Our training camp started 18 days ago and we had quite a few practices, 6 preseason games and spent significant time together as a team. However, there is nothing like the start of the regular season. Tonight ( Aug 31st) at 8.45 pm when our game kicks off, it will signal the start of my 16th season as head coach of the Concordia Stingers. I still remember all the way back to 2002 when I coached my first game. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but it was all new, the league and our own soccer program was no where near the level it is today. With more social media, the coverage, while still not sufficient, is so much more widespread than what it was in Sept 2002. Players tweet, post comments and pictures leading into the games, there are other sources of information all announcing that tonight, our season kicks offs.
A number if 1st year Stinger players will be playing in their first official RSEQ league game tonight, some will start, some will dress. A few will have to wait for another day to get the chance. My first year at Concordia, we didn't have a field with lights that could host evening games so we played off campus. However since 2003, we have been able to play evenings at Loyola and I must say there is always something special about playing under the lights. Young players will be nervous, so will some older coaches. Prior to our final preseason game, I looked over to my assistant coach who played for me for 5 years and is entering her 2nd year as an assistant. She seemed anxious, stressed and I asked her if everything was ok. She replied that just like when she played, she still got anxious and butterflies before games. I laughed and told her it was ok, I still got the same way after 15 years at Concordia and 27 years of coaching. I’d like to say I’m calmer and I don’t get as nervous, but I still get that same feeling. It should start getting easier, but it hasn’t. Besides as a coach, I am responsible for the group and the players might feed off my nerves so besides having to calm himself down, I have to help the players get over their pregame jitters. I’ll explain to them that, of course everyone is nervous to some extent, It’s natural. That’s when they need to trust their experience and fall back on all the preparation we have gone through.Players must be confident that they can handle any situation they might encounter during a game and the coaches try set up practices and scrimmages in a way to cover every scenario that could come up but the reality is we can't. So we try to give the players the tools to be adaptable and problem solve in the field during the course of the game. We give them indicators and cues to take in but once the game starts, its the players on the field that have to play. Everybody is nervous before the opening game, but the great thing is that every year is a brand new year. Last season's results or problems or mistakes, don't have any impact on this season, we are really starting over. So my advice to players … “’Step on the field and play to your strengths. This is the same game you’ve been playing since you were young kids, just the environment is different. Make sure to focus on the things within your control and forgot about those that are not. Most importantly, enjoy the moment, it's still just a game" Throughout training camp, we've identified a style of play that we hope to play and last night in our final training session before starting the season, we ran through a game plan that we believe will put is in a situation to compete for the win. However our opponents have done the same so the team needs to be ready to adapt and compete regardless how things start out. I am sure for me personally the butterflies will intensify as the day progresses and I'll start running through scenarios in my mind, did I pick the right starting 11, what might be changes I make depending on how the game unfolds, what do we do if..... (fill in the blanks with many situations). All I know, in the same way I tell players, I have to trust the preparation, believe in my experience and ability as a coach and manage within the things in my control. I tell myself, if game day still gives me butterflies after all these years, I must still really love coaching.
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As I have stated at the beginning of a number of my posts, I do not consider myself an expert on the issue of gender bias and stereotypes that still exist in women's sports. The most obvious reason for this is that I can't ever now what it is to be a female in sports facing the issues that they face. However, as my entire coaching career has been spent in female soccer, I have had the chance to interact with many female athletes and coaches, and females coaches from other sports I might add, to the point where I do feel that I have a viable opinion on the topic.
