderie and team spirit/building and encourages the will to win and if not to work to their potential. Besides, how would you suggest instilling discipline into unruly players?

[maruf]

Originally Posted by 74offsuit

I'm looking for any advice on match day psychology.

Some games the lads turn up fired up and ready to play. Yet other days down and disinterested!

I have yet to find a reason for this, but suspect the coach is at fault(me!)

all advice appreciated.

Hi
I am from Bangladesh.
I quoting here some major points of on the day psychology of players.
I think you'll find all the things.

Best Regards
Maruf
On the day of Match:

On the day ofthe Match the coach should be very alert and extra sensitive towards the behaviour ofthe sports persons. The coach must pay attention to certain things on the day ofthe competition such as:-
a) Sports persons should be allowed to follow the rituals.
b) Coach should again emphasise the goal ofthe competition.
c) Coach should further repeat the strategy of the competition and the task ofeach sports person.
d) Any last minute changes in the planned program should be discussed.
e) The approach ofthe coach should be positive, and optimistic and encouraging.
f) Assess their state ofarousal so that they may be helped if need be with relaxation or activation techniques to bring them to optimal state ofreadiness for competition.

Warming up:-

The warming up period should be handled carefully. It is important to follow the same routine which is practiced previously.

a) The warming up before the competition should be the same as done always and nothing new should be tried.
b) In team sport warming up should be done together and in individual sport it should be the choice of the sports person whether he wants to do it alone or with the group.
c) Direct contact with the opponent at the time or warming up should be avoided.
e) The sports person should be allowed to have few moments alone to be able to prepare
him optimally for the competition. Giving instruction up to last moments will only confuse him.

Match:

During the Match, it is important for the sports person to stick to the competition plans. The changes have to be made if absolutely necessary, which will further depend on the nature of the sport)For example, ~n team sport plans will need to be changed more often than individual sport like athletics. Sports persons are encouraged to have an optimal state of arousal, continuous concentration and competitive intensity. Sports persons should be assisted to adjust calmly to unexpected or distressing events.
The break or pause or half time has to be used appropriately, again depending on the nature of the sports. For example high jumper has to manage on his own in between the jumps during the attempts, where as, in football during the half time coach can provide instructions. Half time must be used correctly –
Firstly, the coach should allow the sports person to relax a little have drinks etc.

Secondly, he should instruct the whole team, if some change in tactics is required.

Thirdly, he should give individual instructions to the players briefly, clearly and precisely.

Fourthly, the coach should give some free moments to the players to assimilate his
instructions and make individual or collective plans as to how to follow it on the play field.

In the repetitive events such as jumps and throws in athletics, gymnastic events, sports persons should be taught to manage relaxation and arousal level for the whole period as sports person is on his own while performing.

Thanks
Maruf

[Jerzy]

Originally Posted by ian.curry

I disagree wholly with saying you must never 'punish' young players. It is part of the camaraderie and team spirit/building and encourages the will to win and if not to work to their potential. Besides, how would you suggest instilling discipline into unruly players?

I think the point is not to use punishment as some sort of retribution, and push-ups, laps etc, fits the bill. I have one one-size-fits-punishment and that is exclusion. If the player is not listening, participating, I just make the player leave. I've never had to ask more than one kid a season leave practice. The next step, (I've never had to go this far) would be to tell the parent not to bring the player and then let the player and his/her parent work it out. Of course, in suburban America, kids don't come by themselves, they're brought by someone, so if I lived/coached in a neighborhood where everyone walked/biked telling the parents not to bring the child might not work as well.

[ian.curry]

The problem with telling a child to leave a session (I've only ever done this once) is that it immediately causes conflict, possible mutiny and the chance of several players leaving due to loyalty to friends. Punishments never mean humilation - usually a team building opportunity for all the lads join in counting the press ups etc

[Jerzy]

Wow, Ian, you and I must be completely different coaches or else have completely different types of kids. I would never have considered for a moment the possibility that another kid would walk off the field in "solidarity" with the offending kid.

As I look back over the last two or three seasons, I can only remember two times that I have done this. In both cases there was nary a complaint from anyone else on the team, which is maybe why I don't think of it now. But I'm thinking that if a kid walked off with the punished kid, I'd have been just as happy to say fine, come back when you are ready to play. Then I'd have been able to have a more indepth practice with the kids who are there.

Conversely, I would think that having other kids count out pushups wouldn't go well with the kid doing the pushups. Seems to me that could build some resentments. I know that there are lots of way to coach, and that I'm not that good, but I don't think I could do any really punitive punishments.

[ian.curry]

Perhaps I do - the kids I coach are 14 years old, young adults in my eyes, and spend all day at school together, evenings walking around doing whatever teenagers do and by and large their first loyalty will be to each other. It isn't player power - but understanding what is and isn't acceptable from coach and player. I won't use kicking someone out and telling them to come back when they've sorted themselves as a first port of call because, a) they probably won't come back and b) talking and resolving is much easier.

As for resentments for having to do pushups,squats - there really isn't. More often than not they are smiling whilst doing them, finding it hard but knowing why they are doing them. Its very unusual for it to be one kid doing them alone - usually a team punishment, and even more unusual for it to be the same kid twice.

[lanesra]

Originally Posted by 74offsuit

I'm looking for any advice on match day psychology.
Some games the lads turn up fired up and ready to play. Yet other days down and disinterested!

I have yet to find a reason for this, but suspect the coach is at fault(me!)

I'm a little late to this thread, but I would certainly not blame yourself for the engergy level the kids bring to the game. Kids are just that, kids, and I can tell you as a teacher, some days your kids didn't eat right sleep right, had ***, didn't have ***, its the full moon, whatever.

As a coach, though, I have noticed a correlation between start time and energy level. Can you see if there is a common factor there. I've found that game times at the 8:00 and 12:00 hours to be much less intense than games that start at 9, 10 or 11:00.

I think the bigger key is recognizing which kids are showing up fired up and ready to play, and getting them into the game early and for longer periods of time than the kids who are off.