How Do You Know if Your Coach is a Good Coach?

[Guest]

My daughter plays U13 ECNL. She's been at the same club for a few years. We re-signed with the club for next year and will have a new coach. The new coach has a "B" license. He's visited our practices a couple of times since tryouts and my daughter and the other girls seem to like him. I've watched a couple of his training sessions with his current team (they sometimes practice at the same time) and they seem fairly intense.

I did not grow up playing soccer, but have watched a fair amount of all levels over the past few years. That said, I am by no means an expert on soccer coaching. In my daughter's younger years we had a mix of what I feel were good and bad coaches. I think it is easier to tell at lower levels. But, how can you tell if a coach is a "good coach" at the higher levels of girl's youth soccer where they are all licensed and experienced? Are there specific things to look for to determine a good coach v. a mediocre v. a bad coach?

[Guest]

I think the first step is to abandon the idea that "good" and "bad" coaches are precise categories for youth sports. In the pros, it's all about results, but at this age, it's also about development, which is where it gets complicated. Sure, the really bad coaches are the ones who don't put in any effort. But assume you avid them and have competent coaches.

Among the competent coaches, a better way to think about it is which coach is a better fit for your kid. My kid has been through several coaches/teams and there has never been a situation where every kid/parent agreed that the coach was good/bad. Different styles of motivation, intensity, rapport etc work for different kids. And it doesn't have to always be a "perfect" fit. But, it is one that your kid can take some positives from and move forward. If not, then what are the other options.

[Guest]

I think the first step is to abandon the idea that "good" and "bad" coaches are precise categories for youth sports. In the pros, it's all about results, but at this age, it's also about development, which is where it gets complicated. Sure, the really bad coaches are the ones who don't put in any effort. But assume you avid them and have competent coaches.

Among the competent coaches, a better way to think about it is which coach is a better fit for your kid. My kid has been through several coaches/teams and there has never been a situation where every kid/parent agreed that the coach was good/bad. Different styles of motivation, intensity, rapport etc work for different kids. And it doesn't have to always be a "perfect" fit. But, it is one that your kid can take some positives from and move forward. If not, then what are the other options.

Thanks. You're right about disagreement between players/parents on whether or not a coach is good. This past year, I thought we had a great coach, but others couldn't wait to get rid of him.

So, would you say a good way to judge a coach, at least at this level where they are all licensed and experienced, is that your kid likes the coach and coaching they're getting?

As far as other options, you're right, there really aren't any. I suppose if it was a bad situation there are options, but otherwise we're locked in. At least for the upcoming year.

[Guest]

A good coach is one that gives players many development opportunities:
Guest playing
Tournaments (right challenge level is important, wins are less important than challenge)
Adequate winter and summer training

The team is just as important though. If your kid is one of the few talents on the team, she's not going to improve that much even with the best coach.
You need a good coach and a team that matches your d's level in order for her to really develop.

[Guest]

Also need to understand differing opinions.

I was personally not a fan of "THAT" coach on here. The one who gets the most flack. I heard about him, had my doubts, and from what I watched my preconceived notion was validated. However, most of those who played for him, even if it wasn't all roses, like him.

To add, things can change, too. My D had a coach who, to this day, I will say did more for her development than any other. Played for him for two years, and things were great. Took two years off with a different coach, and then got the first one back. This time, due to outside influences, things weren't as great.

[Guest]

Does the coach teach? Is your kid learning? A bad coach will tell a kid you need to do better, a good coach will tell a kid what her options were on a given play and why one might have been a good idea in that situation. A bad coach will say 'do this', a good coach will tell the kid why you might do this? Intensity, organization, consistency, high expectations, and an ability to teach are the hallmarks of a good coach.

[Guest]

So, would you say a good way to judge a coach, at least at this level where they are all licensed and experienced, is that your kid likes the coach and coaching they're getting?

Depends on the level and the goals. Some kids will "like" a more laidback coach that doesn't stress them and allows them to just do what they want, but they are not going to learn. That can be fine for some kids, but horrible for others, depends on your goals.

It's always an ongoing process of evaluation. The above point about giving kids constructive feedback on how to improve is a good one.

[Guest]

A good coach is one that gives players many development opportunities:
Guest playing
Tournaments (right challenge level is important, wins are less important than challenge)
Adequate winter and summer training

The team is just as important though. If your kid is one of the few talents on the team, she's not going to improve that much even with the best coach.
You need a good coach and a team that matches your d's level in order for her to really develop.

Thanks. Your final thought is interesting to me.

My daughter's team is (currently) not a very good ECNL team. They finished towards the bottom of their conference this past season. My daughter is one of the top players (coach's words not mine, though I think most would agree). There is another ECNL club within driving distance which is better (though still not great - finished bottom half) and has been "recruiting" my daughter for years. This other team also seems to be the choice club in the area as they tend to get the better transfer players at tryouts (and also poach our players much more so than we do theirs). The drive and time commitment would be more extensive for multiple reasons and I have no idea what their coaches are like. Though, I have not heard great things. But, that mostly comes from disgruntled parents, so I take it with a grain of salt.

At what point is it more important to have a better team around your daughter than to have better coaching or better quality of life? Right now she is a big fish in a small pond. She gets a lot of opportunities she probably would not get with the other team (practicing/playing with boys, other teams). Her current club seems to appreciate the fact that she has stayed with them despite the fact that she has been pursued by other clubs. A switch would also mean leaving players (some of which are good) that she has been with for several years and is friends with.

