How to tell if a player is developing? Coaches please

[Unregistered]

How can a coach tell if a player is developing? Do coaches care about individual development or is it more about team development? Seems like the benchmark for development is if a team wins or not. What are good and bad things to watch for with players?

[Unregistered]

Simple

If they don't get cut at tryouts next time around and make the team. Also take it as a sign they are not developing if the get the axe from the team after tryouts.

[Unregistered]

I only speak for myself but as a coach I absolutely care about individual development. Really, the "team" is not a separate being but rather made of the players. So if the players do not develop then the team does not develop either.

I think what you are asking is whether a coach pays specific attention to those players that come along more slowly than the rest. This depends on age somewhat but I routinely work one on one with a player that struggles with a concept and give specific homework if they need to simply work extra on their own.

I disagree that a win loss record is that much of an indication of collective growth but it is one of many considerations when there are trends over time.

More importantly a game is where I can see how players deal with themes at practice while under pressure. So if we focus, for example, on the first touch or a specific tactic such as defending in numbers then the game tells me how they are progressing on these themes.

As a parent, you can routinely ask your kid what they are working on at practice then watch the game differently. Instead of watching just the movement of the ball, focus instead on the themes and judge for yourself how well your child is doing on just that topic.

Just don't coach from the sidelines :) or your child will stop sharing. But I really don't think there are "bad" things except sportsmanship or behavioral issues. The only "bad ” thing besides those obvious issues is effort. Bottom line: soccer is and should be physically taxing. If a player is lazy, especially as they get to be U13/14 then this is an issue regardless of individual skill. Let them have fun and limit constructive criticism to a few comments that are on topic.

[Unregistered]

I only speak for myself but as a coach I absolutely care about individual development. Really, the "team" is not a separate being but rather made of the players. So if the players do not develop then the team does not develop either.

I think what you are asking is whether a coach pays specific attention to those players that come along more slowly than the rest. This depends on age somewhat but I routinely work one on one with a player that struggles with a concept and give specific homework if they need to simply work extra on their own.

I disagree that a win loss record is that much of an indication of collective growth but it is one of many considerations when there are trends over time.

More importantly a game is where I can see how players deal with themes at practice while under pressure. So if we focus, for example, on the first touch or a specific tactic such as defending in numbers then the game tells me how they are progressing on these themes.

As a parent, you can routinely ask your kid what they are working on at practice then watch the game differently. Instead of watching just the movement of the ball, focus instead on the themes and judge for yourself how well your child is doing on just that topic.

Just don't coach from the sidelines :) or your child will stop sharing. But I really don't think there are "bad" things except sportsmanship or behavioral issues. The only "bad ” thing besides those obvious issues is effort. Bottom line: soccer is and should be physically taxing. If a player is lazy, especially as they get to be U13/14 then this is an issue regardless of individual skill. Let them have fun and limit constructive criticism to a few comments that are on topic.

Wow, nice reply. I didn't start this thread, but enjoyed your views.

One of my frustrations is in seeing the same mistakes made by a player or collectively by the team over and over again. I don't bring these things up to the coach as I assume he sees them and he can correct them or work on other things. One thing I don't overlook however is in not getting a team to play hard, especially on defense. I hate lazy defense and overall lack of effort. This goes to your taxing comment. I want my kid to walk off the field exhausted. That means he gave max effort. His skills might have been off, or his passes or his decisions, but his effort should never be off. And when it is, I hate to be the one to yell to him to up the effort. I want the coaches doing that. It actually should be part of the culture of the team.

[Unregistered]

Wow, nice reply. I didn't start this thread, but enjoyed your views.

One of my frustrations is in seeing the same mistakes made by a player or collectively by the team over and over again. I don't bring these things up to the coach as I assume he sees them and he can correct them or work on other things. One thing I don't overlook however is in not getting a team to play hard, especially on defense. I hate lazy defense and overall lack of effort. This goes to your taxing comment. I want my kid to walk off the field exhausted. That means he gave max effort. His skills might have been off, or his passes or his decisions, but his effort should never be off. And when it is, I hate to be the one to yell to him to up the effort. I want the coaches doing that. It actually should be part of the culture of the team.

