STICK IT IN THE MIXER- A Coaching Thread

[SuperBacon]

Started 'orange sock' training yesterday and was told by a parent that it is unfair as some of the kids (ie hers) aren't as good with their weaker foot. I explained maybe 10 times and was just told "Yeah, well it ain't on". lolz.

In happier news, I've been asked by one of the local non-league clubs to come and partcipate/observe coaching sessions from this week on a sort of trial basis, with a view to moving into coaching with their youth teams.

"JOSE MOURINHO, I'M COMING FOR YOU"

[PunkStep]

What's orange sock training?

[SuperBacon]

4 minutes ago, PunkStep said:

What's orange sock training?

Developing your weaker foot.

Just always known it as that as that's what I was taught when I was young.

[PunkStep]

We finished our season last week and it was easily – despite the stop-start nature of it – my favourite season in football (as a player or coach) yet. It's been a rollercoaster 15 months...

Where to start! Football was cancelled immediately after my last post in here, due to some virus or another. It was hell. As a newly qualified coach, having the season end abruptly and not being able to train was heart-breaking. I couldn't handle not getting up every Saturday morning to take training, so me and my two kids would set up training sessions in the communal garden our little garden backs onto. I'd keep it fun, but at the same time scratch my itch to coach. My son also missed playing games, so we agreed to have a father VS son trophy match every Sunday. He won nearly every time, and each week I'd have to start trying a little harder as he was improving.

Conscious that there was no interaction between me and my players, I put together some videos trying to encourage them to practice some skills at home- with some little fun challenges. After a couple of weeks, I started to organise Zoom sessions with them. I knew some coaches out there had already started doing these, but I was hesitant as I couldn't see it working. My daughter was having regular zoom sessions for her Karate by this point, but that's far easier to do and actually quite beneficial for a large part of it. The Zoom sessions went a lot better than I thought, we worked mostly on ball mastery and skills, as there was really only so much you could do on your own. There were technical issues and it was difficult for them to hear me at times, but it was worth doing- even if I felt like a poundshop Joe Wicks.

The FA put in place a roadmap for a return to football, which started with 'socially-distanced training'. What the fuck?? How would that work?! To be honest I relished the challenge as I scoured Youtube, Twitter and various books, whilst trying to think of my own practices to cope with the lack of contact. Players had to be two metres apart. Luckily the kids were so pumped just to get back to playing some sort of football, I could've got them doing endless long-passing drills and they would've lapped it up. In July contact training returned and we were then allowed to play matches from August- leaving us exactly one month to prepare for making the jump to 7-a-side football with almost no preparation. Yikes.

We joined a new league as well, which stretched right across Essex so I knew we would have some fairly long away trips. Moving to 7s, I wanted two new players on the basis one was a keeper. Our keeper was very good but hankering to play out on pitch more, so I wasn't going to deny an 8yo that opportunity. He would play in goal for the first half of all matches this season, and the second half outfield- with the rest of the squad taking turns to play in goal during the second half. It was the worst possible time to recruit players- all teams our age were also looking for players due to the move to 7s and there was no football from late March - late June. Just before the pandemic I managed to take a look at the only U8 kid in development and he looked decent, so that was one player signed. A new keeper though? Forget about it- nothing out there, so we moved to 7 a side with only 9 players.

Luckily, it was never an issue. We always had at least 8 players for every match (usually all 9) although the lack of permanent keeper was becoming a pain. The other kids didn't like going in goal and some of the parents moaned about it. I told them needs must without a goalkeeper, but that I was continuously on the lookout for one.

As for the season, it was fantastic to see the boys get to grips with the new changes- not only the increased number of players but also the pitch size (which had now doubled in size at U9) and longer game times. We had a slow start, but they found their feet in the month leading up to Xmas, playing some lovely football and picking up good results. Most importantly, they were enjoying their football. Christmas came, followed by another 3 month lockdown and when we returned in early April, they were chomping at the bit to play football again. The next three months were easily the best period I've experienced so far as a coach. Every single player was so excited to be back and they made coaching very easy for me as they just wanted to play. I've never seen them happier, which resulted in a fantastic run of games. They had improved so much, despite having played virtually no football in three months. At least last summer the weather was nice so they were all kicking the ball out in the garden, however with the weather horrendous during this time, all weather pitches locked/shut and grass pitches unplayable mud baths, they all spent their time playing video games. Yet despite this, they were playing their best football- because they were happy.

Our new player from development was a revelation and stormed the votes recently taken for the Parent's Player of the Season award and I recently finally found a keeper- at one of my players' birthday party (a football party at the local astro). With the regular season over, we have a tournament this weekend and then will enjoy the summer before having some good preparation for the new season. It'll be our 2nd and final season at 7 a side, so we're now at the stage where players are falling into specific positions. Time to look ahead to 9 a side and decide how we will play then, and plan backwards like Vince McMahon & Pat Patterson used to do with WrestleMania. I'm thinking a back 3 with wing backs by the time we get to 11 a side given the strengths of our players and the way I like the game to be played, so perhaps plan for a 2-3-2-1 for when we get 9s.

Also, my son has had his breakthrough season- which has been a proud moment as parent and coach. He has always struggled during matches (he's always been the smallest on the pitch by some distance, and by default isn't one of the quickest or strongest) but he's found his role as a deep lying midfielder- where he can break up play, keep things ticking over with his ability on the ball and start building attacks from deep. He has spent the past year working on his technique and skills- from tapping a Messi training ball (like a Kickmaster) whilst playing Minecraft, to dribbling a ball to school every morning, to our 1v1s at the cage at the end of our road- his ability with the ball has improved a lot. He's now making an impact during matches as he has worked out that with this in his locker, it doesn't matter if he's at a physical disadvantage- he twists and turns his way through opponents on the halfway line before playing in a teammate. It's improved his confidence more than I ever dreamed of, because unlike his sister he has always been a shy, reserved kid with very little self belief. 

