In coaching high school soccer it’s a proven fact that self-control is a choice and players have to choose it just like they do for confidence. In soccer coaching, self-control strategies are based on the relationship between thoughts and emotions. It is a known fact that our emotional state influences our feelings and as a result of it, our performance is strengthened.
You can aid your players in learning the skill and discipline of self-control with the 12 step strategy that I’m going to share with you. However, players should adopt this strategy only when they are certain of its utility for them.
Also, players must be ready to take full accountability for their actions. The 12 step strategy is explained in the following paragraphs.
1. Awareness: Assist the players in finding out their weaknesses in coaching youth soccer. Allow them to investigate when, where and how loss of control happened on field in their past.
2. Understanding: Allow the players to make out the reason that affected their thinking in such a way that they lost their emotional stability.
3. Differences: Give them time to recollect situations when they did lose control and when they did not. And then they should determine the difference in their emotions, attitudes, and behavior.
4. Problem: When it comes to coaching high school soccer, try to point out the real problem. For example: The player may be feeling guilty that he let the entire team down due to his actions.
5. Belief: Help the players raise their own expectations including self-control as one of the character. Give confidence to players to change themselves.
6. Reinforcement: Behavior change is accelerated by reinforcement. Therefore, you must not forget your duty as a coach to recognize and honor the improvements of players so that they stick to these.
7. Goals: Start with multiple smaller goals, so that you can take your players along the path to changes. You need to make the players understand the link between actions, thoughts, and feelings.
8. Techniques: Put together different behavioral action items to uphold the confidence level. For example: Players must know which path to follow in a certain situation.
9. Plan: In football coaching, teach a planned and systematic way of chasing the goals to players.
10. Progress: Teach them how to be patent. Help the players realize the value of ups and downs in the path to improvement.
11. Setbacks: Let the players understand that setbacks are there to stay. Therefore, try to learn something new from every setback.
12. Remembrance: Last but an important point is to let the players identify the good reason behind the change. The players must always know that why and what are they doing. What would be there in future for them, if they don’t try?
We all agree that a perfect performance state for a soccer player is that of a relaxed promptness. This simply means use of full energy without stress.
You must not make any mistake about it. To teach the players in channelizing their energy in way that they are able to produce emotions to help them get rid of tension, include relaxation techniques in coaching high school soccer.
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Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Practice Drills.
Tags: Coaching high school soccer, coaching youth soccer, football coaching, soccer coaching