It seems to me that about 10% of our coaches in Oregon are good ones. The other 90% are pretty lousy. One sign of a bad coach is when he/she says your kid is a good player technically and/or smart but then uses the phrase "Not engaged" or "Needs to have more impact". Some parents might hear this often from coaches in Oregon. This is another way of a coach saying "I'm only as good as the talent on my team." And that's fine, but he/she is not a coach, he/she is a manager. I find it much easier to teach a player impact and engagement, than it is to teach a hard working player skill and IQ. That's because all you need to do to increase impact or engagement is give that player a specific job to do before they go out on the field. Whether its "Get the ball down the line and cross it and then get back and mark up defensively, work hard at this, don't let the opponent get past you!" Or "Work hard to close down the passing lanes through the middle, and be the last tackle if necessary". Then, help guide that player as he/she is doing the job. Tell them when he/she needs to work harder in that play, or tell him/her good job when they do it right! You will know if your kid has what it takes to play at a higher level, because they will either do the job or they will choose not to work at it. Either way, it won't be left up to the words "impact" or "engagement".
What's amazing is how so many of our coaches in Oregon do not understand how to instruct a simple task that so many young players need to understand in playing a complex game. A coach must teach this to the individual. They cannot just instruct the entire team on a concept such as this, it requires one on one teaching and instruction. Isolating it down to the individual and tweaking through instruction followed by guidance and positive feedback. So as your son/daughter continues on his/her pathway to soccer development, if you hear something like this from a coach then your best bet is to look for a new coach.
What's amazing is how so many of our coaches in Oregon do not understand how to instruct a simple task that so many young players need to understand in playing a complex game. A coach must teach this to the individual. They cannot just instruct the entire team on a concept such as this, it requires one on one teaching and instruction. Isolating it down to the individual and tweaking through instruction followed by guidance and positive feedback. So as your son/daughter continues on his/her pathway to soccer development, if you hear something like this from a coach then your best bet is to look for a new coach.
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