Anyone who follows female sports has seen images of successful female athlete or teams winning medals and championships at different levels of competition. Think back to impact of the back to back bronze medals won by Canada women's soccer, Penny Oleksiak's performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the US women's soccer team winning the 2015 World Cup or most recently if you were able to see the images, Holland women's soccer winning the 2017 Euro championships and the crowds that attended the games and receptions held for them. Even the Danish team that lost in the finals were greeted with crowds when they returned home that proved the women's sport is viable and popular, and yet still facing significant inequalities. In Europe, viewing figures for people who watched the Euro games hit an all time high in many countries and the impact of social media coverage has brought female sports into mainstream coverage. Yet despite all their accomplishments and clear skill, illustrious female athletes still face abundant inequality based on their gender alone. Unfortunately, the more things seem to improve, and female are making bigger headway into sports as athletes, coaches, administrators and media, the gender gap still exist in ways that exceed what is generally found in everyday life. Here are five inequalities female athletes still face, which we must put to bed once and for all. Female athletes still face a wage / compensation gap In recent months, we have seen both the US women's hockey and soccer teams fight for fairer compensation for their time spent with the national programs.The soccer fight was very interesting in that the basis for comparison was the success of the women's program as defending World Cup champions vs the results shown by their male counterparts and the amount of pay members of the two teams received comparatively. FIFA awarded the U.S. women's soccer team with a $2 million prize for their World Cup win, even though the final 16 men's national teams who played in the 2014 World Cup took home about $10 million on average. Germany, the winning team in the men's tournament, earned $35 million. In terms of the US Federation itself, the men's team players all of whom are professionals and therefore have a significant source of compensation from their clubs continue to receive much higher performance incentives. Just as an example, if the USWNT wins an international friendly, each player earns $1,350. If the men’s team suffers a loss in a friendly, each player still receives $5,000. If the men triumph over a team in the Top 10 in the FIFA Rankings, each player collects $17,625. For a similar accomplishment, the women receive $1,350. The women do not have bonus compensated if they tie or lose a friendly match. In Canada, the corresponding figures are not readily available but I am quite sure it doesn't differ much. just like in Europe. many players affiliated with "pro clubs" are surely receiving salaries that are much lower than the men. Women expected to play under different conditions For the first time ever, FIFA decided that the Women's World Cup would be played on artificial turf. While it may seem like a minor point, players argued that not only was the experience of playing on artificial turf inadequate, but that they experienced physical injuries like burns. It's why a number of players filed suit, claiming that the decision was born from gender discrimination, since players for the men's tournament would not be forced to play on artificial turf. We see examples of substandard fields even when on grass, small venues, inadequately trained officials, schedules not conducive to optimal athletic performance, generally because men's sports are managed in a way to maximize revenue and exposure, leaving female sporting events to be slotted in where it can best fit. Onging gender stereotypes that remain to this day As is the case in the work place, women still are seen as the primary caregivers. There is always the underlying assumption that at some point a female athlete will put her career on hold to start and raise a family, care for her children etc. When did we ever hear about a highly visible male athlete taking time away from his sport for family issues. Quite on the contrary, just watch an episode of Hockey Wives and listen to them talk about being on their own to raise the kids and manage household responsibilities because it is the nature of their husbands work as a professional athlete. There is also the issue of women's sports being scene as some sort of watered down version of the male equivalent and not as a completely different version. The performances are critiqued on the basis of the athletes not being as strong, fast, skilled or competitive instead of simply being evaluated on how the they perform versus their peer group. Female athletes continue to be objectified and sexualized. How often do we come across postings or articles about " The top 10 hottest female ( fill in the sport here) athletes". Many female athletes are often the subject of these types of commentary and can use it to build their brand but isn't really a positive? It has been an all too real experience for many female athletes. Many websites and publications have created entire lists devoted to ranking the comparative sexiness of female athletes overall. Media coverage of female athletes often revolves around their bodies and what they wear, over their skills. The public still fails to see female athletes as just that — athletes — rather than sexualized objects to be ogled. If a female athlete is too muscled, she is seen as butchy or at the very least not feminine enough, too slim and she is not eating right. I give credit to the ESPN body issue simply in that it puts male and female athletes on the same level, celebrating their bodies even they may not fit the mold of what is the ideal body shape, but even then, shouldn't we be celebrating athletes for their great accomplishments, setting records, scoring great goals, etc? The imbalance in media coverage and representation More then forty percent of all sports participants are female, yet women's sports probably receive less than 10% of all sport media coverage. Yet every four years when the summer or winter Olympics take place, often, it is women's sports which seem to garner attention, and not just for other women but from viewers overall. Plus, sports journalism doesn't just fail to cover women, but to integrate them into the industry itself. While we are seeing strides in women working in sports media, the barriers for them to enter into the profession are still very present. Male athletes on the other hand can often retire and then quickly be hired as "experts" for media coverage of their sport. Maybe I have a jaded opinion, and probably I am not delving deep enough into the issues female athletes face, but the fact remains that the gap is there, while improvements occur, the presence of more exposure due to growth in websites, blogs, social medial, simply put a spotlight on some of the inequalities that persist but that weren't really seen. I try to do my little part every chance I get and I advocate strongly but I have one voice and a limited audience but I will continue to to address the issue every chance I get. With the start of school just a week away, the student-athletes that I coach can for one more week, focus on their sport component of their lives with having to worry about classes, assignments, studying and tests. However as of next Tuesday, reality will hit and they will find themselves balancing school and it's related requirements along with their chosen sport. I thought I might address some of the stereotypes that also often associated with student-athletes. I want to preface it by saying that I could be certain without a doubt that some of the items I will address below do not happen or are not more regular ouccrences say in the NCAA, however I can am quite comfortable in my assertions based on my experience at Concordia and within USport. Whether because of jealousy, envy or simply the lack of accurate knowledge, many are quick to judge or demean student-athletes not fully understanding the reality they are face with.