Thanks! Believe me, I think most coaches see the same mistakes over and over as well. But there are only so many hours of practice and so a coach needs to pick his or her battles.

I can redirect energy and I can channel passion. But, laziness and indifference are very, very hard to coach out of an player.

[Unregistered]

I only speak for myself but as a coach I absolutely care about individual development. Really, the "team" is not a separate being but rather made of the players. So if the players do not develop then the team does not develop either.

I think what you are asking is whether a coach pays specific attention to those players that come along more slowly than the rest. This depends on age somewhat but I routinely work one on one with a player that struggles with a concept and give specific homework if they need to simply work extra on their own.

I disagree that a win loss record is that much of an indication of collective growth but it is one of many considerations when there are trends over time.

More importantly a game is where I can see how players deal with themes at practice while under pressure. So if we focus, for example, on the first touch or a specific tactic such as defending in numbers then the game tells me how they are progressing on these themes.

As a parent, you can routinely ask your kid what they are working on at practice then watch the game differently. Instead of watching just the movement of the ball, focus instead on the themes and judge for yourself how well your child is doing on just that topic.

Just don't coach from the sidelines :) or your child will stop sharing. But I really don't think there are "bad" things except sportsmanship or behavioral issues. The only "bad ” thing besides those obvious issues is effort. Bottom line: soccer is and should be physically taxing. If a player is lazy, especially as they get to be U13/14 then this is an issue regardless of individual skill. Let them have fun and limit constructive criticism to a few comments that are on topic.

Nice, thanks.

I am curious if you believe that a player benefits from parents pushing them or if a good player is sort of wired that way. I have children on both sides of the spectrum and I often feel bad if my husband admonishes our lazier child. I am not convinced that it helps and even fear that it may hurt. My high performing child chooses to be that way with no urging as best I can tell from anyone. I am afraid that my lower soccer performing child will simply give up since he does not play at the relative level of his sister. I will be interested to hear a coaches perspective.

[Unregistered]

Nice, thanks.

I am curious if you believe that a player benefits from parents pushing them or if a good player is sort of wired that way. I have children on both sides of the spectrum and I often feel bad if my husband admonishes our lazier child. I am not convinced that it helps and even fear that it may hurt. My high performing child chooses to be that way with no urging as best I can tell from anyone. I am afraid that my lower soccer performing child will simply give up since he does not play at the relative level of his sister. I will be interested to hear a coaches perspective.

This is tough and I don't presume to offer parenting advice. It sounds like your son is still rather young. So, I am going to make a wild guess that your son is distracted and seemingly uncommitted at practice but plays with more focus during the games? If so, he sounds like a normal young boy and I wouldn't worry too much. If he enjoys soccer, that is all that matters. If he enjoys the sport, he will come into his own on his own schedule so best to be patient with that development.

Sticking with what I know about coaching (and I am very much still learning), I offer several observations about your question on pushing the child and some suggestions on how to influence him to take the initiative to improve.

I am not a fan of pushing kids but I absolutely believe that young athletes need to be accountable in a way that is age appropriate. This is a progression. They are accountable to themselves, their coach and their teammates. At very young ages, they are accountable to themselves for simple things like their soccer ball and gear, their coach by showing up to practice and games, and their teammates by keeping their hands to themselves.

As they become U11-U13, they are accountable: to themselves by developing skills on their own and putting in a solid effort at practice; accountable to their coaches by understanding their role in a game and implementing the team tactics; and, they are accountable to their teammates by doing their job on the field to the best of their ability.

Beginning at U14 and through HS, they should be responsible for their own physical fitness, they should be students of the game, they are accountable to their coaches by starting the season in shape, putting in their best effort at practice and mastering the responsibilities of their position, and they are accountable to their teammates by taking on leadership roles, collectively solving problems during the run of play, and playing in a way that emphasizes the strengths of their teammates over their own.

All of this can be learned and every athlete is strong in certain areas and has room for improvement in others. Even professional players struggle with accountability.

But, it is really hard to have a kid be accountable when he does not enjoy the sport. The more a child enjoys or loves the game, the easier it is for them to take on the responsibility of being accountable.

