Soccer Tip
If you want them to BRING IT, don’t WING IT!
Nubber’s Nuggets: Coaching the Coaches
By Cliff McCrath
Executive Director NW Soccer Camp
Second winningest coach in Collegiate Soccer
One of the questions I have been asked over the years is about motivation. We managed to win a lot of games - including five national championships - as well as setting an NCAA record of 37 consecutive winning seasons. Records like that led to questions like “How did you do that?” The answer I gave frequently evoked surprise and, sometimes, even mild disappointment. The reason people were looking for samples of some sort of pep talks or halftime tirades that would fire-up teams. Albeit there are Knute Rockne and Vince Lombardi stories galore, the answer I have given is: GET ORGANIZED! Players know, intuitively, whether the coach is “prepared” or whether he/she is “winging” it. Even if s/he has only five minutes to prepare it is far better than racing to practice, getting out of the car and “winging” it.
Four Simple Ways to get Organized:
- Find a quiet place. Most dedicated effort is developed in solitude. Find a quiet place in your home or office where ‘planning’ time will not be interrupted.
- Set a hard time limit. Set a time limit and stick to it. If you have very little time to prepare then at least find five minutes to outline what your session will feature.
- Write down your plan. Have pen/pencil and paper or a way to write down your plan.
- Always have more items planned than the time allows. This ensures that if something isn’t “working” MOVE ON!