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Post by volunteercoach on Apr 16, 2015 8:01:51 GMT -5
Soccerhouse: Thanks for the response! Very much agreed on all fronts from a coaching perspective. ESPECIALLY the 24 hour rule. I think that is important to not get into something before there has been time to cool down.
I prefer talking to the athlete directly as much as possible in terms of playing time...honestly I have that conversation before it becomes an issue because as a coach (at least in the HS level)I typically know who will be logging less minutes relatively early on in the season. Most kids I have found appreciate the early feedback (usually freshmen..the age gap kills them) and work hard to earn more time...which they typically do near the end of the season.
More individual coaching is definitely something I could work on and I think many other coaches out there could too.
I wish parents came to talk to me more! I like to think I am pretty approachable and love to hear the feedback, coaches learn every year they are out there too. Fortunately, I have a good rapport with my players and I believe many are comfortable addressing any issues or concerns with me without fear of backlash.
"coaches have a huge impact on children and young soccer players lives" - SO true. Having a team with girls that have a handful of coaches around the metro area, I hear the good and the bad.
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Post by volunteercoach on Apr 16, 2015 7:32:27 GMT -5
I am at the point where I'd be happy with a coach that doesn't cancel practice constantly and shows up to the games. Don't even get me started, lol AHHHH that's terrible!! It definitely has been a rainy spring this year.
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Post by volunteercoach on Apr 15, 2015 12:06:18 GMT -5
I would be interested to hear what parents expect of their kid's soccer coaches in really as many aspects as you can think of. Maybe from the ages 12 and up. The word "development" gets used a lot but has always seemed ambiguous to me... Vice versa, coaches have expectations of parents (at least I do). Some of the big ones: please don't coach from the sideline, keep it positive, and if for whatever reason there are grievances on your end, air them out with me as opposed to your child. Not trying to start a war, just conversation
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Post by volunteercoach on Apr 13, 2015 8:29:13 GMT -5
My girls HS team has been on trend for about 1 ACL tear a year since I have been coaching (either with us or in fall during club causing them to miss our season). The ACL prevention programs are important...but they need to be done 3-4 times a week...most coaches don't like to give up the time for it (15-20 mins). My team does the PEP program on practice days. Girls especially need the strengthening exercises, i.e. get your daughters lifting weights! They do this at the collegiate level...why not get at the very least an introduction during HS? Not that they need to be lifting heavy but many girls I have seen can barely get through 25 body squats. Summer is around the corner, perfect time to get into the gym and work on building some muscle to prevent injury.
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Post by volunteercoach on Mar 26, 2015 12:33:01 GMT -5
Rather than quote and replay, here's my generic response: First -what a difference a week makes - I posted this on the 18th - we've had two great games since that day and my daughter has gotten a ton of playing time, public kudos from the coach and she's feeling a lot more confident. I did hear that the Varsity Coach had a meeting with the JV coach after our game on the 16th and now she's changing the line up and positions - and it's working - they're doing much better (not that they were doing poorly but you see a better chemistry on the field). j4k - She is having fun. It's way less stress and presssure than club and she's back with lots of girls she's already played with and against. She's really happy to be part of a team at her high school, too. They wear those spirtwear shirts and team jackets with a lot of pride and swagger LOL. Only two games left and it's back to club play. This first high school season has flown by. Volunteercoach - wow - thank you for your commitment to the game and to the players. Any volunteer job is usually thankless- coaching and refereeing seem to be even more thankless than most. And her JV coach isn't a bad person - she does use her best traits to keep it fun - they all have 'secret buddies' they give gifts and snacks to prior to each home game; she's taken them on a run then out for pizza twice this season and I know she's not making a lot of money so we've collected $20 from each player's family to get her a nice gift certificate at the end of the season. She is appreciated - it was just a different experience than the only other style of coaching my kid knew (club). I can't believe this will all be over by next Monday night. I am glad she has had an enjoyable season! Most HS coaches I encounter really do mean well - they just don't know the game. She will definitely appreciate her club team more once they get back rolling! I know mine are always itching to get back with their club teams right around playoff time. It's always nice to go back to playing with girls you're familiar with and that are around your same age/skill!