If any parent finds themselves having to push their child, I would guess that somewhere inside they are not enjoying something about playing the sport. As parents, we can force our kids to do something they don't want to do and frequently this is necessary or beneficial.

If a parent of a kid on my team asked me if they should push their child, I would probably suggest a less direct approach. I would encourage the parents to ask what the child likes about playing soccer and what they don't like. I would then encourage the parents to ask the child about what he or she want to accomplish, then help set reasonable goals to work towards those accomplishments, and obtain some commitment from the child to take reasonable steps to achieve those goals. Then it is about guiding the child to be accountable for taking those steps. Start slow and don't expect miracles at first.

On those steps, do your part as well. I always encourage families with soccer players to study the game together. Record an EPL or MLS game. Have a family night with popcorn or some treat. Talk for a second before to understand what the team worked on at practice and then watch the match while playing a game at how many times the child can identify examples of what they worked on at practice. Learn what players your son or daughter identify with and find out why. Learning the game can be fun and the more the child learns the game, the more motivated they are to imitate what they see.

Hope this long response is helpful.

[Unregistered]

I only speak for myself but as a coach I absolutely care about individual development. Really, the "team" is not a separate being but rather made of the players. So if the players do not develop then the team does not develop either.

I think what you are asking is whether a coach pays specific attention to those players that come along more slowly than the rest. This depends on age somewhat but I routinely work one on one with a player that struggles with a concept and give specific homework if they need to simply work extra on their own.

I disagree that a win loss record is that much of an indication of collective growth but it is one of many considerations when there are trends over time.

More importantly a game is where I can see how players deal with themes at practice while under pressure. So if we focus, for example, on the first touch or a specific tactic such as defending in numbers then the game tells me how they are progressing on these themes.

As a parent, you can routinely ask your kid what they are working on at practice then watch the game differently. Instead of watching just the movement of the ball, focus instead on the themes and judge for yourself how well your child is doing on just that topic.

Just don't coach from the sidelines :) or your child will stop sharing. But I really don't think there are "bad" things except sportsmanship or behavioral issues. The only "bad ” thing besides those obvious issues is effort. Bottom line: soccer is and should be physically taxing. If a player is lazy, especially as they get to be U13/14 then this is an issue regardless of individual skill. Let them have fun and limit constructive criticism to a few comments that are on topic.

Wow, this is one of the best responses and posts I've ever read on the crappy message board. I'm not the original poster, but thank you! There are people here that appreciate honest and legit postings here. Please ignore any negativity you may receive and keep posting!

[Unregistered]

This is tough and I don't presume to offer parenting advice. It sounds like your son is still rather young. So, I am going to make a wild guess that your son is distracted and seemingly uncommitted at practice but plays with more focus during the games? If so, he sounds like a normal young boy and I wouldn't worry too much. If he enjoys soccer, that is all that matters. If he enjoys the sport, he will come into his own on his own schedule so best to be patient with that development.

Sticking with what I know about coaching (and I am very much still learning), I offer several observations about your question on pushing the child and some suggestions on how to influence him to take the initiative to improve.

I am not a fan of pushing kids but I absolutely believe that young athletes need to be accountable in a way that is age appropriate. This is a progression. They are accountable to themselves, their coach and their teammates. At very young ages, they are accountable to themselves for simple things like their soccer ball and gear, their coach by showing up to practice and games, and their teammates by keeping their hands to themselves.

As they become U11-U13, they are accountable: to themselves by developing skills on their own and putting in a solid effort at practice; accountable to their coaches by understanding their role in a game and implementing the team tactics; and, they are accountable to their teammates by doing their job on the field to the best of their ability.

Beginning at U14 and through HS, they should be responsible for their own physical fitness, they should be students of the game, they are accountable to their coaches by starting the season in shape, putting in their best effort at practice and mastering the responsibilities of their position, and they are accountable to their teammates by taking on leadership roles, collectively solving problems during the run of play, and playing in a way that emphasizes the strengths of their teammates over their own.

All of this can be learned and every athlete is strong in certain areas and has room for improvement in others. Even professional players struggle with accountability.

But, it is really hard to have a kid be accountable when he does not enjoy the sport. The more a child enjoys or loves the game, the easier it is for them to take on the responsibility of being accountable.