Over the course of my involvement in university sport, I've heard all of these statements and more. I've found that many misconceptions exist regarding the life of a university student-athlete. I've honestly been surprised that so many myths are out there, and that so many myths are widely accepted. Allow me to set the record straight and shed some light on the real reality they face. Myth #1: Athletes don't have to go to class. Truth: Simply put, yes they do. Student-athletes are subject to the same attendance standards that exist for other students in shard classes. Of course these depend on the class and teacher, however whatever is expected of a "regular" student is expected of student-athletes. Sickness and emergency are exceptions, of course, like any other student. In recent years, we have tried to identify at-risk students and require them to provide regular updates from their professors via a simple form which covers attendance, assignment completion etc. Some teachers are very cooperative and it allows us to address issues before they affect eligibility. Myth #2: Coaches can get athletes out of class. Truth: This one is partly true. Athletes miss class for travel and for games, so yes, our athletic commitments do sometimes get them out of class, require a reasonable extension for assignments or the chance to right an alternate exam. This doesn't mean that they can just skip class all the time using our sports as an excuse. As a coach, I schedule practices early enough in advance to athletes can plan class schedules to avoid conflicts as much as possible, if their conflicts between class and training, class comes first. (Hence student-athlete.). In cases where athletics might come first, they are communicated in advance with the teacher and alternate arrangements as needed are made between teacher, athlete and coach. In cases where no possible arrangement is possible, then studies prevail. I've had athletes miss games due to exams. Myth #3: Athletes rake in the free stuff. Truth: This one also has some merit. Athletes don't have an unlimited supply of free gear to replace lost or damaged items, nor can they outfit friends and family. However they get substantial practice uniforms, travel wear, equipment and in some cases shoes provided to them in exchange for their athletics commitment. But is it really free? They receive the items in exchange for attending daily two hour practices , team meetings, travel to games and sacrificing a CRAP LOAD of time to the sport. Myth #4: grades don't matter as long as they're playing sport. Truth: Completely false! USport has very specific regulations on GPA, number of credits to be successfully completed each year and number of credits to be registered for, in order to remain athletically eligible. Failing classes puts them at risk of not being able to compete. In addition USport and Concordia recognize the acedmic achievement of student-athletes not to mention many potential financial awards are tied into academic performance as much as athletic accomplishment, sometimes more so, therefore grades do matter. Myth #5: Student-athletes are well supported financially for they participation in sport. Truth: True and false. Here again, USport has very specific regulations about the awarding of AFAs or Athletics Financial Awards. With the exception of women's hockey following a pilot project between USport and Hockey Canada aimed at keeping our best players in Canada, the maximum amount a student athlete can receive is limited to tuition and mandatory fees. Not books, no living expenses and certainly no pocket money. I addition USport calculates a maximum per university that can be spent on AFAs based on number of teams and athletes each university has. Furthermore some conferences cap the maximum and individual student-athlete can receive in order to level the playing field between bigger and smaller schools. Add to that, internal rules at each institution and budget considerations ( the reality that Canadian university sports does not generate revenues like our US neighbours) and I can assure you that most athletes across the country are paying something to go to school. Of course comparing tuition in Canada to that is the US, the financial burden is not the same. They're are foundations, organizations and other entities that have scholarships and bursaries which all students can apply for but urban legend has it that 50% of available funds are not applied for. That is a true disappointment. As our preseason winds down with a final exhibition game this afternoon, it's impossible not to put myself in the place of my athletes and feel the mental and physical demands that have been placed on them. In 13 days they will have gone through 10 training sessions and 6 games. Even having kept a bigger roster of players this year, small injuries have accumulated to the point we haven't yet field what we feel can be our best 11. Luckily players are getting back into training and some game minutes so things are coming together. Tomorrow will be an off day , then we will have 3 days to prepare for game 1 of the season. I'm pretty sure that all the players are looking ahead to the long weekend and the 3 consecutive days of no soccer.
In the meantime, I can imagine to some degree all the players have go through these 8 realities during preseason. August 14th was day one of training camp and I'm sure everyone was not looking forward to the dreaded beep ! It's the clear sign that fall season has arrived but also the one thing every athlete hates. It will show everyone what your fitness is and there is no where to hide. Some surprised , some struggled and as coaches we wonder who really put in the fitness prep work Start of training camp is also the time for teammates to reconnect, they might crossed paths as opponents during club play or not seen each other since end of the winter semester. It's also the time for returning players to meet all the incoming freshman, especially the prized recruits and see if they live up to the hype. And training camp if off, height and weight being checked, fitness tests ; chin ups, bench press, vertical leap , beep test . Teammates watching , players wanting to do well but more importantly not wanting to look bad.. Then right into soccer practices. Now the days become a blur, practices, meeting, games , team travel , team building stuff. Basically stuck with your team at every moment. Looking ahead to going stright to your bed, and might even consider skipping a shower, cause hey, gonna get sweaty again soon. Everything will hurt. Just feeling soar becomes the new normal. No one gets through training camp without some pain, fatigue or a knock, Ice baths are a regular occurrence, and everyone looks forward nap time after practice. After the pain of pre season starts to come to an end, hopefullybplayers start to feel a little better about themselves and looking ahead to the season . They went through two weeks of hunger, terrible sleep, fatigue , and being out of their normal routines. As competitive athletes you assume they hate losing but sometimes as a coach you look to the bigger picture, seeking positives in losses, rotating players to expose everyone to game action but hopefully not taxing the same players constantly. Learning to win is a skill but keeping in mind the preseason is about preparing to face as many situations as possible that might come up during the season is very important As a coach you hope to balance pushing players to perform, to reach their potential with providing them with a positive and rewarding experience. You accept some players will complain, question or second guess decisions or plans but you hope the team can all be on the same page. Year after year one great moment of preseason is the moment we hand out gear. Seeing rookies surprised about how much they get, vets wondering what this year's stuff will look like and if we as coaches listened to their feedback from the year before. But mostly as a coach you hope players start to realize how the privilege they have being student-athletes, and that nothing is better than suffering and working with their teammates . Pre season has come to an end, and that they are all ready for an amazing season and amazing memories. As I go through training camp this year, I thought about looking how different coaches evaluate players and the difference being able to select vs identify talent in an athlete.
