The Coach Diary Football Blog

Author: The Coach Diary

  • Child Protection and Safeguarding Children in Football..

    Child Protection and Safeguarding Children in Football..

    This is an email I got from a parent last week.

    “My son is currently trialing on the U13 representative squad, which is now down to a player pool of 24 players, mostly 12-year-old, some are still 11. My son takes great exception as do I obviously to the choice of language used by the head coach in this setup. His all too liberal use of the word ‘f@ck’ and ‘b*ll*cks’ and calling phases of play as ‘shit’ when addressing the group of players. I find this offensive to my son and I would suspect most of the other players in that group do also.

    My son has asked me to clarify why he talks like that the whole time. I’ve found myself trying to explain to my son, what goes on inside the head of such an individual, that would make that coach think it’s perfectly fine to address children in such a manner. Basically, I’ve told my son that’s it’s absolutely never acceptable for an adult to speak to a group of children in such a way.

    I’m hoping my son does not make it to the next round of players where it gets paired down to 16 players, as he’s not enjoying the experience the way he should be, because of this coaches liberal use of profanity when he opens his mouth to speak.

    I know I should just take my son out of this setup but what does this say bout letting individuals supervising children use profanity liberally and unchecked. I should just remove my son and walk away. 

    My question to you is what recourse do I have, to force this individual to at least reassess his very poor behaviour, without drawing any kind of retaliation from this coach or league?

    I don’t see how I could trust that the league could address this issue internally themselves, as its quite a sensitive matter and really should be addressed by an external entity.

    So it looks like I’ll have to take my son out of this environment as it’s not conducive in the least bit to him learning the game. I can see this developing a sense of fear in my son when he plays for this representative team and which will lead to mistakes when he’s developing his own understanding of how to play.

    What should I do? 

    I suggest that he go straight to Child Welfare Officer and address the matter. That was turned down, so I offered to email the child welfare officer myself and the parent accepted.  this what they said.

    This is their reply, which I received by text after my email:

    —

    League: Does this manager relate to the u13s Squad?

    TCD: Yeah u13s as stated in the email:

    League: Ok, Can you ask the parent involved to contact me.

    TCD: I’ll ask again but I know he doesn’t want too.

    League: If he doesn’t want to make a formal then there is little I can do. We have a number of coaching staff at that level. Don’t even know who it is. If he doesn’t pursue though I’ll speak to the coordinator and alert them to be watchful.

    —

    This reply is from the Child Welfare Officer of a very big league. Talking about not wanting to do sweet FA about a complaint. It is their job to investigate these matters not pass it onto to the person who the complaint might be about.

    Let’s look at the Definition and Role of Children’s Officers

    The Code of Ethics describes the role of the Club Children’s Officer. The Irish Sports Council have approved training established to meet the requirement of this role. At least one Children’s Officer should hold an up to date certificate of Child Protection and all Children’s Officers should be familiar with the Code of Ethics and Child Welfare Guidelines. 

    The Club Children’s Officer should be child-centered in focus and should have as his/her primary aim the establishment of a child-centred ethos within the club. S/he is the link between the children and the adults in the club. S/he also takes responsibility for monitoring and reporting to the Club Committee on how club policy etc. impacts on children and their Sports Leaders.

    Given the need to ensure that children are valued within all sporting contexts at least one Children’s Officer, preferably two, must be appointed by all clubs, subject to appropriate selection and recruitment procedures as recommended within the Code of Ethics.

    Some of the skills required for a Children’s Officer are:

    • A good listener
    • Approachable
    • Ability to maintain confidentiality

    The primary role of the Children’s Officer is the welfare of the children. They should be available to any player or parent who has concerns. Their contact numbers should be made available to all members of clubs and their parents.

    Children’s Officers must operate independently of their club’s administrative and coaching structure. They must not be committee members or coaches. They must operate a strict code of confidentiality within the club, but if a concern about child protection comes to the Children’s Officer they should inform the designated person or, if not possible, the appropriate statutory authority.