If any parent finds themselves having to push their child, I would guess that somewhere inside they are not enjoying something about playing the sport. As parents, we can force our kids to do something they don't want to do and frequently this is necessary or beneficial.

If a parent of a kid on my team asked me if they should push their child, I would probably suggest a less direct approach. I would encourage the parents to ask what the child likes about playing soccer and what they don't like. I would then encourage the parents to ask the child about what he or she want to accomplish, then help set reasonable goals to work towards those accomplishments, and obtain some commitment from the child to take reasonable steps to achieve those goals. Then it is about guiding the child to be accountable for taking those steps. Start slow and don't expect miracles at first.

On those steps, do your part as well. I always encourage families with soccer players to study the game together. Record an EPL or MLS game. Have a family night with popcorn or some treat. Talk for a second before to understand what the team worked on at practice and then watch the match while playing a game at how many times the child can identify examples of what they worked on at practice. Learn what players your son or daughter identify with and find out why. Learning the game can be fun and the more the child learns the game, the more motivated they are to imitate what they see.

Hope this long response is helpful.

This is very helpful and a well thought out response.

I believe that my son 13 doesn't try as hard on the athletic side even though he is a connoisseur of the game, loves the game, watches the game and has much to say about any game. He has been over shadowed by a sister who consistently outperforms just about everyone in everything. She is the one who when she runs track she sets records and wins meets and go to state, etc..

I don't think our son is physically wired that way and I have often wondered he doesn't want to appear to be trying only to be shown up by his slightly younger sister. I wish that his dad would back off and let him enjoy sports the way he wants to approach them.

[Slow Xavi]

This is very helpful and a well thought out response.

I believe that my son 13 doesn't try as hard on the athletic side even though he is a connoisseur of the game, loves the game, watches the game and has much to say about any game. He has been over shadowed by a sister who consistently outperforms just about everyone in everything. She is the one who when she runs track she sets records and wins meets and go to state, etc..

I don't think our son is physically wired that way and I have often wondered he doesn't want to appear to be trying only to be shown up by his slightly younger sister. I wish that his dad would back off and let him enjoy sports the way he wants to approach them.

One other piece that is probably coming into play here is the benefits of being a younger child when it comes to sports. I can usually tell within 5 minutes of watching younger children who has an older sibling playing soccer - they simply move more aggressively and are typically more coordinated. Doesn't necessarily mean they have better technical ability or game understanding (although they often do and general coordination is an advantage in developing technical ability all other things being equal). At the younger ages that means they are more successful and they start to get a positive feedback circuit (they play hard/well, have success, get recognition, which leads to continuing to playing hard/well).

So your dd has a substantial leg up in the sport that your son does not necessarily have even with identical genetics; doesn't me mean make excuses for him, but you have to look at his performance and perceived effort through those lenses. Throw in the highly unpredictable nature of the affect of growth spurts - some kids slow down a bunch and appear less coordinated, so less success, and sometimes less resulting effort - and it probably makes some sense to be patient (and just encourage effort where ever you can). I've seen dad's destroy player's interest in sports because they thought their son was lazy, etc., when there were a whole lot of other things going on.

p.s - going through a similar thing with one of my kids right now (thought she had a really strong start with the sport, but finding she is slowing down a bit and going through a stage of passivity; not easy to watch when it is your own kid). Good luck!

[Unregistered]

p.s - going through a similar thing with one of my kids right now (thought she had a really strong start with the sport, but finding she is slowing down a bit and going through a stage of passivity; not easy to watch when it is your own kid). Good luck!

Slow Xavi,

What age is your DD at? Mine is turning 13 soon and seems to be going through the same phase. Has lost some confidence and agression. Technical skills are still there but it looks like she's, at least temporarily, lost some of the fire...

[Unregistered]

This is very helpful and a well thought out response.

I believe that my son 13 doesn't try as hard on the athletic side even though he is a connoisseur of the game, loves the game, watches the game and has much to say about any game. He has been over shadowed by a sister who consistently outperforms just about everyone in everything. She is the one who when she runs track she sets records and wins meets and go to state, etc..