Many youth sports coaches claim to be great talent identifiers, and point to the results of previous all star teams as proof. Yet they are not talent identifiers. They are talent selectors. The difference could not be more significant and ultimately more damaging to an athlete's development and long term growth of provincial and even national programs. Talent selection is the putting together of players with the current ability to participate and be successful in events taking place in the immediate or near future. Talent identification, on the other hand, is the prediction of future performance based upon an evaluation of current physical, technical, tactical and psychological qualities. Talent selection is pretty simple; talent identification is an art. One yields great results today; the other builds elite athletes and winning teams for the future. Coaching university is more of the first one, putting together the best group of players based on their skills sets. I don't really need to worry about how good they might be 4 or more years down the road. There is a little bit of talent identification involved in terms of looking at which 1st year players could develop into starters as they progress through their varsity careers but it remains somewhat short term. A win at all costs youth sports mentality promotes talent selection. When a coach is pressured to win by parents or a club, or when he or she feels the need to win to serve their own ego, that coach becomes a talent selector. When you are focused on talent selection, you are picking athletes to help you win now, and cutting ones that will not. You are looking at current athleticism, technical ability, and traits to help achieve short term success. You naturally select the biggest, strongest and fastest young athletes, and play them extensive minutes. You limit playing time for the kids who are not up to snuff, and tell them they need to work harder, get tougher, etc., if they want to play more. You yell at them because they cannot get to the ball quick enough, or cannot shoot well enough to score. You tell them that this type of pressure is what they will face when they are older, so they better get used to it now. then, according to the latest statistics, 70% of them quit organized sports by the age of 13! On the other hand, talent identifiers are searching for young players who may not be elite athletes yet, but possess the physical and psychological attributes to eventually become one. Perhaps they have not yet grown, or been exposed to high level coaching. Perhaps they are not as skillful yet, but show a high level of coach-ability, sensitivity to training, and the motivation to learn. Identifying talent requires the skill to weigh all the physical, physiological, psychological, and technical components of an athlete, as well as a measure of “gut instinct” of which kid has what it takes to become elite, and which kid does not.Talent identification also takes a long term approach to player selection and development, and focuses on training large numbers of players, instead of cutting all but the elite ones. It recognizes that many factors affect whether a kid will make it or not, but rarely are childhood results the main factor. The current youth sports culture is far too often focused on talent selection, and not talent identification. We are committed to winning now, or achieving some hypothetical pre-teen national ranking. Yes, some team sport clubs have B and C teams and develop large numbers of players. Others have those same B and C teams, and players are often jettisoned there with less experienced coaches, less committed teammates, and an overall lesser experience. We say we are developing them for the future, but all too often we are using them to balance the budget. We select the current talent that will help us win now, because if we do not, the club down the road will grab them and win, and our best players will leave. We are not identifying and developing the kids who are most likely to become elite competitors after puberty. We are selecting the ones who already are elite, but often do not have the characteristics needed for long term elite performance. This is why the emphasis on winning prior to high school is destroying youth sports. This is why smaller nations can compete with us on a world stage in many sports. They actually identify and develop future talent, instead of selection based upon current results. Our wealth and sheer numbers allow us to succeed internationally, but other nations are slowly but surely closing the gap in nearly every sport because quite frankly, they identify and develop talent far better than we do. How do we fix this? Here are a few simple thoughts for youth sports that to be honest, should not be that hard to implement:
The best part about making all these changes? Youth team will have larger numbers of skilled athletes to choose from, as well as additional healthier and well rounded kids. We will have families who are less stressed both financially and anxiety wise, because their kids can just be kids again, and they don’t feel pressured to have 10 year old's traveling 5 hours to play a game. We will allow coaches to actually coach, and develop both better people and better athletes. Abundant skilled players? Lower costs? Less time devoted to youth sports and more to family and school? More success for our national teams and elite individual athletes? Common sense seems to indicate it could be worth it....... Today I start my 16th training camp as head coach for women's soccer at Concordia. I've looked forward to today since our winter season ended and while I haven't been on the field, recruiting, planning preparing have all lead to to today, PRESEASON!
