Professional Coaches

So we had our club try-outs last week and were glad to have had so many girls come out and try out for a spot. We are fielding teams at each age group from u13 to u18. One of the hardest aspects of try outs is that as a coach, you have only two nights to look at players who are there for a variety of reasons from wanting to work on their personal game to the social component of the team, and you are trying to make decisions of who will best fit the team dynamic you are hoping to create. This means inevitably, some one si going to get cut or not make the team which can lead to disappointment, hurt and frustration.

As I was leaving the 1st night, I overheard a parent make a comment to the effect that they would not want to be in any of the coaches shoes (we had a large number of new players challenging for positions) when it came to dealing with the cut players, but that was one of the things we were paid for. Her comment sparked a train of thought that I has been on my mind for the past few days.

So yes, most club and high school coaches receive a small (very small) stipend for coaching. Can we say we are paid, yes, is it commiserate to the job we perform, the answer to that lies with you, our clients. Do you come back season after season because you are satisfied with the investment in your players development, or is it because there are no other choices available for you? I would hope it is the former and not the latter.

In the past when I have asked players to come and try out for our club soccer team, I have had the question posed to me asking how much was I willing to pay to have them come out. In trying to be realistic in my answer, I sat down and did some basic math to come up with my answer for parents coming from this point of view.

In a typical club season, we will do team training sessions twice a week for about 16-18 weeks, we also do SAQ sessions once a week for 15 weeks to be in-game condition, then of course, we have the games themselves. So, let’s see how this adds up:

Administration and planning: 20 hrs

Training sessions: 32 sessions @ 2 hrs each = 64 hrs

SAQ sessions: 16 sessions @ 2 hrs each= 32 hrs

Season games: 10 x 2 1/2 hrs = 30 hours

Tournaments: at least 2 with 4 games each:  let’s just call it another 45 hrs

By my math (and this is extremely conservative), we have spent 191 hrs in our pursuit of helping our players develop into the players they wish to be.  So, the question remains, how much am I willing to invest in my players development? At my current salary as a professional, I can tell you that the time represented above is in excess of $6700.00. If we divide this by our roster of 18, we could tell that parent that I will put in $375 towards that players development this season.

So, I have yet to meet a coach that coaches for the stipend they receive. Their dedication to the youth that they work for goes far beyond any tangible compensation they might get. And yes, coaches come in all shapes, sizes and personalities, but at the core of each beats a heart driven by a desire to help a child achieve something that will have merit for them in their lives beyond the pitch.

just my 2 cents worth for what its worth today….

till I see you on the pitch.

j

 

Totally Off Topic but Powerful

I wanted to share this with you- it is a great reminder of what we all have and take for granted:

” Time- a most intangible but concrete concept. We all have to live within its rules and the relentless ticking of the second hand.

During our youth, we treat time with impunity and see it as more of an endless supply train. We put off those things that we should attend to for other things with the understanding that there is always time. As we mature, we have different demands placed upon our time- family, jobs, any number of small things that nibble away at the very fabric of our time.

Yes, we live intimately with time and never really give it the thought that it deserves till one day you find yourself in a white room, looking at the hotel/motel artwork that depicts an era all but forgotten in our social consciousness, we pick up a magazine full of ads that promise eternal happiness if we would only buy this widget or that gadget, while we await the man in a white coat with the cultured voice and not quite perfect smile under eyes that are resigned to the inevitable truth that most of us are not willing to face yet. And as this man begins his discourse about the battle raging within our body and speaks of T cell this and B cell that and how the white blood count has diminished to a point were we need a new battle plan because things are just not working, our mind is occupied with such mundane things as  “how long is this gonna take? I have this or that to do” or “what does this mean for my dinner party” and “is this going to mean I have to change my plans for next week/month/year?” when you are jolted back to the here and NOW and are once again confronted with real choices that have to be made NOW, it is at precisely this moment that you realize that time has run out NOW. “

anon

If you have a friend or loved one that is struggling with a terminal illness or has passed, please take some of your time now and say a prayer for both them and their families.

