Reply To: Good Habits at Practice? The Art of Coaching!

[hockeygod]

Kai,

When I was younger, I have also been guilty of trying to jam too much into practice ! A YTP helps me see the big picture and then I adjust daily / weekly. Themes / areas of focus are indeed helpful and I try to keep some time at the start and / or end of practice for individual skill development; sometimes, I will have to cut a drill or two short (or cut them out all together) just so I don't go right up to the last possible second.

I have found it is better to allow players to have at least 5 minutes at the end to work on their own stuff. Then the coaches and I circulate around to provide help / feedback, etc. if needed. It has to be constructive stuff; not just fooling around or playing 'rebound!' This 'Management By Walking Around' (MBWA) is a good way to connect individually and personally with your players and keeps the lines of communication open.

"Athletes don't care how much you know until they know how much you care!" You need to build this relationship with each individual. Then by working WITH them, them to achieve their goals that they have identified – you are showing them how to become a better player. This builds trust and rapport.

Speaking with soccer Coach John today (one of my mentors!), he told me of a story of a group of U14 girls he is coaching this year. One girl has an amazing amount of skill but is a bit cheeky / doesn't work as hard as the others. This is a skill academy setting, so John can't take away playing time, etc. So he told her he expects each girl to juggle at least 250 times stationary, with each foot, by the end of March 2011. If this individual can't do it, John will no longer "pay attention" to her at practice. John will focus his individual attention to those girls who demonstrate a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. He told her this (and to her parents) and they are in full support. John isn't being mean; but he is communication expectations clearly; establishing measurable goals and a timeline for the player. He isn't yelling at her. He is saying, "I will work with you as long as you work with me. If you choose not to work hard on your own, then I will not give any more of my individual time to you. It is up to you to make this work." I thought it was a great way to address the issue.

So Kai, mentors are very important. I speak with John almost daily. I also act as a mentor to several other people – so I can try to give back to the game / to the profession. Mentoring is a two-way street – when I offer my time to other coaches, I learn new things and it is a form of professional development for me, too! Leadership, listening skills, problem-solving, etc. all come into play…

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."