Preseason. It's a word that for me is exciting, getting started, looking forward to seeing how new players integrate into the group, how returning players have prepared over the summer when anything and everything is possible no matter what last season might have been like. However, this one word will likely send many university student-athletes into a state of stress and apprehension. Why might some of you that have not gone through ask? It's a time before classes start when student-athletes can solely focus on the athlete part of the designation. Long days, two practices a day (maybe more), classroom sessions, fitness testing, the worry about making the team, earning playing time, fighting for a starting position, all things that are part of preseason. Preseason is the hardest time for university athletes to get through because it is the time they are often pushed the hardest physically to determine where an athlete might be at. Without classes, the athlete can focus on the sport but they are also in a bubble that sets them apart from other students who might be arriving early for the start of a a semester. This is mostly true for incoming first year student-athletes. While many of their peers are experiencing some form of frosh week meeting new people, exploring campus, partying , first year student-athletes are thrown into a group of returning athletes and expected to fit right in. While every training camp can be different and every student-athlete might face preseason differently, there are some definite "symptoms" that every athlete faces during preseason. If you're an athlete having gone through a preseason training camp, you can relate to each of these. If you never have, just imagine it. 1. You don't know what day of the week it is It could be Friday or it could be Tuesday, you actually have no idea because it doesn't matter either way. Every day of the week is a blur when you're doing absolutely nothing other than practicing, eating, and sleeping. 2. You usually have a couple of naps each day and feel no guilt doing so. Early morning training, lifting session, team meal, video session, more practice time.... and you try and fit in a power nap any chance you can. 3. Eating isn't about enjoying food but refueling for the next practice. You eat team meals, snack between sessions, double up on portions, and in many cases you might not really worry about taste or preferences, food is food and food is energy that helps you deal with the demands of practices. 4. You're feel pain in areas you might not usually. When you say you're sore you're not kidding. Muscles that you didn't even know you had have suddenly become painfully sore, and walking like a normal person just isn't an option at this point. Wobbling place to place might look stupid, but every other athlete at school is walking the same way so you don't feel as dumb. 5. You've become immune to the smell sweat, dirty equipment. Now this might apply more to men as during my time coaching female athletes, many tell me they don't sweat, they perspire but..... You've been basically all day every day so the smell of your own sweat doesn't even bother you anymore. Other people comment about how much your shoes/cleats smell, but you hardly even notice. Again though, every athlete on campus right now smells like sweat, so whatever. 6. You're really looking forward to school starting Sitting in class and doing homework sounds a lot more appealing to you right now than 2-a-days, so to say you're excited for classes to start is an understatement. Also, the number of practices and other related activities generally reduce once classes start so there's that to look forward to. You might actually also get to interact with other students who aren't athletes, which after 3 weeks of seeing teammates constantly might be a nice break. 7. You're in the best shape you will be for the while Every coach tells every athlete " whatever level of fitness you arrive at for training, it will just go downhill from there after all the practicing and training". It's true, as an athlete you have worked hard all summer preparing but after 3 weeks you feel gassed. Small injuries, soreness are realities you have to deal with throughout the season under the best of circumstances. 8. Your sport is the only thing on your mind right now Yes, you may be watching Netflix right now but what's really going through your head is the one play you messed up on during this morning's practice. Or, when you and your friends are all hanging out during your very limited free time all you talk about is your sport. You are literally living and breathing your sport right now; life outside of preseason just doesn't exist at the moment. 9. You are having the time of your life What for many is the longest, hardest, worst 3 weeks of your life is actually secretly the greatest. Being pushed to your limit both physically and mentally is more rewarding than you will ever be able to describe. Also, sharing and reminiscing on preseason with your teammates/best friends will always leave you with sore abs from laughing so hard. Even though you hate to love it, preseason is the best-worst time of any collegiate athlete's career. If you identify with the above, you have probably done through a preseason and experiencing the best and worst of what it means to be a university athlete. Like everyday life, technology has had a huge impact on sports coaching and performance analysis. It has expanded the possibilities for teaching the game, scouting players and opponents and provided feedback on individual athlete's or team's performances.
