Soccer coaching tips to help you plan, review and improve
To improve as a coach, and pass on that improvement to your players, you need to reflect on your own soccer coaching skills and look for ways to enhance them.
Plan
I work in three-week blocks and have a particular focus for these soccer training sessions. For instance, it might be that we need to improve our defensive organisation around free kicks or corners.
I write down the key points I need to put across to my players over these three weeks. I then break the list down into the objectives for each individual session and the key message for the players to take away from the session.
From that I decide which small-sided coaching games, drills and exercises will best introduce and reinforce the message.
Do and observe
As I coach the session, I analyse key aspects of my coaching. I focus on one or two elements of the session, such as my demonstrations and questioning or organisation and work/rest ratio. I make mental notes about them and how effective they are in the session.
Review
I am very critical of my own coaching and always striving to improve it. Immediately after the session I ask myself how well the session went. Were the elements I was focusing on as effective as I had wanted?
I always write brief notes on my session plan to remind me what went well and what could be improved upon in the next session. I also review the session within my three-week block. Did I cover everything I wanted to? Are there areas where the players need more reinforcement?
Keep to the cycle
I coach to improve my players. To improve them, I need to improve myself. This is why I keep to the cycle of "plan, do, observe, review" and I keep detailed plans on which I also write my reflections.
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