[Guest]

Depends on the level and the goals. Some kids will "like" a more laidback coach that doesn't stress them and allows them to just do what they want, but they are not going to learn. That can be fine for some kids, but horrible for others, depends on your goals.

It's always an ongoing process of evaluation. The above point about giving kids constructive feedback on how to improve is a good one.

A laid back coach doesn't necessarily mean you aren't going to learn. I've played for coaches that were the nicest people on earth, who we looked to like a loveable grandfather who taught his lesson well. The mere idea of letting them down concerned me so much, I would run through a brick wall for them.

I also played for tyrants, and I played out of fear. The idea of getting it wrong forced me to do anything they wanted to avoid ramifications.

Truthfully, both can succeed and both will eventually fail. The nice guy gets taken advantage of, and the tyrant's message eventually goes stale.

[Guest]

Does the coach teach? Is your kid learning? A bad coach will tell a kid you need to do better, a good coach will tell a kid what her options were on a given play and why one might have been a good idea in that situation. A bad coach will say 'do this', a good coach will tell the kid why you might do this? Intensity, organization, consistency, high expectations, and an ability to teach are the hallmarks of a good coach.

Thanks. Is there a good way to judge whether or not a coach has these qualities before they coach your daughter? As was said earlier, parents/players tend to have different opinions on coaches, so asking a former player/parent may not be the best test.

[Guest]

Thanks. Is there a good way to judge whether or not a coach has these qualities before they coach your daughter? As was said earlier, parents/players tend to have different opinions on coaches, so asking a former player/parent may not be the best test.

Unless you are familiar with the game, not sure how easy it is.

I suck at math. My kid has a math teacher, and I have an assumption her teacher knows what she is doing since she was hired for that reason.

Is that risky? Yes.

[Guest]

Thanks. Your final thought is interesting to me.

My daughter's team is (currently) not a very good ECNL team. They finished towards the bottom of their conference this past season. My daughter is one of the top players (coach's words not mine, though I think most would agree). There is another ECNL club within driving distance which is better (though still not great - finished bottom half) and has been "recruiting" my daughter for years. This other team also seems to be the choice club in the area as they tend to get the better transfer players at tryouts (and also poach our players much more so than we do theirs). The drive and time commitment would be more extensive for multiple reasons and I have no idea what their coaches are like. Though, I have not heard great things. But, that mostly comes from disgruntled parents, so I take it with a grain of salt.

At what point is it more important to have a better team around your daughter than to have better coaching or better quality of life? Right now she is a big fish in a small pond. She gets a lot of opportunities she probably would not get with the other team (practicing/playing with boys, other teams). Her current club seems to appreciate the fact that she has stayed with them despite the fact that she has been pursued by other clubs. A switch would also mean leaving players (some of which are good) that she has been with for several years and is friends with.

(That was my reply that you're replying to)
My d is in almost the same boat as yours, just a year younger.
My d had a choice between coach she loves and super strong team (with unfamilliar to her but renowned coach). She picked coach. I know the coach will work to strengthen the team. it's just a matter of time. (She does love her team) . So you need to look for (in order):
1. D needs to love the coach. You need to trust the coach. Let go and let them do their thing
2. Strong team

I think as they get older, #2 is more important than #1..Maybe 9th or 10th grade. I knew at her current age, she wouldn't be as happy on the other team (no fault of the other team / club). And happy players (students) develop (learn) more.

It's really hard to guage a coach from people's experiences as they are always subjective. But they are nonetheless of value. Observe the coach at trainings as well. Your observations with parent feedback can paint a picture of the new coach. And talk to him.

[Guest]

Unless you are familiar with the game, not sure how easy it is.

I suck at math. My kid has a math teacher, and I have an assumption her teacher knows what she is doing since she was hired for that reason.

Is that risky? Yes.

Not the same. A school has a curriculum that is agreed upon and you can view. The kid takes test to gauge if they are learning. A coach has neither of those things. Worse, positive game results can actually mask that no learning is going on.

[Guest]

Not the same. A school has a curriculum that is agreed upon and you can view. The kid takes test to gauge if they are learning. A coach has neither of those things. Worse, positive game results can actually mask that no learning is going on.

Testing isn't even mandatory in many places today.

Coaches do have a curriculum to follow, especially if they are licensed. Yes, there are differences, same as with how math is taught differently today and in some places.

[Guest]

Here's what you want to look for in a coach and why.

1. Coach forces players to play position / When kids are young forcing players to play position might cost you games. However once you hit 11v11 not being able to play position will cost you games.

2. Coach runs multiple lines at the same time / This one seems obvious but some coaches don't get it. If you have one line of players running a drill this means several players are standing around waiting for their turn. Why not run 4 lines and give all players 4x the number of touches?

3. Coach maintains a high tempo of play the entire practice / Players improve by the number of touches they have on the ball. The more drills you can do and the speed they're implemented directly relates to the number of touches each player gets.

Be careful with coaches that do a lot of "chalkboard" discussions with players. This is how things worked in the 1990s + it doesn't work anymore. Coaches should be explaining tactical items while the players are moving and reinforcing it over and over.