Coaches Confession corner

[Guest]

Now please let this be from coaches and not parents: Confess what really goes on on your team and your thinking.

[Guest]

You’re all clueless and shout “shoot it!!” Constantly

[Guest]

You’re all clueless and shout “shoot it!!” Constantly

So true,

[Guest]

Boot it, send it, clear it! The hymn of the clueless mfer

[Guest]

Now please let this be from coaches and not parents: Confess what really goes on on your team and your thinking.

Your kid is never going pro!

[Guest]

Okay I’ll take a crack at it from on the field only. I’ll ignore the financials, the recruiting and the personal training side of the conversation.

Coaches are under a pressure to win, because if you don’t your best player may change clubs. This leads to coaches skipping stages of fundamentals or style of play to focus on competing to win. I personally know you can accomplish both development and winning if you know what you are doing. Most coaches unfortunately do not know how to do both. The reason for that is up to discussion.

[Guest]

Your kid is never going pro!

This is America. Even if they do, they’re still the laughing stock for Europe.

Parents take things way too seriously. Admit it, it’s the reason you’re here right now, a dumpster fire of an anonymous community.

[Guest]

This is America. Even if they do, they’re still the laughing stock for Europe.

Parents take things way too seriously. Admit it, it’s the reason you’re here right now, a dumpster fire of an anonymous community.

Risk of litigation > insurance > insane club fees > parents stressing about finances… gets you this mess.

[Guest]

Half the time I’m counting minutes so I don’t get an email on the weekend.

But then we lose. Should I play the bench or not?

[Guest]

Half the time I’m counting minutes so I don’t get an email on the weekend.

But then we lose. Should I play the bench or not?

This is a conundrum - all players paying the same money and so long as not skipping practices, need to play. But at the same time, when it’s going well, have to be smart about when and who to sub in. Don’t put all second string in at same time and undo everything the team had been putting together. If constantly lose and always due to same kids, the other kids willl get frustrated. Sometimes it’s a hard balance. On the very top teams - you just don’t sub in those situations.

[Guest]

Dating soccer moms is fine in my mind.

[Guest]

This is a conundrum - all players paying the same money and so long as not skipping practices, need to play. But at the same time, when it’s going well, have to be smart about when and who to sub in. Don’t put all second string in at same time and undo everything the team had been putting together. If constantly lose and always due to same kids, the other kids willl get frustrated. Sometimes it’s a hard balance. On the very top teams - you just don’t sub in those situations.

I do my best to develop all players on my team, but some cannot play defense, so then my most ready players are stuck in the back.

I have massive gripes as a coach. The main one is skipping stages. Everyone thinks playing up is the answer. We skip 4v4 and 9v9 so much it kills me. Some are ready but not all, yet parent thinks it best to have play up.

My 2nd year 9v9 team recently got a random 7v7 scrimmage and all of a sudden the fundamental tactics make way more sense and it looks like the real game. We are just now “mastering” 9v9 yet the 7v7 scrimmage taught them way more.

Now I’m pressured to play 11v11 to get them ahead of the curve, so we are making some attempts. We are doing well but many of my players are touching the ball way less frequently, and the field is so big on thick grass that we have to boot it.

We turn into boot ball because we skip stages. And I blame the parents first and dumb coaches second. We sever you guys, and you all want your kids to progress too fast.

Maybe I should blame the club first. I’m not above boot ball because at times you have to simply defend to win. That’s soccer.

We are skipping stages. That’s the biggest problem above pay to play.

[Guest]

Now I’m pressured to play 11v11 to get them ahead of the curve, so we are making some attempts. We are doing well but many of my players are touching the ball way less frequently, and the field is so big on thick grass that we have to boot it...

I'm not a coach, so I don't know the origins of this. But it certainly looks like it's the American fascination with everything being so 'official' and 'impressive'-looking, that we rush the kids onto the big field with a full fleet of refs in their expensive kit, etc.

We spend a lot of time in Europe and their youth leagues stay on smaller fields for longer, don't obsess over so many refs at a young age, share jerseys, etc, and they develop better technical skills!

[Guest]

"I have a strong sexual attraction to two of my players."

[Guest]

I do my best to develop all players on my team, but some cannot play defense, so then my most ready players are stuck in the back.

I have massive gripes as a coach. The main one is skipping stages. Everyone thinks playing up is the answer. We skip 4v4 and 9v9 so much it kills me. Some are ready but not all, yet parent thinks it best to have play up.

My 2nd year 9v9 team recently got a random 7v7 scrimmage and all of a sudden the fundamental tactics make way more sense and it looks like the real game. We are just now “mastering” 9v9 yet the 7v7 scrimmage taught them way more.

Now I’m pressured to play 11v11 to get them ahead of the curve, so we are making some attempts. We are doing well but many of my players are touching the ball way less frequently, and the field is so big on thick grass that we have to boot it.

We turn into boot ball because we skip stages. And I blame the parents first and dumb coaches second. We sever you guys, and you all want your kids to progress too fast.

Maybe I should blame the club first. I’m not above boot ball because at times you have to simply defend to win. That’s soccer.

We are skipping stages. That’s the biggest problem above pay to play.

Pay to play is an excuse. Other sports are doing just fine w the same model.