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The Craft of Coaching
(Pt. 2 of 4)

THE COACH AS A "CRAFTSMAN"

The craft of coaching players comes down to four basic tasks. The end results are carefully designed and focused practice sessions in an environment which closely resembles the competitive pressure of a game, and in which players improve. The four basic tasks are 1) observation, 2) organization, 3) instruction and 4) motivation.

Observation - Match Analysis
To discover what the players need to practice, the coach must observe them play in a game. The game tells us what the players need. The observations the coach makes during a game will give the practice session a focus. Consequently, the soccer coaching model on game day is quite different from football, basketball or lacrosse, which encourages a high degree of interaction between players and coaches. Possibly baseball or ice hockey are better models for soccer, wherein the coach quietly observes the game, writes notes and occasionally exhorts players to perform.

Match observation and analysis
This is a very difficult skill. Some useful tips to develop this skill include:

• Watching a lot of soccer games.
• Sitting quietly with a pad and pen to note observations. Some coaches have an assistant do the writing while they observe.
• Developing the ability to look away from the ball. This is difficult, because the ball is a magnet for attention.

Here are three classic scenarios where looking away from the ball might be important:

* If midfielders get caught in possession, you may accuse them of indecision. Had you looked away from the ball at the forwards, however, you would have seen that they had not checked, made runs, etc.
* Your forwards have the ball outside opponent’s penalty box. Are your backs pushed up to the half line to compact the team defensively?
* Your team plays a 4-4-2. When the right flank has the ball, does left flank come inside to become a third center forward, or does he/she stay wide? This has implications for getting into penalty area if a cross is delivered or leaving space for overlapping left back.

Compartmentalizing observation into categories:

Individual

• Evaluation of your players’ technical, tactical, physical and psychological performance.

Small group

• Observation of backs, midfielders, forwards, etc.
• Observation of vertical thirds, left flank, central, right flank
• Observation of players within 12 yards of the ball
• Observation of first and second attackers
• Observation of first and second defenders

Team

• Does team exhibit ability to apply principles of game?

Attack:

• Penetration
• Support
• Mobility
• Width
• Creativity

Defense:

• Pressure
• Cover
• Balance
• Compactness
• Predictability

The scope of match analysis is far beyond the limits of this article, but covered more fully in the NSCAA Advanced National and Premier Diplomas. Match analysis provides the delineation of the themes that must be developed in practice.

[To be continued next month...]

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in its entirety in the May/June 2003 issue of the NSCAA Soccer Journal.