Most coaches will have opinions, beliefs and principles about the effect coaching has on players and how it can benefit and improve them, not only as individuals but also within the framework of a team.
There is a school of thought that very young players in particular should not be coached, but be allowed to develop in their own time and in their own way. After all, the argument follows, many top players weren't coached as youngsters, but developed and honed their skills playing in the street, down the park or in the school playground. Many others firmly believe that players should be coached and developed from a young age so they can acquire good habits, nurture their strengths and improve weaknesses.
A coaches opinion and beliefs will very much depend on how they learnt to play, how they were coached and their knowledge of coaching and their ability to coach. Other factors may include the knowledge gained from other coaches and coaching courses or seminars a coach may have attended.
It is very important that you are clear on what your coaching opinions and beliefs are because your beliefs will define your coaching principles and style.
A football coach has huge responsibility. As a coach, your players will look up to you, you will be a major role model in their life. Your coaching beliefs, attitudes and morals will therefore have a big impact on why you want to coach and indeed how you coach.The most important principle a coach should have is to ensure the health and safety of their players. Before a coach can improve their players footballing abilities, they must ensure that the basics of health and safety with regards to the players are adhered to. Checks should be made on the playing surface - is it clear of things such as glass, nails, dog muck, holes are the goals safe and sound. Is there a road near, stream, rivers where the ball or player could and up, are the players wearing jewellery, are their boots safe and suitable, do they have on shin pads and appropriate clothing for the weather - Download a Health and safety checklist
Do you have a first aid kit and somebody who knows how to use it?
Your attitude and beliefs to the balancing act between focusing on producing a winning team as opposed to improving and developing players and making football a fun experience will be crucial to how you evolve as a coach. Think about how you react to cheating, both by your own players and the opposition? How you deal with bad behaviour, swearing, bullying? Do you believe in promoting fair play and honest behaviour? Are you a coach who encourages your players to accept an officials decision and play to the whistle? Do you as a coach always look to set the right example with referees and officials, for both players and parents? Do you provide encouragement and positive feed back for players and parents? Players will very often mirror their coaches attitude and beliefs, be sure you provide the correct moral leadership for your players.
Winning isn't always about being first. It can mean that a player is improving and doing better than they did before.
If winning is all about beating the opposition, then players will always experience frustration and anxiety as it inhibits players from taking chances and gaining satisfaction from competing rather than focussing on winning. As a coach, try and develop an attitude of personal improvement, for yourself and the players over and above the desire to just win.
Develop a philosophy of personal and team improvement rather than striving to win every training session and match.
A coach should always be relied upon to keep confidential information, confidential. Players in particular need to know that they can turn to you, not only to provide practical help and advice, but also as a sounding board and someone who they can talk to.These are just a few of a number of examples of how a coaches coaching beliefs and principles will influence the way in which they coach and the impact they will have on players, both from a coaching perspective, but also with having an impact and influence on players with the standards of their own personal behaviour in ways such as honesty, fairness, interaction with others, team spirit, self - control and dignity.
Therefore a coach should seriously consider their own coaching beliefs and principles and discuss them with their players, other coaches, parents and club members - so you, as coach, can be as open minded as possible; be receptive to other ideas, principles and beliefs and to enable you to share your principles so all concerned parties can clearly understand your beliefs and principles are and therefore what motivates you as a coach.
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
Read more