I don't think our son is physically wired that way and I have often wondered he doesn't want to appear to be trying only to be shown up by his slightly younger sister. I wish that his dad would back off and let him enjoy sports the way he wants to approach them.

I should add one important distinction. At younger ages, the athleticism largely distinguishes the "good players" and the "bad players." Then, technical skills start to give less athletic kids an advantage over athletic kids with fewer technical skills. Finally, the intelligent player has the final advantage over the others. The quicker a player can make the right decisions under pressure or see a play develop before it happens, this makes a huge difference.

Here is a link to a good conversation about this. It is a MLSsoccer.com video interviewing a French Football Fed ambassador:

http://www.mlssoccer.com/video/2014/...my-24-under-24

If your son loves the game and really understands the game, he is going to be absolutely just fine. At 13 years old, they do not really understand how much control they have over their ability to improve; this is part of being mature. As they mature, those that love the game and want to continue eventually come around to accepting hard work and effort.

[Unregistered]

Slow Xavi,

What age is your DD at? Mine is turning 13 soon and seems to be going through the same phase. Has lost some confidence and agression. Technical skills are still there but it looks like she's, at least temporarily, lost some of the fire...

My DD is 12 almost 13. She is the youngest of 5 and pretty athletic in general but possesses a drive that is over the top in everything she does. If you turn it in to a competition then she will likely do well even if it is math. That is how she rolls.

Much luck to your daughters!!!! We have one child playing soccer and one playing lacrosse in college now and that is something entirely different than the crazy youth sports scene! Enjoy.

[Slow Xavi]

Slow Xavi,

What age is your DD at? Mine is turning 13 soon and seems to be going through the same phase. Has lost some confidence and agression. Technical skills are still there but it looks like she's, at least temporarily, lost some of the fire...

Mine is a bit younger than that, but just hit a growth spurt and part of different group of girls (with some that are just physically dominating) so I think some adjustment to her changing body and changing group of girls around her.

One of the things I've been thinking about is getting her some rec exposure again, just to get some positive feedback. But it is easier said then done - she doesn't want to play rec even with her friends from school. Trying to find ways to get her positive feedback with the sport and yet (some times gently) communicating the expectations that when you are the field you working hard for team and when you are in practice you are there to develop. She is still young enough that she enjoys playing one-on-one with dad sometimes, so that is an area I've found for just enjoying the game (and getting some enjoyment seems to foster effort).

Not sure if getting rec exposure is a realistic route for your dd; but I will say that I seen players disconnect from the competitive environment for a season and come back better than ever. Even if they lose 6 months of technical development and are behind in that respect, sometimes the added passion for the game is worth it. Also have colleagues whose dds played rec soccer through HS (didn't even know there was such a thing) and absolutely loved it. Didn't lead to playing in college, but it did lead to a continued affection for sport, which another ends all in itself.

One last word of caution at the teenage years - you can absolutely kill your child's passion for the sport if you come down too hard on them (just depends on your dd's personality). Not saying that as a child psychologist, but as a player and coach: saw my dad destroy my brother's affection for a sport by coming down too hard during a growth spurt; he also came down on me for being an ass on the field at times (I was different though, wound too tight which led to indirectly being disrespectful to team and coach even if that was not the intent); his coming down on my brother killed his spirit for the sport, his coming down on me during those years actually corrected some bad behavior (even if I wanted to tell him to f-off).

[Unregistered]

It might be time to accept the inevitable. There are big weedout ages, one being 7th grade and another being 9th grade. Kids stay with it in 6th because thats all they know. They haven't experienced the new world that is middle school. By 7th, they see much more of the world and are comfortable telling you that they don't want to play anymore. Those that stick it out have a similar thing hit them in 9th grade. They realize that HS has so much more to offer and soccer takes up so much time. However, the good thing about HS is that if your kid has been dabbling in other sports, such as golf or tennis or ...., HS offers them the opportunity to play those sports competitively and they might replace soccer with something else. They probably won't play varsity in those sports if they haven't been playing them a lot at the younger ages, but they can play JV/JV2 and have fun. So far, we've been lucky. We've not had to push our kids much at soccer. The oldest is going top D1. The youngest just loves the game.