I have posted a few articles already about technology and coaching but today I want to focus specifically on how video analysis and feedback can add to a coaches ability to manage a team. Video analysis is one of the more widely accepted and utilized methods of sports performance analysis within soccer and can facilitate performance, development, education and recruitment. For the coaching staff it is important to define the objectives (or the information outcome) which underpin the team’s video analysis. These objectives should represent specific information that coaches and players want to know about their team and individual player performances, along with analysis on upcoming opposition teams/ recruitment. Without these objectives a video analysis process can become ineffective and time consuming especially during the season where the regularity of games limit the time we have for analysis. Furthermore, to build an analysis process the following details have to be considered; who is going to perform the analysis, what equipment is needed e.g. video recorders, computers and software, how they work in combination and how the analysis results will be delivered to coaches and players. Once this process is established/ mapped out it is important that it is maintained, with subtle changes made as and when required. our video analysis is dependent on the quality of your video recording/footage sourced, and there are a number of factors that influence the quality such as the film angle, how the performance is filmed, camera settings and equipment. For more information on this we have written a guide on how to film a soccer a match for analysis here where the majority of the content is transferable to filming training sessions and other performances. Crucially, it is important to be consistent in the filming set up and how the performance is recorded to avoid any issues with long term analysis projects. On away trips teams will often use the home team’s footage for their analysis. While this may be a great gesture from the home team and potentially problematic, it is best practice to always film your own footage as an insurance for the home analyst encountering any issues with their filming set up which affects their quality. For recruitment and opposition analysis a team will need to source good quality footage of the opposition/ player through your contacts, footage share agreements and/or exchange programs. Be aware that while teams may share footage directly with you in exchange for your own footage, some teams have a no footage share policy. More so if you are looking to recruit one of their players! Additionally, if you are getting your footage from different sources i.e. teams it is good practice to convert the files to the same resolution and file profile of your own footage using a video converter. If you are solely using your own footage then there is little need to convert unless you are generating large file sizes and need to compress them for file storage purposes. The majority of analysts spend their time in this phase of the process, coding/ clipping footage for analysis and spotting trends. Whilst every team and player different is the process and analysis objectives should be consistent with little changes as and where required. When the objectives are consistent, less errors occur in the analysis process meaning a greater accuracy of information can be achieved. This phase is greatly hindered when coaches/ players do not know what they want from the analysis process or request different and large scale changes to the agreed analysis objectives week in week out. Once any analysis intervention is finished, the coaching staff then have to consider how this information is delivered. The difficulty in feedback lies with the coaching staff finding the sweet spot for information provision based on other coaches and players’ needs. This can only be done by building a good rapport with the individuals and understanding their needs/ learning styles. By not finding the sweet spot, providing insufficient information leads to poor preparation whilst overloading an individual with information can lead to information overload. Furthermore, delivering the information in a way that doesn’t engage the player will mean that they will not process the information and take nothing from it. When holding game film review sessions with a team, it is important to consider the following; -Be innovative in delivery -Vary the method of feedback delivery -Concise and topical information, don't get off topic -Cater for the audience, individuals having different learning styles and senior players have different needs to an U8s team Every club, manager and analyst are different in their analysis demands and requirements. As a result there isn’t a generic ‘one size fits all’ process for video analysis that all coaches and analysts follow. The above process is a great framework to get teams and coaches started on their own video analysis process, they can then build on and personalize this as time goes on. Millions of children participate in sporting activities, across North America and certainly worldwide. While most people can relate to the benefits team sports offer children in the immediate, things like social interaction, physical fitness and a sense of accomplishment, sometimes many lose sight that team sports can have a lasting impact. Some of these skills will carry over into their adult lives. So it's important for parents to stay involved in their kid's sporting activities with out becoming too overbearing to ensure he gets the most out of the experience.
Some of the life skills that sports and in many cases team sports specifically which can prepare kids for life are the following. Leadership and TeamworkTeam sports teach children about why teamwork is important, which can be helpful when they are adults and may have to work as part of a team to complete projects or job tasks. Participating in team sports can also give children the opportunity experience both being a leader and having to deal with different types of leadership, something that will be an everyday occurrence when dealing with managers in a work environment. Healthy LifestyleThe physical activity associated with sports provide the immediate benefit of keeping children active and physically fit but the mindset of remaining so can stick with them throughout life. Children who are overweight or who shy away from active lifestyles and physical activity are more likely to be obese when they are adults. High Self-EsteemKeep your child active to help to build her self-confidence and boost her self-esteem, which can carry over to other parts of her life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Kids who participate in sports are less likely to be