Does Your Coach Teach the "How" Part of Soccer?

A student is sitting in math class looking at complicated math problem. As he is carefully going over the problem and trying to figure out HOW to solve it, the teacher is standing above the student saying, “Let’s go, solve it, faster, quicker, work harder, focus!” Though the teacher may think this is helping the student, has the teacher provided any information to actually assist the student solve the problem? The comments may be thought to be motivational and encouraging but will do little to help the student solve the problem correctly or correct his mistakes. If anything, the student will soon just become very frustrated with the fact he cannot complete the problem and little is being done to help him.

Although it may be hard for coaches to admit it, we have a tendency to do the same thing to players during practice and in games. If you take a second to really think about the type of comments a coach makes throughout the season, how many are actually instructional? By instructional, I mean the coach’s comments help the player identify the problem and provide the necessary tools (instruction) to fix it. This does not mean spoon feed the player the correct answer, but instead, provide information that allows them the opportunity to be more successful in the future.

Here is a classic example:

Player receives the ball during practice and takes his first touch into pressure and losses the ball. Coach immediately yells, “Pick your head up and play faster!” The player looks at the coach and nods his head. Now, has this coach really helped this player with instruction that would allow the player to be more successful the next time he receives the ball? Well, let’s break down the “coaching points” made by the coach.

“Pick your head up” – This is a coaching term which does not mean a lot to players (especially young ones). The player cannot literally pick his head up unless it is on the floor for some reason (and then he has bigger issues). Also, it is not clear how “picking your head up” will HELP the player the next time he receives the ball. The coach really wants the player to be aware of what is around him so he can make a better decision with the ball. So what information can be given to help the player be more aware of what is around him? Maybe a simple comment, with more “HOW” information, would be, “Look over both of your shoulders before you get the ball.” This is an action the player can actually try the next time the ball is played to him. By looking over both of his shoulders before the ball arrives, he will know what options he has and may be able to make a better decision with his first touch.

“Play faster” – Again, a coach’s term that most players really do not understand.  Is the coach trying to get him to literally play faster? If so, the player may begin just kicking the ball away because that would technically be a lot “faster” than what he did before. Of course a good coach does not want his player to just kick the ball when it comes to him. The coach really wants the player to make a decision and execute an action with the ball quicker so the player does not get closed down by the defender and lose possession of the ball. What information can be given to the player to help him understand “how” to play faster? One thing he could tell the player is to be on your toes and face the direction you want to go. If the player is prepared to receive the ball, this will help improve the first touch, which in return should reduce the amount of time it takes the player to dribble, pass, or shoot the ball. When the body is not prepared, the player needs to take extra steps or adjust for a bad first touch which takes more time giving the defender more opportunity to shut the player down.

Here are some other coach’s comments which do not give players a lot of information:

Coach’s Comment: Lock your ankle!
How Comment: Push your toes down through the bottom of your cleat like you are trying to bust out of them.

Coach’s Term: Control the ball!
How Comment: Bring your foot back slightly as the ball arrives.

Coach’s Term: Pressure the ball!
How Comment: Angle your body as you approach the player to force the player with the ball to go one way or the other. Take away options!

Coach’s Term: Play a good pass!
How Comment: Strike through the center of the ball and follow through towards your target.

There are many more comments coaches make that do not really help players improve their level of play. Obviously in the middle of a game, comments need to be quick and to the point, but as coaches, we need to do our best to make sure the information we are providing players is “HOW” based the majority of the time. Especially during training, coaches need to take the time to make sure they are explaining how to perform different skill movements with the ball to help their players’ level improve.

Next time you are at a training session or game, listen to the coach’s comments to see how many of the comments actually teach the players how to improve their level of play. The reality is most coaches do not know how to actually breakdown small parts of the game and teach the correct technique when players make errors with the ball, or maybe it is just easier to yell, “Play faster” or  “keep the ball under control” as if the player was intentionally taking too long or trying to lose the ball. Either way, for development to occur, players need to hear more than just a barrage of coaching terms to show improvement, and actually need specific skill movements broken down to their simplest form and demonstrated properly for the player to really understand what needs to be done. The best coaches can do this and get the best results from their players.