Alberni Athletics Soccer Coaching

Best Coaching Methodology

Regardless of the age, gender, or skill level of your players, here are the approaches to coaching that we feel will foster the most positive impact:

Player-Centered Coaching - Keep the focus on the players and their enjoyment of the game.
Maximize Learning & Comprehension - By representing the learning in different ways, ie verbal & visual demonstrations, player comprehension will be maximized.
Coaching Best Practices - Build relationships with each of your players built on respect, expectations, flexibility and having fun through engaging activity.
Player Management & Learning - Get your team engaged and enthusiastic and dialed in to your learning outcomes.
Maximize Player Development - Maximize participation, attention and learning - some considerations and tools for optimal player development.
How do we Adapt a Session? - Can you keep it enjoyable & engaging, well-paced and beneficial for the kids?
What's Your Coaching Style? - There isn't one style of coaching that works for everyone, learn what works for your players and for you.

Let's begin by learning more about Player Centered Coaching and how it sets the foundation for a positive environment.

Alberni Athletics Soccer Club Coaching Competencies

Below are the three competencies that we will be covering in this resource. Click on each of the topics below to get an idea of what you will learning during this resource. After you have selected all three topics, click the Next button at the top of the screen to move on to the first topic "Coaching Methodology".

1 - Coaching Methodology

What are the best ways to coach? How can maximize player development while creating a positive environment for my players? We will discuss these points and more.

2 - Developmental Priorities

What should my players be learning? What activities are beneficial and why? How do I plan a practice session? We will focus on player development in this topic.

3 - Making the Environment

How do I create the right environment for the players? How do I ensure it is always respectful and safe?

Player-Centered Coaching

Player-Centered Coaching is recognizing what a child/player needs.Player-Centered Coaching creates an environment where a player's best development occurs.

You Need To:

Establish that everyone:

Has Fun and Develops a Positive Outlook Towards Soccer
Develops and Consolidates Physical Literacy
Learns Correct Technique
Learns Tactical Patterns of the Play

To Do This, You Must:

Coach to Different Learning Styles - Recognise that players learn in different ways. Ensure you give verbal, visual & kinesthetic demonstrations of your activity and coaching interventions.

Development Over Outcomes - coaches must focus on the process of learning and development, not solely outcomes (winning games).

Avoid Over Coaching - Letting the players play without coaching by remote control.

Fostering Player Independence - Letting the players own their decisions towards independent and effective problem solvers.

Coaching Demonstration

Coaching Best Practices

Below is a list of what we consider to be the "Coaching Best Practices" for any age group. Click on each to reveal more information about each, the click on the Next button above to move on.

A Community of Learners

Talk to the club's leadership and other experienced coaches at your club about what works for them. You will have access to years of hands on coaching experience right at your fingertips. Also, you can be a resource to other coaches. Put the 'U' & 'I' in community!

Begin with an End in Mind - Session Goal?

Spend time organizing what you would like your team to do for each practice. Have a plan in mind to maximize your activity. Use and explore 'The Library'.

Super Role-Model

It's important that you build positive relationships with your players. Work hard to develop a positive rapport while establishing your expectations for your environment.

Groundhog Day? That's OK!

Don't be afraid to repeat the same exercises from week to week as long as the kids enjoy it and it covers the session's learning outcomes. Repetition, or the familiar, can be comforting/reassuring for some kids. Repetition is also one of the 13 pillars of how we learn.

Timing is Everything - Maximum Participation!

Use structured activity for at least 50-55 minutes of an hour long practice. After a few water breaks and a scrimmage, you should hopefully have some tired and happy soccer players.

Who's Turn is it Anyway?

Limit long lines for activities. Kids standing around waiting for their turn aren't learning anything and will only get bored, distracted, and restless which may cause management issues for you.

Maximizing Participation, Attention & Learning

By maximizing Participation, Attention & Learning (PAL) we maximize player development on many levels.

Maximize Time

Minimizing Transition Time - Get them in quickly - "Last one in is a rubber ducky"
Delegate, delegate, delegate - Use Ast. Coaches & parents to help with the next activity's set-up and take down to save time.
Keep them busy during transitions - Assign a task during transitions to keep them focused. For example, get them to practice their "toe taps" or passing. If you are changing the field layout, get them to collect cones or nets.

Short & Sweet

Avoid Long Winded Explanations - Demonstrations & interventions should be short & sweet (60-90 seconds or less)
Paint the Picture! - When demonstrating or intervening create a picture for the players to see - this will maximize learning & comprehension. A picture says a thousand words.
Be Prepared! - Use the resources at your disposal from your TD, this program's "Library" of activity or talk with other coaches.

Get Their Attention

Consistent Redirection Message - Have a consistent message that your players will come to recognize as a call for attention. Click on the samples below to hear some examples.

Immobilize Balls - Players will be distracted and will distract others when there are actve balls around. Keeping the balls immobilized will help keep their attention.
Be Engaging - Talk to your players, establish a rapport with them. You will find they will be more engaged when they become more comfortable around you.
Capture Their Imagination - By appealing to their imagination you can capture their attention. The player is a mouse, the ball is a piece of cheese and the coach is the cat!

Adapting a Session

Being able to adapt a session allows activity to be less tedious while boosting player engagement and development.

Click on the letters below to learn how to get D-MOST out of your session. Then click 'Next' to try an on-field example.

Coaching Methodology Conclusion

Big take-aways from this section are the following:

Maximize Participation Attention & Learning by using effective Coaching Demonstrations (Coaching Demonstration - Video Review).
Adapt your activity with D-MOST while asking questions to foster understanding (Adapt a Session - Video Review).
Use 'The Library' and talk to the fellow coaches at the your club to be prepared & well-planned for your practices & games

Additional Videos on Maximizing Player Learning:

Moving On

We're now going to move on to the next section of the Alberni Athletics Soccer Club Resource - "Making the Training Environment".

Click the button below to move on to this section or return to the top and select another part of the resource.

Making the Environment