How to Be a Good Coach
Coaching can be the best or worst job you ever had. You'll enjoy being a coach if you earn the respect of your team and are able to give them the firm guidance and discipline necessary for the team to make progress and maybe even win.
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Instructions
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Discipline is the key and foundation to any coaching job, regardless of sport. Kids who lack discipline will also lack structure, which will make your job harder in the end. Make sure that from day one you establish a disciplinary system that will not allow your kids to get the upper hand and run the team. Remember that you are the coach, not the kids. They should respect you and at the same enjoy playing. Let them know that acting out and poor performances will not be tolerated. You can do this, for example, by assigning extra sprints or reducing playing time.
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Be the coach, not the friend. Your job is not to be your players' best friend. Kids will often try to distract you by engaging in conversation or asking to play games rather than do drills at practice. Stick to your game plan by providing support and constructive criticism. But remember you are not the best friend.
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Create a game plan. Just like teachers, coaches should create something similar to a lesson plan. Write down everything you plan to do in practice to keep you from getting off track. Make sure that each drill progresses smoothly into the next. Also make sure that your drills address the things that your team needs to work on. The biggest mistake that many coaches make is seeing a cool-looking drill and incorporating it into their practices just because it's popular or they think it's a good drill. It doesn't matter if it's the best drill in the world if your kids don't need to work on that skill. For example, if your kids are already great at dribbling, don't do a dribbling drill when they could be working on a defensive skill that needs improvement.
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Be fair. Don't let the star player undermine your game plan. Oftentimes the star players love to undermine the coach by doing what they want because they think that the coach won't bench them. Stand firm and enact the disciplinary plan that you created. Treating the star player any differently than the rest of your team will quickly get you in hot water with the rest of the team. Production will fall off from the supporting cast.
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Don't overdo it. Every once in a while, give your team a break and reward them. At the end of the season have a get-together or pizza party. You can also do this after a losing streak to lift their spirits. Sometimes even give them a day off. Players will come back rejuvenated and play better.
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References
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Comments
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vanawp
Mar 28, 2009
Very good article. I've been coaching youth soccer for several years. You hit on many of the key points to being a successful coach of any kind. Nice job. -
gahazeleyes
Mar 27, 2009
Thank you.
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kaytay
Mar 24, 2009
excellent information on being a good coach
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vgandino
Mar 21, 2009
I coach high school football in queens, NY and i think u need to be able to juggle both being an authority figure/teacher and a friend. maybe not a best friend but if they feel comfortable with you om some sort of a friend level than they will feel comfortable enough to come to you with their more complicated and personal off the field situations. This goes for teachers and counselors as well. a light friendship with respect towards your "authority" position is lacking in the board of ed which stems from back in the day with the nuns and their rulers. and yes, it is possible to be there for them in both respects. and doing so will open more opportunities for the coach/teacher/counselor to play a positive role because that small amount of friendship will lower the kids shield while building trust and comfort in bringing up such topics. This is a topic that i will explore with the kids on