Time- what are you doing with yours today? How about we help a child not squander one of life’s most precious gifts.

till I see you on the pitch

j

Sharing Some Great Insight

So I have been reading a great book “Becoming a True Champion” by Kirk Mango and in it he lists 9 attributes that he feels contribute to what makes a great athlete. I wanted to share those with you here and recommend that you find a copy of his book, it is well worth the time to digest.

1. Commitment:  A powerful devotion to something. It is the essence of dedication as one feels some level of emotional discomfort when not honoring and demonstrating action toward a commitment one has. Athletic greats, they are personally and professionally committed to the task that creates the opportunity for them to become who and what they are.

2. Discipline:  The act of consistently holding oneself to a certain course of action, most times, in order to honor one’s commitments. This action is taken even in the face of difficulty or adversity, is relentless in nature, and can take on a form of having to force oneself to do what needs to be done. Discipline, as explained here, is second nature to the highest level athletes.

3. Sacrifice:  The willingness to forgo other wants and desires in order to honor one’s commitments. From an athletic standpoint, it is tied closely to discipline as making a sacrifice does not occur without some level of self-restraint. It is unlikely, if not impossible, for athletic greatness to be achieved without sacrifices being made along the way.

4. Strong Work Ethic:  An ability to apply great effort to a task. These labors are an important factor in the high levels of success great athletes achieve. Working hard is simply part of the plan for them.

5. Competitiveness:  A strong feeling toward wanting to win or come out on top. It is not necessarily the winning in and of itself that drives athletic greats but the testing of their abilities against others and sheer enjoyment they get over the competition itself that they love.

6. Resourcefulness:  The creativity and ingenuity one applies to a situation. Whether facing challenges in competition or difficulties in training, champion athletes are able to “figure” out what must be done to accomplish what is needed. Their ability to think “outside of the box” in order to come up with solutions is strong within them.

7. Perseverance:  The act of being tenacious and persistent. It is an attitude of focused firmness demonstrated through the action of “always trying.” It is a necessary characteristic for anyone seeking athletic greatness.

8. Passion:  Within the heart of every top level champion lies a sincere and deep sense of caring over what they do. The kind of caring that encourages the focused perseverance described in the paragraph above. Like a raging fire burning within, it wholly and completely supports the last attribute to athletic greatness.

9. Inner Will:  The ability to be resolute about something. Simply put, it is the capacity to hold an unyielding position over one’s goals and objectives as top champion athletes never give up and never give in. As stated by one known by some as “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali), “the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Time To Shift Gears…again

Tonight was our club’s coaches meeting for the upcoming season. It is a beginning of sorts that sets the stage for what the expectations are for the fall. It is always an exciting time as it means it is time to once again shift gears and make the transition between high school ball and club ball.

At this meeting is where we find out what our assignments will be for the fall season.  course this depends upon how many players are coming out for each group, but I see no reason to not expect our numbers to continue to grow across the board. We have enjoyed very positive growth for the past few seasons and I hope it heralds good things for soccer in our community.

Tomorrow marks the closing of our high school season and I will miss it but I am excited for our players that are headed to club try-outs next week. I am sure I will get to see a majority of them play in the fall and hope their club experiences are positive and meaningful for them.

till I see you on the pitch

j

 

After the Music Ends..

Club State cups have come and gone, our run at high School playoffs has ended. One would think that things are easing up and calming down but I am finding that is not the case. There is so much to work out and how we plan now, will have an impact on our next season for both club and high school. Helping this player decide what options are best for her, and that player wants to begin a summer program to improve their strength and game conditioning, summer camps, there are day clinics and of course open season play. It takes a great deal of time and committment that you do not have time for during the normal season.

When a parent remarked to me the other day how I must be glad summer was almost here, I could only smile and say yes. My reasons were probably vastly different from what they were thinking however. For me, the summer represents the time when players are looking ahead, trying to do all that they can to be ready for their next chance to test themselves on the pitch. Which summer camp do I recommend for which player,  and there are pick up games to be organized, conditioning sessions, speed and agility sessions, not to mention club sessions will begin in a month.  I always tell my players that there are two types of people who play football: soccer players and those that play soccer and if you fit into the 1st category, you won’t have to ask what the difference is, you will know.

