3 Coaching Dilemnas

In my last piece, I talked about the importance of having a very simple Philosophy that can be used to help inform all your decisions as a Grassroots Coach. I also introduced Three Fundamental Coaching Dilemnas that have troubled me from day one.

These Dilemnas struck a chord with readers and I received many questions about them. So today I'm going to expand on the issue and try to answer.

First a bit of background. After taking up a role as a Grassroots coach for a local team I quickly realised that I was constantly battling against differing opinions and options available to me as a coach.

There is no lack of resources for an aspiring football coach. Sessions, drills, and ideas are easy to get hold of and integrate into your team. These cover a myriad of subjects from ball mastery, fitness and diet to tactics, Psychology and motivation. Having the tools for my coaching was never going to be a problem.

However, I found myself constantly asking myself why I had chosen the resources I had and to what extant I was trying to implement them.

This is when I became aware of the three Dilemnas. Every time I reviewed what I was trying to achieve these three, very basic, very fundamental issues reared their head. I found it impossible to address the subject of what I was trying to do without first having a very clear idea of where I stood on these issues.

They are:

1. How many players do I need and of what ability? 

2. How much playing time do they get?

2. How much involvement do you want to have in the players development?

I suggest that prior to attempting any lengthy Philosophy you have a clear answer to these. Once tackled, they can be used to guide your thoughts on the resources you need. Without an answer, you may still find yourself bounced around by whatever takes your fancy.

A nice side benefit from being clear here is the way parents engage with you. Once they understand how you have set your stall out, its easy to decide if that's what they want to be involved with.

Let's look at each Dilemna...

Number and type of player

This is contentious and divisive. However, I insist there is no "correct" answer. Opinions will cover a wide spectrum and so they should.

For instance:

Is it ok to sign just 7 players for a 7 aside team?

Do you want to offer footy to as many as possible and sign on 14?

Is your team open to anyone. With widely varying standards?

Do you only accept players of a certain quality?

Do not be pressured into thinking there is a right way to answer here. There isn't. Some will say " why on earth are you only signing 7?"  "Well its because I believe they learn more by playing every minute available to them" could be the reply.

Playing Time.

Why is playing time important?

Well, your players and parents will be very interested in how you intend to approach this. They will want to know how they are going to be involved and its best to manage expectations upfront with this.

In my opinion, this can be the biggest source of frustration for a coach, player and parent. FA Chartered Clubs should have a very clear policy on this and it may be a good idea to make sure you understand it as it may actually go against how you wish to run things.

Can you imagine trying to sort that issue out mid season?

Playing time also has a big impact on how you manage the team.

For example:

Do you feel everyone should get equal time?

If so, do you limit the squad size to get as much time as possible for everyone?

Have you decided that you want the best players to play more or maybe the weaker players so they develop quicker?

The answer is, it doesn't matter!

Football is for everyone and what matters is that you've thought about it and decided which way YOU  want to go.

Some will disagree with you. Some will go elsewhere but I guarantee you that some will join you because of your stance. The point is, there is no right or wrong way to answer this question only opinion, and as the team coach, its your opinion that matters.

Coaching Involvement.

This is where things can get messy as many coaches are wedded to their approach and see it as "the right way". In reality its just another spectrum of opinion. Let's forget about how to be involved or what resources or techniques we should be using. Let's just keep it simple.

The spectrum can be as wide as:

I'll just turn up with a ball and let them get on with it.

To

My sessions are tailored to included specific exercises to improve aspects of play.

And everything in between.

Many coaches will say this choice is down to a level of expertise and I'd agree that this can certainly be true. However, this is incorrect in many cases as lots of great coaches keep their involvement to a minimum. How you decide will be impacted by the players you have, their stage of development and your goals but mainly by your opinion on how you wish to be involved.

Thinking about these dilemnas and being clear on how to proceed will then have a bearing on what resources you go hunting for, what learning you undertake and what skills you try to hone. Without these answers you are taking a stab in the dark.

So, as an aspiring grassroots coach, one who has recently taken the plunge or one who wants to revisit their approach, why not take a bit of time to think about the three dilemnas and jot down your opinions on the matter.

Don't be afraid to share your views, discuss them with others and listen to opposing points of view. There's little point in arguing approaches but discussion is valuable.

Remember, Football is for everyone and your place in Football is as important as anyone else's.