But in this testing and difficult year, these 10 boys have been my saviours. They have kept me alive with their love of football, have made me a better coach by being bloody fantastic students and are a joy to work with on the training pitch every week. Fuck knows where I'd be if I didn't have this and these awesome bunch of kids. I love this, bring on the tournament and the next season. 

[SuperBacon]

Lovely stuff @PunkStep

That's really heartening to hear.

[MungoChutney]

Brilliant read @PunkStep. My son is 11 and just before and then during the pandemic his club basically fell apart. Started with the head of our age group being removed for using club funds for personal things, theft essentially but difficult to prove. Then the club as a whole had this huge row between various groups over (of all things) a van that had been bought to help deliver food for food banks.  This was all going on just as training was returning and I could see how it was all going to end up.

 

We had another team that had started up locally and was being run by guys I'd known for years from when I refereed in amateur and semi-pro football. While a lot of the kids were new to it and the standard was much lower than where my son had been, he went along and trained with them for a couple of weeks. He loved it so much that he wanted to move there and we did, just about six weeks before the old team folded entirely. Even though he was playing down a level it's actually made him a better player as he had a tendency to hide when playing with the other boys at his old team, who were very close to if not at academy standard. He's thriving with the responsibility and another couple of strong players have joined. The upshot being that they only lost one of 13 league games when they restarted. Non-competitive of course in Scotland but it's been absolutely magic watching them developing as a group. All down to the guy coaching and the guy who oversees the whole club. Potentially looking at a pathway to senior football via the WoSFL as there are plans to register a team in the next few years. All completely impossible without the work of the volunteers.

[PunkStep]

That's great stuff, good to hear your son is doing well in his new team. If he loves it there, then you can't ask for more than that. Their enjoyment is paramount. If kids aren't enjoying their football, then there's no point. If I'm not getting my players to fall (and stay) in love with football, then I've failed as a coach. Results are secondary. 

[PunkStep]

Absolutely gutted. We have a tournament tomorrow to mark an end to this disrupted season, and today it was confirmed that two of my players need to self isolate for 10 days as there is a confirmed case of Covid in their class. One of the two...is my son. 

As a coach I'm devastated, as a parent I'm heartbroken. He's in floods of tears. 

[SuperBacon]

5 minutes ago, PunkStep said:

Absolutely gutted. We have a tournament tomorrow to mark an end to this disrupted season, and today it was confirmed that two of my players need to self isolate for 10 days as there is a confirmed case of Covid in their class. One of the two...is my son. 

As a coach I'm devastated, as a parent I'm heartbroken. He's in floods of tears. 

Oh bless him. You're just gonna have to 'Bobby Robson to Gazza in 90' him. "You've been marvellous haven't you? This is just your first". My eldest has just missed her trip away with guides because of self isolating. She was gutted. You can only tell them that something great will be here sooner rather than later.

I think you should go and buy him a brand new pair of boots or shirt. The blue England shirt IMO.

[SuperBacon]

My 10yo has been training for about 3 or 4 months now with a development squad of a local club. We struggled to get her to go to any type of training as she has some anxiety issues when it comes to pressure (nothing to do with Mum and I, we couldn't be more laid back with our children) so we were thrilled when she said yes and now we have about 16 girls regularly every week, which is so encouraging.

The coach is brilliant but he also manages his sons side so they needed a manager, so obviously I agreed like an idiot. No one else offered and now I know why!

The girls had their first proper match today, a friendly against an already established team of 2 years within the same club structure.

We didn't have our regular goalie and lost 9-0. Our team was fantastic and never ever gave up and battled for every single ball.

At one point my 10yo clattered a girl and sort of stood over her, Roman Reigns style. It was hilarious. 

Two girls on the other team were the difference and in all honesty, 5 or 6 of their goals came from our goal kicks as the kicks weren't strong enough and just went to their strikers. That's not their fault, it's just how it is.

At one point I told the girls to press hard and win the ball as far up the pitch as possible. My 10yos reply? "OK, you're not Ange" She's dropped for the next game obviously. 

Anyway, I cannot accurately convey how proud I am of them all, its actually made me quite emotional. For some of them this is the first time they have ever played a game (some played in an inter school 6 a side tournament a month or so ago) and for 10 year olds with parents watching (and shouting) it can be incredibly daunting. Immensely proud.

That's nearly 30 girls this morning that had a game of football, who have all come away muddy, knackered and had fun. I think that's awesome.

[Keith Houchen]

24 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

she said yes and now we have about 16 girls regularly every week,

[Mr_Danger]

My 6 year old lad started in the summer and to watch him and his little Renford Rejects development team go from a bunch of lads who didn’t know which direction to run in to a team who sometimes win and maybe even pass the ball to each other occasionally is heartening. I quite like being a football dad too and I can see me getting involved sooner or later when it’s my turn to put my hand up. 

[SuperBacon]

17 minutes ago, Mr_Danger said:

I quite like being a football dad too and I can see me getting involved sooner or later when it’s my turn to put my hand up. 

Offer to help with the training, but DO NOT offer to be the actual manager. Like I said, no wonder no one else offered but I had my ex badgering me to volunteer and I'm a bit scared of her.

It's the fucking WhatsApp group that's the worst bit.