I have a player on my younger team that is always the 1st to the pitch so she can get more touches in, she is also the last to leave every single time from training or games. I remarked to her one time about her dedication to the sport and how proud I am of all the work she puts into it. The player’s response is one that I think I will remember for a long time: “coach, I know I have a lot to work on. I want to be a good player one day and I will keep after it till I am. I don’t want to work on something till I get it right, I want to work on it till I don’t get it wrong”.  A simple declaration of her intent, purpose and drive, but yet those words carry all of the hopes and desires of her being at this time in her life. You can bet that this player will be present for any and all pick up games, training, or conditioning she can find throughout the summer. This type of dedication is why we coaches put in all of the time in the offseason planning, encouraging and organizing for players.

We speak of champions, and stand out players a good bit. These players put in countless hours to get to where they are, but I bet not a single one of them began their journey by saying to themselves “I want to be a champion”, but instead I feel certain it began with a love of what they were doing and a challenge to themselves to be better each day. They put forth the dedication to test themselves each day and never settled for “that’s good enough”.

So, this summer, with all of the camps, all of the clinics and the open sessions that I will be attending, all of the training sessions and all of the time it takes, I want to leave you, the players with this: “players, I want to be a better coach. I know I have a lot to work on, but I promise to keep after it till I get it sorted out.”

till I see you on the pitch

j

Team

Rain, rain and more rain. That was just one of the obstacles the players had to contend with last night. Couple that with a 3 hr drive, delayed start due to lightning and then another 30 min delay at half time, both sides were fortunate to get our match in.

It was obvious that both sides were fairly well matched within a few minutes of the whistle. Their side moved the ball around with good purpose and were very physical in all thirds of the pitch. Our 1st half found us being comfortable playing the way we have played all season, just enough to stay with the other team and it was apparent that we needed to make some adjustments.

During the delay at half time, we made some formation changes and told the girls how we wanted them to execute the plays. Was it going to be enough, would the tactical decisions put us in a better place to change the outcome of the game in our favor. I have no idea even now. What I do know is that we asked the girls to do just one thing different in the 2nd half, we asked them to please go out and play like the game meant some thing to them personally. That they had a chance to leave it all out on the field one more time, to go make it count.

Our second half was one of the best played halves I have seen the entire season. The girls were all connected to each other and worked as a team in a manner that we have not seen all year. As the clocked ticked away and our relentless attack never eased up, I thought to myself, this is the team I have been waiting on. We were not able to put the equalizer on the board last night, but I know, last night, in the 2nd half, there is no doubt that we were the better side.

For our seniors, it was their last game in our HS kits. As I watched them leave the field, I couldn’t help but feel blessed by the time we have spent together and also feel excited for each of them as they move forward in their lives. Was our season one for the books, depends upon your definition and what you expected from it. There were memorable times throughout the year and hopefully, at the end of the day, players can think back the time together and feel it was time well spent.

Good Luck in all that each of you strive to do everyday.

j

2nd Round of State Playoffs

Our Varsity girls are heading to the 2nd round game tonight after a hard-fought victory this past Monday. The game Monday was never a given and could have easily gone either way. The girls put together a better 2nd half to connect the dots and walk away with the win.

We have struggled a good bit this season to play with purpose and be connected with our team mates on the pitch.  When we work together towards a common goal, we have been a solid side and play beautiful soccer. Often we fall into the trap of not looking in the mirror and analyzing our own performances on the pitch. Each day we need to question ourselves and know what we can work on to improve, how could I have played that differently to get the expected outcome, did I do everything I could today for my team?

These type of questions help us to grow as a team and as individuals. For some of our girls, this week may well be their last soccer game as they go forward with their lives after high school. I would put forth the challenge to them: what now? Do you take the lessons the past 18 yrs have given you and continue to push yourself to be the best you can be or do you sit back and be content with where you are?

In life just as in soccer, we must never feel that “okay” is good enough, we keep learning, testing ourselves so that we may grow and expand our knowledge. Life is a constant symphony of motion, we either keep moving forward or fall behind. Hopefully, the same thirst that helped these players excel in the game and in the classroom will carry forth into the next chapter in their lives.

So, what next? The pages are blank waiting on you to write the next chapter.

till I see you on the pitch

j