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THE SKILLED SOCCER PLAYER

“Practice is the best of all instructors”,  Publius Syrus

Many players understand the game when asked but few learn the game in its entirety for it to be played autonomously.
Research shows very little transfer of training.
Expert chess players do not have unusually high IQ levels.
Training in one domain does not mean better performance in another domain necessarily.
One can develop an automated routine or motor skill without being able to describe how it is done.
Because a player can describe it does not mean they can do it.

Our role as a coach is to provide players with the essential skills needed to play the game allowing them the opportunity to search for movement solutions (e.g. ways to get the ball into the net) within the changing environment of drills and practice. As teachers and experts within the game we constantly refer to the word skill and so a clarification of its definition is essential. Skill can be defined as:
“the learned ability to to bring about some end result with maximum certainty and minimum outlay of energy, or time and energy”

The Skilled Soccer Player:

no longer has to process all available information and can focus on the critical tactical elements of the game.

is able to scan the entire field and determine their options, thus ignoring irrelevant information. Experienced players constantly scan the field visually, knowing what they are going to do with the ball before they receive it. This decreases the use of irrelevant information and expands the processing of relevant information.

is able to apply what is learned in a training session to a game. Creativity, spontaneity and anticipation are all attributes of consciousness and highly skilled soccer players.

the coach will establish specific constraints to support skill development, such as requiring that during practice players shoot only from outside the penalty box or that they pass a minimum of three times before shooting. Practice positively impacts performance.

Do not be afraid to change any aspect of your coaching but at the same time do not be afraid to let your players make mistakes and challenge them outside of their comfort level.

It is imperative that players play at their appropriate ability and maturity level and that the correct content is taught; to give them every opportunity to achieve their potential.

It is vitally important that we each have our own trademark and inject our own personal coaching style and individuality into our sessions.

All coaches should plan their sessions carefully allowing for any deviation in age and ability as well as differentiation between individual players.

As an educator you are constantly having to evaluate both your players and your coaching. This is an ongoing process over the course of a training session, scrimmage, or game, as well as weekly, monthly and seasonally. It may be necessary to adapt your own coaching according to the outcome of your evaluation.

“The closer I look the more I see”