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Post by volunteercoach on Mar 26, 2015 11:37:58 GMT -5
spectator - I community coach at a high school in the metro area and truly do like hearing/reading about parents experiences with HS soccer. Currently, I work with a varsity girls team (my only experience coaching) and have been for a few years. It has been a very different experience then I could ever have imagined. Club and HS will never be the same for a lot of reasons. Fortunately, my team is made up of girls mainly with club level experience. On the down side, they are spread across U14-U19, a handful of clubs and a handful of levels. Skill, size, speed of play, and a big thing...style of play vary vastly from player to player. Imagine trying to combine 18 girls with 18 different styles of play to be able to compete in a game 2 weeks after tryouts. Now imagine trying to train players on the same team ranging from Athena D to ECNL. It is/has been a very large undertaking to say the least. I try to focus a lot of drills to improve the individual skills on the ball, confidence and team tactics. I also bear in mind that the girls play HS to have fun. They make the decision to play for me knowing that HS is not where they will be getting scouted. There is so much pressure in club ball for performance that I see a lot of them lose their love of the game. They forget why they play and burn out before they even get to college. I try to help remind them that the reason they have been playing so long is because at some point in their lives it was fun for them, it fulfilled them. I have had some experiences with parents that want MORE discipline. MORE punitive measures if they don't work hard. But the funny part is, that road is a hard one to go down because kids will up and quit playing. I know many of them won't remember a training session where they busted their backsides or ran for their work rate, but they will remember the time they went sliding in the mud after practice with their friends. Through the years I have found the more bonded the team, the better they play for each other at the HS level. As far as quality of coaching, I agree, even at our JV/9th grade level it is very rudimentary at best. I see those teams range from girls with no playing experience at all to Athena B/A. I feel for those coaches, as they have to bridge a very very large gap. Not to mention, the pay isn't much at all. Those coaches are out there to make sure your children at the very least have the opportunity to play. For myself personally, I step into every season without any sort of monetary expectations. Sometimes I get paid, sometimes I don't. I coach because I love the game, I love watching players grow, I love to build confidence and I love watching them have fun while they play. The best advice I have for the girls that are more skilled in those situations is to be a leader. Help build your team up, coach them on the field. There is so much power in praise and encouragement. It helps your child develop skills they will carry all their lives, not just throughout soccer. At the end of the day it is just a game. For most kids, it ends after high school. For others they get four more years in college. And the very few get to go on and play thereafter. Help them enjoy the game! The time really does fly by. Volunteercoach your commitment is admirable and the girls you work with are lucky to have you. Hopefully there are many other like you out there. I agree with you wholeheartedly that time flies by and "there is so much power in praise and encouragment." Thank you mamampira! Sometimes coaching feels like a thankless job, but its worth it when you see your kids grinning ear to ear and chattering excitedly after winning a big match. And the best part is, all of their success is on them and their work, I simply help give them the tools to get there! I have never coached in the club world (played in it my whole life) but I do truly believe there are many great, fun, inspiring coaches (both on the HS and club side).
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Post by volunteercoach on Mar 26, 2015 10:01:47 GMT -5
spectator -
I community coach at a high school in the metro area and truly do like hearing/reading about parents experiences with HS soccer. Currently, I work with a varsity girls team (my only experience coaching) and have been for a few years. It has been a very different experience then I could ever have imagined. Club and HS will never be the same for a lot of reasons. Fortunately, my team is made up of girls mainly with club level experience. On the down side, they are spread across U14-U19, a handful of clubs and a handful of levels. Skill, size, speed of play, and a big thing...style of play vary vastly from player to player. Imagine trying to combine 18 girls with 18 different styles of play to be able to compete in a game 2 weeks after tryouts. Now imagine trying to train players on the same team ranging from Athena D to ECNL. It is/has been a very large undertaking to say the least.
I try to focus a lot of drills to improve the individual skills on the ball, confidence and team tactics. I also bear in mind that the girls play HS to have fun. They make the decision to play for me knowing that HS is not where they will be getting scouted. There is so much pressure in club ball for performance that I see a lot of them lose their love of the game. They forget why they play and burn out before they even get to college. I try to help remind them that the reason they have been playing so long is because at some point in their lives it was fun for them, it fulfilled them. I have had some experiences with parents that want MORE discipline. MORE punitive measures if they don't work hard. But the funny part is, that road is a hard one to go down because kids will up and quit playing. I know many of them won't remember a training session where they busted their backsides or ran for their work rate, but they will remember the time they went sliding in the mud after practice with their friends. Through the years I have found the more bonded the team, the better they play for each other at the HS level.
As far as quality of coaching, I agree, even at our JV/9th grade level it is very rudimentary at best. I see those teams range from girls with no playing experience at all to Athena B/A. I feel for those coaches, as they have to bridge a very very large gap. Not to mention, the pay isn't much at all. Those coaches are out there to make sure your children at the very least have the opportunity to play. For myself personally, I step into every season without any sort of monetary expectations. Sometimes I get paid, sometimes I don't. I coach because I love the game, I love watching players grow, I love to build confidence and I love watching them have fun while they play. The best advice I have for the girls that are more skilled in those situations is to be a leader. Help build your team up, coach them on the field. There is so much power in praise and encouragement. It helps your child develop skills they will carry all their lives, not just throughout soccer. At the end of the day it is just a game. For most kids, it ends after high school. For others they get four more years in college. And the very few get to go on and play thereafter. Help them enjoy the game! The time really does fly by.
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