    The Children’s Officer should have the following functions:

    • to promote awareness of necessary child welfare policies and procedures
    • to influence policy and practice within the club in order to prioritise children’s needs
    • to provide an accessible resource to children
    • to encourage the involvement of parents/guardians in the club activities and co-operate with them in ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for their children
    • to act as an advisory resource to Leaders on best practice in children’s sport
    • to meet with the Club Management Committee as required but at least once a year
    • to ensure the election of male and female club captains with whom they can liaise to ensure the voice of the young person is heard

    Children’s Officers must never investigate or validate child protection concerns without or within the club and have no counseling or therapeutic role. These roles are filled by the Statutory Authorities. It is, however, possible that child protection concerns will be brought to the attention of the Children’s Officer. In this event, it is essential that the correct procedures are followed, i.e. that reports are passed on immediately to the designated person who reports to the Statutory Authorities.

    I don’t believe this league has followed the correct protocol for handling complaints, what do you think?

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

  • Coaching in the USA

    Coaching in the USA

    Fancy coaching in the USA?

    USIT is giving anyone between the ages of 18-33, with a passion for soccer, the chance to go to the US and coach soccer whilst also having the opportunity to travel. On USIT’s Soccer USA programme you will spend between 6-13 weeks in the summer working as a soccer coach for young kids in different cities around America.

    Each week the coaches move to a different location, which gives them a great opportunity to visit several cities around the US and experience the American culture.

    Last year, Maynooth University student, Moe Bukhatwa reported that one of his main highlights was

    “moving around the States and staying with different host families because you get to see different people and different places.”

    Meals and accommodation are also included in the programme as host families with kids in the soccer camps put you up.

    After your coaching contract has ended, you have 30 days to travel and explore the US.

    Ian, from Dublin, describes the experience as:

    “One of the best if not the best summers that I have ever had!” and raved about how “rewarding it is when you see one of the kids perfect a cross-field pass or a Cruyff turn you have just coached them”.

    How Do I Get Hired?

    To get hired as a soccer coach you need to pass a coaching assessment. You don’t need to be a brilliant player or a college student, just show you’ve got enthusiasm to do the job and will work well with kids. There are free assessment days coming up in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dublin in November. If you are successful, you will be offered the job on the day.

    What Do I Earn?

    The programme fee is €999 and that includes return flights, insurance, work papers, accommodation, meals, Garda vetting fee, coaching kit etc

     

    To find out more contact Gary on 01-602 1650 or go to Coaching in the USA

    -end

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

  • Kids just want to have FUN…

    Kids just want to have FUN…

    Kids just want to have fun and if they’re not having fun, they may not come back. At the end of the day it’s just a game…a kids game and in years to come when you look back at the results they will mean nothing…..

    Someone asked me the other day what would I say to a coach starting out? I remember reading something in an article about that very question and it went something like this,  “If this is your 1st game to coach or your 1000th, take an occasional peek toward the end. Winning is a by-product of doing all things the correct way. What matters the most is the effort you made to make a difference in those kids lifes.”

    How many sport organisations ask the kids what they want from sport. How many take a child centre approach to coaching the game. Children have a very different view about their game to what the adults actually think they do.

    With regard to soccer even during the early teenage years, we cannot predict who is going to be the best. Many things start to happen and it is not until after 20 years of age do we find out who has survived the journey to elite level. That is ten years, plus the glorious years of child football! – Johan Fallby Sport Psychologist at premier Danish soccer club F.C. Copenhagen

    What are the kids after?

    Why do they get into the game? Well, they get into because their introduction to any sport was generally through play and play to children = FUN.

    You will have more successful athletes if you coach the process, effort, and the pursuit of excellence and then the outcome happens by itself.

    Believe it or not children don’t actually think they are going to be professional sports players. It’s only a very small percentage that actually believe this. For most the kids the idea of imitating one of their idols is good enough. That is play. It’s adult that actually dream more about their kids becoming a professional player.

    Kids play sport because its fun. They get a chance to hang out with their mats and play outside. They get a chance to put on the club colours at the weekend. They get a chance to play their game for real and all because it’s FUN!

    ….and what makes it FUN? Organised training sessions where they get a chance to improve their ability, skills and game intelligence in a child centre environment. When the game is fun then the kids will keep coming back.

    Kids don’t value winning as much as adults do. They love to win but they prefer to play. So even if the team is winning every week, the kids who don’t play don’t feel part of the success. Kids would rather lose and play than win and not play.

    They do not play to win. They like to win, they enjoy competing, but they do not play to win. They play to have fun, to be with their friends, to feel good about themselves, and because it is exciting.

    “Be strong and work to eliminate this culture and ignorance from your club. Be curious and find out more about how a sports environment should look like for your child” – Johan Fallby

    No kid wants to train two or three times a week to only get 5 or 10 minutes of a game at the weekend. When kids sign up to play a sport or when their parents sign them up, the kids go into this process with their eye on playing the game at the weekend. Training is not the fun part of the week, the game is.

