The Soccer Football Whisperer’s Consultative Exchange with a New National Soccer/Football Coach
The Whisperer’s discourse in this instance is relevant to all soccer coaches.
The client wrote the following after the first electronic meeting with the SFW to discuss programming and coaching support:
Eric, you are a man blessed with the powers of intuition and foresight. Thanks for your understanding and patience. It will take some time to realize the objectives I have. Programs like yours are not even yet on the agenda, much less prioritized. Building out the clubs is the most likely first project we will undertake. This would happen somewhere close to the turn of the year. I will without doubt continue to dialogue with you on this and other issues as best I can. I look forward to your general recommendations as I dive into the 100 Principles.
Already there is surge of hope and high expectations rolling through the Program and we have only just begun. I am happy that I took the time to look at the Excerpts (get free copy here). We never expected anything quite like what we are discovering. The material is indeed intriguing and powerful to say the least. Regards
This Response from the Whisperer is instructive to any soccer coach seeking to succeed
Noted with thanks. Coach, it will take a while to get the conviction of your club leaders on anything new and revolutionary. The senior team is what they will use to judge progress. They are likely to be just watching games and seeing very little else of the work you are doing.
I believe I have a responsibility to ensure my clients settle in quickly to succeed and will respond promptly to anything you have in mind to run by me. Even the experienced and successful coaches can benefit from the following:
Sponsorship and Collaboration
As a soccer coach, the board is depending heavily on you and probably won’t be able to tell you what they need in measured development terms. They quite likely don’t plan to spend anything over the previous year’s FA’s budget. But if a smart and strong sponsor is brought in by you, then they will give your new ideas support. But try not to jump too high over their heads as the natural reaction will be to bring you down to a controllable or try to get their man in, regardless of his competence.
Work to build a good and lasting relationship with all FA members, fans and all your assistants. Figure out the ones who will resist everything and get their opinion on any changes as well as others. Keep this group engaged within your circle of intelligent influence to no more than 5 people. Hear, and be willing to try out even one of the detractor’s opinions.
Do this early and if it works, even with a lot of adjustments, give them the credits. Thereafter, task them within their capacity and support their efforts. Organize and conduct some training in the areas of your own strengths. Improvement and responsibility of the high-performance curriculum and qualitative performance management will come. Bring in experts in the specialized areas and be sure you and your staff can replicate these sessions
Socio-Physio-Technical Considerations in Squad Training
For new purpose and direction in the squad, it is important to immediately make things different and better at training. But without upsetting established social accord by inexplicable reversal of whatever was already working well. Conditioning work must be maintained at the previous intensity and interesting elements added to gradual increase it. Ball work is important, but workstation circuits should not be totally neglected.
Running Fartlek after training will prepare the minds for extra time work. A critical review of the current squad and short-listed recruits must be included in the findings of your initial report. Make sure to tabulate all major problems and have a preliminary solution in mind. Items that will impact the budget must be listed. New inventory, including all travelling and costs for a schedule practice must be included.
Personal development initiatives for the soccer coach
A full off day when players schedule their own physical routine, is a reasonable cost cutting strategy. That day the coach can deliver instructions, video clips, reading material or Pod Cast on the teams’ group chat. Or deliver online classes run by the coaches…2 hours. Do not compromise on your statement of needs and where over the budget you should reluctantly suggest the cuts. Meanwhile, argue in the kindest possible way, the need for sponsorship to recover the cuts…be specific.
Study and Off the Field Labor, Familiarization and Development Planning
Of course, a study of the relevant files of record should be done. Schedule a rapid social and technical interviews/reviews with all staff under the head coach portfolio. Self-initiation is required to follow the many one on one meetings with leaders of committees, PR officer, and sponsors. Eventually each player is a steep slope to climb, and each miss–step must be repeated to succeed.
Hopefully, some of these meetings will be arranged by the club. If not on a timely basis, you have to request them. A team development strategic planning meeting should be conducted by a suitable qualified consultant. Working from the notes of the last such meeting is highly necessary. This will get the FA or clubs focused in the same direction for unity of purpose.
You already know where to seek guidance for the familiarization agendas and interviews for program planning/adjustment. I trust you are going through the manual as obstacles are foreseen. Coach, you have already agreed to continue preparing yourself with the Soccer Football Whisperer 100 Principles. This will enlighten the board on more initiatives in leadership.
While you can get the Single Principles at US$1.59ea, the entire book is recommended as your career companion, through hell or high water. You may wish to roll out the relevant principles to leaders, committees and staff as you proceed. Present first, and then have them use the manual as reference for their personal capacity building. Let them know you expect them to formulate new ideas from the Principles.
Building Unique Synergies for Higher Performance from the Interactions
Encourage your staff to argue vigorously among themselves to put forward their own interpretation and perspectives on the Principles. Those listed as discussion prompters are designed to stimulate independent thinking. This will enrich the learning environment for scholarly development of leaders, staff, and players towards higher performance.
Be businesslike as a Coach. Make your own notes before and after training and matches. Your assistants should also make notes for the post training activity analysis meeting with you. This is before you meet to speak with the team after shower.
Conducting warm up is not the responsibility of the head coach except to introduce a new routine. Coaches should never conduct juggling at the senior level; let them work on ground passing, aerial accuracy and tactile calibration with moving targets at various distance.
Also, time can be better spent building practice unites in slamming grounders and structuring set plays with deceptive choreography. A host of technical practice and strategic formatting for defending, attacking and mid field contention. These areas will demand more time than available to prepare the high performing team…when coaching by Whisperer principles.
Communication done by the soccer coach
Select a minimum vocab for players when speaking in-game. Establish unique “pre-formed” signaling would be a good idea during the quiet play sessions. Get a remote field mike with surround sound loud haler to do Whisperer in-game spot-coaching. Do at least twice per week but be clear and gentle with the public corrections.
Elaborate enthusiastically when players make smart moves. Especially when the action is related to the Principle you have been pushing all week…. Ensure to spot-coach every player at the appropriate time. Have a few inter-squad games with no talking from you or between players once per week. They can look around more and read each other’s’ styles and body language.
You will need to set short after training agendas to go over the qualitative objectives stated in the session introduction. Take a few questions from players along with positive comments only. This will get the spirits up at the end of the introduction just before each session. Assistants will also do this “recounting our blessings/strengths/commitment” dialoging. This is done when they do sessions with plans initiated by you, approved and cleared for once per week.
I know you are busy, and this is more than a mouthful. Try what you are comfortable with and keep up what is working after 4 tries. Domestic Rules and Enforcement, Know, Initiate and Influence Squads Rules… local club rules should not be much different.
Conclusion
I will have much more to say from time to time but keep cheerful especially immediately after you get upset. A good start is important. Do not introduce what you and your assistants will not be able to keep up. Let me see your rules for training. We have to make sure they fit the culture, and everyone understands and agrees with most changes. It would be good if a member of the coaching staff (Team Secretary with an appointed Assistant) be at all games and training to file reports on distractive issues. You will lay down your socio-technical instructions to be adhered to. That is rule number 1. The FA will have their rules governing everyone, including yourself.
You will speak, when necessary, at disciplinary meetings, often as a witness. The Team Secretary/Clerk of the Court will bring cases; this does not mean you can’t bring a case. But the consequences must come from the FA when their established rules are broken. If this is not in place, you can suggest it.
