Becoming a Great Soccer Coach can be Rewarding
A good soccer coach can help inspire their players to play to their fullest potential. If you think about your favourite soccer player, chances are they have a great coach behind them that helped them get where they are. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a recreational soccer team for kids or the World Championship, a good soccer coach is essential. However, being a soccer coach for the first time can be nerve-wracking.
Anybody can pick up a whistle and clipboard, but it takes practice and dedication to become a good soccer coach. If you talk to a good soccer coach, you’ll probably find out that coaching is more than just a job to them, it’s a lifestyle. Here at Playform, we want to help soccer coaches feel comfortable and feel like they are making a real difference to their players.
Although being a soccer coach can be very demanding, it can also be very rewarding. In this blog, we’ll discuss all the important things you need to become while you’re on your way to becoming a great soccer coach.
- Being Professional
A good soccer coach is always professional. Whether you’re dealing with other players or fellow staff, professionalism is key. An important part of professionalism is punctuality. It doesn’t matter if it’s a training session or a game, a coach should always be early to ensure they have time to set up before the players arrive. A good soccer coach is someone who is always looking to further educate themselves and improve their practice depending on their team’s needs. This will also help instill in your players the idea that they can always improve. By continuously encouraging and pushing your players, you’ll help motivate them to become better players.
- Being friendly
Being a good coach is a balance between being friendly and being demanding. You should take the time to get to know your players and build a relationship with them. After all, players are more likely to work well with a coach they know and touch. However, being friendly doesn’t mean you can’t remain professional. Although friendliness is important, don’t forget to encourage and push your players.
- Being a good communicator
When you’re collaborating with anyone, communication is key. This is especially true for soccer coaches. When your players give a good performance or achieve something, make sure to let them know that you’re proud of them. Even when things don’t go well, always keep positive and focus on the ways they can improve. At the same time, you want to avoid talking the whole time and not leaving enough time for your players to play. If you feel like you sometimes get carried away, try using a stopwatch to help you keep your talks concise. Body language is also an important part of communication, so ensure that your body language is positive too.
- Take a whole-team approach
A good coach focuses on the whole team, not just their stars. After all, a game of soccer involves the whole team. You cannot play soccer without effective teamwork, and this starts by making sure every player is included. You’ll also find that you’ll get better results when each player knows that they are a valued part of the team.
- Developing their soccer skills
A soccer coach’s job is to teach their players the fundamentals of soccer. Here at Playform, we’re here to help you brush up on your important skills. Our app features a variety of short, effective drills for each of the main skills in soccer. A good soccer coach will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each player and develop a plan to help them improve. However, being a good soccer player requires more than just soccer skills. A soccer coach teaches their players other important skills like discipline, teamwork, and patience. These skills not only make players better at soccer, but they can also use these skills in other areas of their life.
- Leading by example
As the soccer coach, you are the role model for your players. They are constantly looking at you and learning from your behaviours, so you must act following the same standards you require from your players. As a coach, you are in a position of leadership, but you should also ensure that you’re a good listener. One way to show that you value the opinions of your team is by asking for their thoughts after each game, and taking what they say into consideration.
- Motivating your team
Since you’ll be your team’s role model, they’ll pick up on the energy that you put out there. A good soccer coach is someone who always motivates their team. You can never underestimate the power of motivating words, and the importance of reminding players of their goals and why they love to play. Motivation is also transmitted through your actions. By putting together fun and challenging drills and training, you’ll motivate your players to work harder and play at their best. At times, you might even find yourself requiring some extra motivation. A great way to motivate yourself is to watch the techniques of top coaches in action and see what you can apply to your coaching. If you want to give your training sessions an extra boost, you can turn to the internet for ideas. There are plenty of resources out there that you can adapt to the needs of your players.
Conclusion
Playform knows that behind every great soccer player is a great coach. We hope that this blog gave you some insights on how to become the best soccer coach you can be. If you’re looking to brush up on your skills before you start training with your team, head over to our Playform app. Take advantage of our current special offer for a 10-day training program with Midge Purce or get back to the basics with our daily drills. Once you’ve mastered these drills yourself, you can introduce them to your players. Playform supports you on your journey to sharpening your soccer skills and becoming a better coach.