depressed, have anxiety and exhibit bad behavior, according to the New York University Child Study Center. This also can follow her into her adult life, because children who were involved in sports often feel better about themselves, socially and physically, as adults. Educational BenefitsTeam sports may benefit your child academically as well, which could improve his chances of getting into the college of his choice and help him to achieve career goals. Sports can influence your child to take his education more seriously, deter delinquency and lower his risk of dropping out of school, claims the NYU Child Study Center, adding that sports also help kids solve problems and think critically. These skills can potentially follow your child throughout his life. Discipline, Respect and TrustYour child learns self-discipline, trust and respect through her participation in team sports, points out the NYU Child Study Center. These qualities build character, which helps your child to become more successful in life. She learns about setting goals and how to work hard to achieve those goals. Just Say NoChildren who participate in team sports are less likely to make bad decisions -- such as using illegal drugs, drinking alcohol and smoking -- according to the University of Florida. While being part of a team, your child learns how important it is to stay healthy and make good decisions so that she can perform optimally. Where does my love of the soccer come from? A very personal experience….. When I was young, soccer was the first sport I that started to play. My father who came from the Spain didn’t see the benefit of other sports such as football, baseball, etc. so the soccer was the only sport for me during the summer. I played hockey a few years but let’s say without guidance from my father like many Canadian kids, I did not really catch on to the sport and more importantly I simply was not that strong on my skates. I started at a time where there was no notion mini or macro soccer, and the game was played on a full field. My father wanted me to play as a striker but I quickly saw that I preferred playing in a defensive role. As I started playing soccer, I didn’t really have any idea of pro teams in Europe, the international competitions etc. My first memory of watching pro soccer was going with my dad to watch the Montreal Olympic who played their games in the old Autostade alongside the Bonaventure as part of the now defunct NASL. The arrival of Pele in the league pushed the league into a larger mainstream visibility but I still didn’t fully understand the impact (no pun intended here using a word that would later come to mean a lot on the Montreal soccer scene) of soccer worldwide. By the time that the Montreal Manic was formed, I was old enough to understand that soccer existed in a much grander scale but at the time the chance to watch games in European domestic leagues or even extensive coverage of international games was simply not the reality it is today. During the last trip I took to Spain with my parents and borthers, I have had the chance to attend a few La Liga games with my cousins, Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and Real Sociedad at the Anoeta. Even then, while I loved soccer, it wasn’t the passion and significant part of my life that it is today. I didn’t watch it for the level of play it was, it was simply getting to watch a sport I played but at a better level. I didn’t fully understand all the history and culture that surrounded the game. For me professional sport consisted of the Canadians, the Expos and the Alouettes. My first real memory if an international competition was the 1982 World Cup which took place in Spain. I think that once more it was linked more to father’s passion for the game and the national pride he and all his friends had that their country of origin was hosting the World Cup. My parents and their friends would get together to watch games, especially when Spain was playing. I would say that it is at that moment that I began more fully understand the global appeal to the game but more importantly, how it impacted fans on a cultural level. It was also at this time and through this event that I started to more closely identify with my Spanish roots. Soccer became a link between myself and my roots but from this point on, I also started to follow European soccer more closely, and specifically became a fan of teams, like Real Madrid ( a no brainer as it was my dad’s boyhood club) and Liverpool mostly and started to watch international players like Platini, Enzo Scifo, Kenny Daglish, Juanito through the eyes of a soccer enthusiast. In the early 1990s, I feel into coaching as I have mentioned in a number of previous blog posts and my love of the game took on another dimension. I was still watching matches as a passionate fan but now at the same time watched it with the mentality of a coach. I found myself analyzing the systems of play, tactics, and how players reacted in various situations. In 1994, I had the chance to attend in person a pre-World Cup game for Spain, playing Canada at Claude Robillard. The stadium was full of people like my father, proud immigrants of Spanish descent, yellow and red flags waving all around the stands and it was really then that I felt Spanish and the entirety of my passion for "my sport". Since then, we have seen more and more televised matches from various leagues, the Champions League, and international competitions. And I find myself searching for game to watch or record and watch later. Always with the mix between that of the passionate fan and the dedicated coach, Of course, with my coaching career being on the female side of the game, I am always looking for opportunities to watch women’s games. Fortunately there is more coverage of the women’s game but still not enough. The recently completed Euro competition is a great example. There was some fantastic soccer played but there was little coverage of these games in North America except for the chance to catch then via live streaming. I have always been able to appreciate various players without saying that I was big fan of anyone in particular. I always sought out the soccer qualities in players that I appreciated and enjoyed watching but if I am pushed to choose a or some favourite(s) that I enjoyed watching, it would of course be dominated by Spanish players with probably Juanito as the first true player of whom I would call myself a fan and Fernando Hierro as the one that I loved the most. For me, the passion for soccer was triggered by my discovery and appreciation for my Spanish roots and anchored in my involvement in the game as a coach. After a self-imposed 2 week hiatus from posting original material, I started the process of trying to find some a topic about which to post.