    THE COACHES JOB:

    • Is to make sure the kids are having fun and learning in an age specific environment.
    • We have a culture that’s has come from pro sports where people pay to get entertained “Entertainment Zone” this feeds the win at all costs mentality on kids sport. Grassroots is not that, grassroots is the “development zone”
    • Research has shown that when you focus on development of the game, creating a mastery culture rather than the winning one, everything being equal, you do better in the long run and you end up winning anyway.

    Social Neuroscience, of undergrads at Case Western Reserve University : “The No. 1 change any coach can make, on any level, is to focus more on the positive. A recent study, published in Social Neuroscience, of undergrads at Case Western Reserve University, found that young people who are coached using a positive approach — envisioning future success, in particular — were more likely to be compassionate and open to ideas for improvement. They were also more likely to make lasting behavioural changes than those coached by people who focused on their weaknesses”.

    In the end of the day the kids that stay in sport for longer are the ones who really benefit. If you see sports as being fun the chances are so will the kids you coach.

    Give kids quality coaching in a fun environment with meaningful competition and they will keep coming back for…. So yes, occasionally take a peek into the future, even just a year later and see how many of the kids you coach keep coming back. How many of them have you retained and improved from last year? Your job is to continue to provide an environment that allows them to get better and keep coming back for more.

    References

    I have taken lost of references from this interview and If you care about youth sport then I highly recommend you read: Johan Fallby talks to footblogball

    Also read Per Göran Fahlström also on footblogball

    Changing The Game Project

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary and @LetTheKidPlay

  • Motivating the players after a big loss..

    Motivating the players after a big loss..

    This was the teams second season in the top division and it was always going to be a massive step up, particularly after losing 5 players from last years starting 11 along with 2 more from a squad of 15, this was a big re-shuffle. So we welcomed 8 new lads and we basically start again.

    Come Sunday lunch time I was licking my wounds and writing like crazy on how I was going to approach training Tuesday. In the last 5 seasons we haven’t experienced a defeat quit like this one and it wasn’t like we didn’t try to play and keep the good habits; for parts we did but we also lacked the concentration & desire required to compete for entire game.

    So when the refs blows his final whistle and the scoreboard reads the wrong way – a big loss. You start to look inwards and need to find solutions quickly. So after everyone left the park and went about their day, I hung on and spent sometime alone.

    So how to turn a bad day into a good week, that was going to be key. I was looking for answers.

    The first thing was to focus on the positives of the game. It’s too easy to focus on  what went wrong and let that negativity lead into the next game. I had to focus on what went right and how to correct the mistakes. Everyone made mistakes, including me, so my aim was to try and improve the lads by putting a plan in place.

    Coach John Wooden once said

    “Too often, coaches spend the time on everything that went wrong and don’t focus on the positives”. “Think about the positives things. How can we take the things that went right in the game into next week?”

    John Wooden was always big on positive energy, not negative energy.

    By focusing on the positives the players won’t dwell on the negatives.

    So the questions I asked:

    1. Give me 5 things we did well?
    2. 5 things we didn’t do so well?
    3. What do we need to do in order to get better?
    4. What do we need to stop doing in order to get better?

    At the end of training on Thursday, it was time to focus on the new goals and motivate the players for the weekends game.

    1. Speak to the players individually.
    2. Bring up the things they did well, even if they did things, not so well.
    3. Motivation and positive feedback, even an arm around them was key to getting the players ready for game 2.
    4. This was not going to be the time when I lay into the players. This was the time to build up their emotional tank.

    “Losing is part of the game. If you never lose, you are never truly tested, and never forced to grow.”

    Time to build up the emotional tank!

    How? 

    So, whether you’re a coach or captain, be sure to set new goals for the next game rather than focus about the most recent loss. Motivate the rest of the team with positive feedback and encouragement throughout the week ahead.

    When we are having to motivate the players, we are talking about adding fuel to their emotional tank. If the emotional tank is full the players have the capacity to play their best.

    What is this emotional tank, that I’m referring too? It’s like a gas tank in a car. When it is full, we run well, but when it is empty, we can’t go very far.

    Why is it important that we keep each other’s tanks full?

