| If the following three aspects of communication can | | | | lanes"? It always works best if you (and your |
| be kept in mind when talking to youth soccer players, | | | | assistant coaches) can use the same terms during |
| a coaches message will be heard, understood and | | | | the heat of game time situation that you used in |
| have a lasting impact: | | | | practice. If your players have to pause to interpret |
| | | | your words, your message will not get through in a |
| 1. Tailor | | | | timely manner. When you and your assistant coaches |
| 2. Terminology | | | | are devising your youth soccer strategies, this one is |
| 3. Tone | | | | a must to discuss! |
| TAILOR - It is a dynamite approach and works very | | | | TONE - Your youth soccer players are, on the whole, |
| well when one of your youth soccer strategies is to | | | | an excitable bunch! Constant, positive feedback will |
| tailor your communications style to your team and | | | | generally keep them pushing harder. Negative |
| your individual players. If your team thrives on the | | | | statements with a harsh tone can turn them off, and |
| emotion of the moment, then show the emotion. If | | | | ruin their concentration for the remainder of the |
| they seem to get nervous and be afraid to be | | | | game, sometimes never to recover. If you sound |
| aggressive when you get load, anxious or show your | | | | desperate, anxious, nervous or even mad, the |
| nervousness, then tone it down. In the situation | | | | players may be at an age where they will pick up on |
| where you're communicating one-on-one with a | | | | this, and may react the wrong way. While some will |
| player, take them aside, keep your voice from being | | | | sense your urgency and step-up their game, most, |
| heard by the rest of the players, and feel free to | | | | depending on the age, will crawl in a shell and be too |
| get as emotional or as frantic or as calm as you see | | | | afraid to make the mistake that cost the team the |
| appropriate for that player. Of the many youth | | | | game. One of your strategies should be a |
| soccer strategies, this one works as well with your | | | | team-appropriate tone, that isn't reacted to |
| best players that can "take it to the next level" with | | | | negatively is always the best way to communicate |
| some forceful direction by you, the coach, as it does | | | | your soccer strategy. Yes, it can work out in a |
| with the player that you just want to encourage to | | | | one-on-one situation, in your bag of youth soccer |
| "try to kick the ball at least five times this shift". | | | | strategies tricks, to tell your superstar (that has yet |
| Tailor your words, and your tone to your players | | | | another "level") that there is only two minutes left in |
| needs. You and your team will benefit greatly. | | | | the game and to pull out all the stops! But those |
| TERMINOLOGY - Explain your strategy in terms the | | | | situations are as rare as those little superstars are. |
| players understand. Be consistent with your | | | | The coaches that can remember to "Tailor your |
| terminology. Is the player a "forward", or a "striker", | | | | Terminology with Tone" are the coaches that kids |
| or playing "offense"? Do you want your players to | | | | want to play for! |
| "go to space" or "spread out" or "create passing | | | | |