I read over some of my prior posts and at the same time with Euro taking place in Holland, there was a lot of coverage and more importantly, stories about the growth of women's soccer, work done by so many different individuals to make women's soccer mainstream and most importantly to ensure that women's soccer players receive equitable treatment, compensation and exposure. Having access to all this information, opinion pieces and articles, made me realize that maybe I have given myself too much credit for my involvement in the sport. Today's post may seem as a long run on sentence, a rambling collection of words as I simply type in what comes across my mind. Don't get my wrong, I am very proud of the years I have spent coaching women's soccer. Back when I started coaching, there were always candidates available to coach girls teams although it was usually a player's parent or relative and in terms of women's (senior) teams, they tended to coach themselves, even at the most elite of levels. In fact there was so few coaches available or interested in coaching women's teams, that the club I was affiliated with asked me to coach the top team along with the two reserve squads. The lack of support for the women's game was obvious, but at the time, I didn't see it as a societal issue but simply like many around me as part of the growing pains of the growth of competitive women's soccer. The reality is that I have probably personally faced more bias and stereotyping due to my last name and being the some of immigrants who came to Quebec than I ever did as a coach in women's soccer. I have been coaching for 27 years and I am proud enough (competitive and arrogant enough) to believe that I am better than a lot of coaches and humble enough to accept that I am not as good as others. I have always fought to ensure that my teams and my athletes got their fair share of resources and support but have I really been a significant contributor to the growth of women's soccer, have I helped improve the the status of female soccer players, did any of my actions or words have any effect on eliminating or reducing gender bias and stereotyping. I have always liked to think the answer to all of the above would be yes, but sometimes, I am not sure. When I started coaching I was younger and in many ways, somewhat naive. In the early 90s, women's soccer at a competitive level, be it provincially, nationally or internationally, was really an unknown. The first women's World Cup had just taken place in 1991 and without social media, TV coverage and most important Canada not taking place, the majority of people even those involved in soccer or having kids participating in the sport had no idea. The two issues I most often faced were either comments by men that were in the area of " coaching women? why aren't you coaching men? not good enough" made by people involved in or at least familiar with the soccer environment - or - " coaching women? how lucky are you to get to watch sweaty women in shorts running around " made by well for lack of a better word ignorant men who on top of not having any idea about women's soccer, just had a caveman approach to women in general. These were the same men who probably made sexist comments in the workplace or their every day lives and attributed it to being simply fun banter among " the boys". When I got the first type of comment, I explained my reasons for coaching women, when I got the second, I was proud of myself for not engaging or participating in the conversation, however if I were truly an advocate for women's sport and concerned about elimination gender bias and inequities, I would have spoken up and replied to these men. My coaching career closely paralleled my professional work career. As I entered the work force, I was more exposed to the issues involved in gender bias, stereotyping and the fact that opportunities for females to enter management or certain areas of the work force were limited and barriers existed that didn't provide them with the same chances that men and even specifically myself received. As with my coaching, I made sure not to make comments that in any way could be seen as supporting the prevailing attitude against women in society. Did this make my special in any way, looking back, I can say no, it didn't, it just made me a decent person doing what was right, but not doing anything extraordinary. As I progressed through my coaching career to the provincial teams, my eyes were opened to what was obviously a larger issue, that the female side of the game systematically received less investment, less support and less visibility that the male side. The supporting argument was always the same, since more people follow men's soccer, it's important to continue to invest there, but how can we grow something if we don't change existing habits and seeks ways to increase its appeal. It really is an issue of the chicken or the egg, what comes first. A false narrative has always existed that reinforces the idea that “no one” is interested in women’s sports. As a result of this perceived lack of interest, many women’s sports are not covered by the media, do not receive financial or logistical support and if they’re not covered, then people don’t see women’s sports and aren’t interested. You can begin to see where “the chicken or the egg” scenario comes into play here. Seeing this systematic inequity, how did I react? Did I speak up and campaign for the rights and privileges that females should enjoy, that they get their fair share of the pie? Did I chastise and put those who created or supported the practice in their place? Perhaps, but certainly not enough. I fought for the betterment of the situation of my teams and athletes once again, but didn't attack the issues on the larger scale. I can't hide behind the fact that I was young or naive, that I was just starting out. I fought hard but looking back, not hard enough. Most importantly, I had a narrow minded view as it related to soccer and not to female sports overall. For the 15 years, I have been the head coach at the university level. I can honestly say that it is during this time that I have really discovered my voice to advocate for women's sport and concurrently, felt more comfortable to not just " not say anything supported stupid actions or unacceptable behavior" but to really voice my opinion. I am coach in female sport but more importantly I am a manager working in an academic institution and I have a platform and an opportunity to ensure that the systematic blocking of opportunities for females and younger females does not occur within my sphere of influence. I strive to give every opportunity for anyone I coach or who works for me to develop themselves professionally, personally and most importantly to eliminate any barriers that might potential prevent them from attaining their objectives. I am privileged that I can work from within the system, I have access to information and resources that can be applied to doing my part in changing age old stereotypes and eliminating ongoing bias. Hopefully if enough people stand up and getting outside of their box, things will continue to improve. Things have come a long way, but the news and social media are full of examples which prove that we have not come nearly as far as we would like to give ourselves credit for. Bringing this back to sport, everyone can, not just coaches or sports administrators but every one can support women's sports with some simple actions.
I remain proud of everything I have tried to do in my little sphere of women's soccer and as I see younger and passionate people taking up the cause, I continue to feel motivate to do my part. However I also accept that I could have done more and maybe didn't do as much as I think. as always, just one person's thoughts. |
AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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