    If our Emotional Tank is empty, we become negative, and we give up easier. If our tanks are full, however, we are optimistic and are able to handle difficult situations. As the coach, I will do my best to help fill Emotional Tanks of players. I need to help them be as positive as possible in order to play well.

    When  someone misses a clear chance and someone says, Nice miss (sarcastically), this is going to have a negative impact on the player. This can be know as draining the Emotional Tank.

    When you criticise or insult the players, you make them feel worse and you drain their Emotional Tank. Sometimes you have to correct to help them learn the game.

    As a coach, I will try to do this in a way that keeps your Emotional Tank full.

    We win together and lose together. 

    One bad back pass didn’t make the team lose the weekend’s game. While it is very easy to blame one player for a mistake, remember that the game is a team effort. In the past I might have pointed the finger but it takes 11+ players to win or lose a game. As a coach I have to make sure I’m there to lift the players up again.

    “You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again.”

    Time to think about the next game

    The best way to motivate the team is encourage the players to move on to the next game. We either win or we learn (Thanks Drew). Last week we learned…we learnt a lot. I talked with players about ways to address aspects of the game that went right and ones that went wrong but once Thursday’s session was finished it was time to focus on the next game. I let the players know that come Sunday morning when they wake up, that is the start of a whole new week, so it’s time to erase the the past and focus on the here & now.

    So ultimately what really matters the most is our mindset (a positive one), our work rate, our effort, our memories good and bad. The win’s and losses aren’t important. The most important thing is the experience, the journey and creating positive memories – because at the end of the day that’s what’s going to bring the team together, that’s what they will remember the most and no matter if we win or lose our effort and respect for each another is where the real winning lies.

    This season is going to be an especially great season if we support each other and keep our Emotional Tanks full. With full Emotional Tanks, we will be ready to for the battle, and there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

    I’ll end with this great quote,

    “Losing is only temporary and not all encompassing. You must simply study it, learn from it, and try hard not to lose the same way again. Then you must have the self-control to forget about it.” – John Wooden

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary

  • Coaching with Performance Analysis Module, Dublin 7th Sep 2016

    Coaching with Performance Analysis Module, Dublin 7th Sep 2016

    Are hosting a coaching with performance analysis module at the Croke Park Hotel, Dublin, Wed 7th Sep 6.30-9.30pm.

    See course details below and website link:

    Coaching with Performance Analysis Module, Croke Park Hotel, Wed 7th Sep, 6.30pm – 9.30pm

    Designed by Ulster University and Performa Sports, this short course has been tailored for coaches and managers. Building on the fundamentals of sports analysis including shaping key performance indicators (KPIs) we demonstrate how analysis can be used as a highly effective teaching aid to improve player learning and performance. The module covers:

    • What is notational analysis.
    • The rationale for performance analysis.
    • Key factors in player-coach communication techniques.
    • How to develop key performance indicators (KPIs).
    • Introduction to Performa Sports software & creating coaching playlists.
    • £20 credit towards our Level 4 CPPD course in Applied Performance Analysis.
    • Course fee is £50.

    To confirm your place please use the link below:

    Coaching course – booking form

    For more details please see link below:

    http://www.performasports.com/news/entry/learn-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-coaching-with-performance-analysis

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary

  • Let’s shed some light on our role as youth soccer coaches

    Let’s shed some light on our role as youth soccer coaches

    Irish Coach with Shelbourne FC Alo Byrne sheds some light on the role of a coach:

    Another typical Saturday, early morning coffee sat in front of the sports news with the laptop running updates ahead of my usual log on to plan pre season sessions and presentations for the weeks and months ahead. It’s a routine, a ritual at this stage if you like. Everybody has various and diverse reasons for taking a route into coaching, some as straightforward as a natural progression from the pitch to the sideline and others more intricate and detailed a road was travelled. Whatever our reasons may be, for those of us that have put the hours in over the years, both on and off the pitch. Countless hours planning sessions, delivering sessions, hours spent on the phone going over minute details that you hope will make a major difference to your preparation and outcome, one thing is for sure , there are moments when we stop and ponder the question , why do it?

    WHOS EXPERIENCE IS IT ANYWAY?

    For some I’m sure the answer to that question is a simple. Others will espouse a romanticised version of what they believe are honourable and admirable reasons for taking on the responsibility and demands that are presented to us when confronting the sometimes thankless task of youth and grassroots coaching in soccer. Personally after years of consideration and contemplation for myself the answer to that question is quite a straightforward and to the point. I coach FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.

