Anyone who might be following our results and standings might see that we have had a tough start to the season. After 4 games, we sit tied for last with a record of 2 ties and 2 losses. What makes the start of the season seem worse than it actually is, happens to be the fact that our two losses came back to back this past weekend, both by 3-0 final scores. However, the reality is that we played the two top teams in our conference and one that is arguably the best team in the country and has been for the last 3 years. Regardless of our current record, the reality is that 4 points separate 3rd from 8th. A run of good results will move us quickly into playoff contention but the challenge is now how to rebound from the two losses and regroup in time for our game this Friday. There are ten games remaining with plenty of points on the table and realistic chances to go grab them if the results by and between the teams directly ahead of us are any indication.
We can't change anything about any of the first 4 games but yet players will always look back and think about missed opportunity, errors they made, try and find explanation and sometimes fault with other as to why things didn't go the way. This is where coaching comes in, yes the players need to focus, but players will take a cue from how the coaches deal with the loss(es) and how they prepare moving forward. The most important thing to remember when handling a loss is that you have to be very careful. Choose your words and actions wisely because if you handle a loss poorly then you could easily lose respect from the team. For example, do not reprimand or punish the team if their heart was in the game and they do not deserve to be punished. Losses are a big part of the game so dealing with them appropriately is really important. The worst thing you can do is to overreact. People are very reactionary, so coaches must never react spontaneously. After a big loss all coaches should have a cooling - off period. When we bring too much emotion into the game we have a tendency to make bad decisions. So, as a coach, if you are feeling emotional after the game, then take the time to analyze the game, maybe watch game film and discuss with your assistants. Try to figure out where the mistakes came from and how different mistakes might have impacted the game or result. There are situations that are always very evident as to their impact on a game, a missed breakaway, a goalie blunder that causes a goal, however there are often more subtle, harder to detect mistakes which although they might have had led directly to a goal or missed goal, they might just have a significant impact on their own. If the mistakes were mostly physical, those can easily be corrected. For example, defensive errors, placement of players, errors of technical execution etc. These errors you can work on in practice. It’s the mental errors, the lack of hustle that typically hurt more than physical errors. I recommend that these be addressed in a classroom manner. You can do this by dissecting film, having a tactical walk through where the players discuss the game and provide their perception of what happened, what worked and didn't. As a coach you might know the answers but in order to get buy in from the team, it is important that they see it for themselves. If there is a lack of desire to win then that is the rotten apple that can spoil the bunch. It is important to really take control of those issues before they get out of hand. With this in mind, it is crucial that you pay attention to whether or not they were focused and their heart was in the game. If your players were invested in the game you must make sure you do not berate or discourage them. This could make them lose their confidence. A team lacking confidence or trying to find their identity will never be a successful team. One thing that is crucial is not to dwell on past games, use them to identify what needs to be worked on and corrected but focus on what lies ahead, Each new game is a new chance to perform up to potential, to rebuild confidence and achieve short term goals. As a coach, it is important to ensure that they players buy into the plan. Make them invest their efforts into finding the solution, demand their accountability for their part of the solution but as a coach, best to lead from the front than push from the back.
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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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