    This very reason is the intrinsic motivation that drives my every want and need to grow and develop both my practical knowledge and ability as a coach,to be able to help the players that I coach to reach the upward limits of their potential. Coaching I have come to realise after years of coach education and time spent on the sidelines and learning from coaches that are infinitely wiser than I could ever hope to be, is a simple and yet strangely complex interaction between you and your players. This process I believe has been over complicated at times by new methods and trends, courses promising to give you the secrets to developing players, techniques and gimmicks disguised in clever marketing has clouded the simplicity of the coaching process.

    SYMBIOTIC DEVELOPMENT

    Our own development as coaches can at times become intertwined with that of the children we coach. As we improve our coaching skill set , we would hope that the kids we coach reap the benefits of this improvement. The important factor for me personally has been to find a balance between seeking my own education and finding the time to spend refining what I have learned in a practical coaching sense on the pitch. Some coaches I find enter into a badge collecting race without sufficient time spent coaching and developing practical coaching competences.

    The more coaches chase the “holy grail” of learning , the less it seems they learn. It is my belief that the whole coaching concept at youth level has turned into a proverbial merry-go – round  where coaches continually chase the next piece of information that will help them stand out from the crowd and put them at the cutting edge of coaching. This constant race to become the creme de la creme of coaches has left us dizzy, dis orientated and disconnected from the real reasons why we are there to coach in the first place. We are here to facilitate a learning process, but not necessarily ours! We are a facilitator, the kids are the learners and the game environment as set and adjusted by the coach is the teacher. It is my opinion that we must keep this at our core of understanding when it comes to coaching kids, this is their journey, their sporting experience and we are guilty at times of making it all about us adults. We must keep coaching more child centred and as much as coach education and learning is a vital component of our own development, it must never take precedence over the learner! One day we may wake up and realise that we are not as important as we make ourselves out to be in terms of development in soccer, what if given the right environment and circumstances that development is a child centred and child driven process?

    With this in mind, where does that leave the coaches role? There are numerous and varied ways we can help aid learning and discovery, without having a hand in every decision. It is my belief that having an atmosphere that promotes risk, creativity and free thinking will ultimately lead to better decision makers and kids that will play without fear. Too often do we micro manage and hijack kids decisions on the pitch.

    Coaches can help simply by keeping track of moments during learning that they can help the players to reflect upon during natural breaks in play, a mistimed pass or what we may perceive to be a poorly timed run are crucial parts of the learning process and must be allowed to take place without our needless constant intervention. If we were to use the analogy of a child doing their maths homework, do you think they would develop greater numeracy skills if we shout at them every time they get a sum wrong or on the other hand constantly supply them with the answers, this is their journey, their childhood experience, we must remember this!

    There are countless amounts of research currently in circulation in relation to pedagogy and teaching methods in youth sport, I’m not writing this to direct you towards the research, but more to highlight my own general observations into the need for coaches to re-examine our role in the coaching process and bring a spotlight to issues that I believe are crucial to the sporting experience of the kids we coach.

    If we can begin to view our role as that of a facilitator of learning and promote a environment free of fear and anxiety for our young players, built on a solid foundation of fun and love of the game, then we may just be on the cusp of a new dawn of coaching, until that day comes I feel we may continue to lose participants at a young age in what has become an adult dominant and driven process.

    Yours in Sport

    Alo Byrne

    You can check out more of Alo’s writing at For The Love Of The Game

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary

  • Grassroots Scouting & Player Development Seminar

    Grassroots Scouting & Player Development Seminar

    Ever wonder what scouts actually do or how they identify underage players of the future?

    Well this seminar might interest you.

    International Professional Scouting Organisation are holding a 1 day seminar in Dublin on  9th July 2016 – 9:15 am – 4.30 pm at the Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley.

    Some of the things you will learn about on the day:

    • Characteristics needed for Football Scouting
    • What to look for in a player
    • Assessing a player
    • Simple/Basic Player Reporting and Match Reporting
    • Attitude of a player & how to handle it
    • Recognising strengths & weaknesses
    • Simple & Basic data analyses on young players
    • How to improve him as a player
    • How to play certain roles
    • Where is he/she best suited
    • Where’s he/she not suited

    To find out more go to  IPSO Seminar or email Vincent O’Loughlin vincentoloughlin80@gmail.com 

    @ipsofootball

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. As always, thanks for reading.

    I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary