Curing Inconsistent Play
From Game to Game
By: Dan Minutillo
“This is the worst that I’ve seen our team play in months. What happened, yesterday they played so well”? How many times have you heard a soccer coach say this during a four or six game tournament? If you say less than once per month, then you need to spend more time with coaches whose teams play multiple games in one weekend.
One of the biggest mysteries in youth soccer is how a well skilled, well coached team can look great during a game on one day and awful the next. It’s like your not watching the same team on the field even though the competition is of the same level as the prior game. Same players, same system, same instructions, same game time, same weather conditions, similar competition, and one day your watching what looks like a National team and at the very next game you’re watching a team that looks like they are playing in a bowl of thick gelatin. It makes no sense, at least on first blush.
Why such inconsistency in play? The answer to this question is very difficult to find, but once you find it, the problem is not difficult to fix. When the starting whistle is about to blow before a youth soccer game, the players no longer have their coach, parents, or their friends on the sidelines to rely on. The players are on the field with only their teammates. Even the best, most seasoned players feel a slight nervousness before each game. Part of that feeling comes from the isolation that one feels, even in a team sport like soccer, just before the first whistle blows to start the game. Though you are one of eleven on the field, you feel somewhat isolated or a better word might be introverted, just before the game starts. This is a natural tendency in all sports whether it be golf, tennis or soccer. There is that split second of isolation and the tension that it brings just before the first whistle is blown. But what has this got to do with inconsistent play?
We are social beings, even on the soccer field. We copy each other, learn from each other, share our joy, sadness, concern and enjoy an infectious laugh or a big yawn as it’s passed from person to person during events in our lives. Why should this sociality be any different on the soccer field? It’s not, but that doesn’t answer the question posed in this article - but it gets us closer to the answer.
When we are having a difficult time with something that seems overwhelming or difficult to accomplish, as social animals, the first thing that we do is to look for someone who has had a similar experience or is in a similar situation. We do this to either share our pain or to learn how to minimize it. In this situation, we usually turn to someone who we feel can handle the problem, is looked upon as a leader, or someone that we feel can help us in time of need - or more appropriate for this article, in time of isolation, confusion or difficulty. Pause here and think about the words in this paragraph. Think about the game; how the players feel before the game; who they look to for leadership on the field during the game; how they play if they find that leadership; and how they play if they don’t.
That’s the answer. During every game, players cue off of the leaders on the field. They draw strength, a sense of confusion, confidence, or insecurity from the leaders on the field. If a leader, usually one of the strongest players on a team, steps up, takes control, verbally commands the team to move one way or the other with composure and confidence, the team will play stronger even in tough situations. During a game, as much as we would like to think otherwise, the leader is not the coach. The coach is merely a minor bit player once the first whistle blows. Sure, the coach is extremely important in all parts of preparation for a game, at half time, and after games but once a game starts he is not the leader on the field. The players must put the coach’s system into action but it is they who perform the parts, not the coach.
Confident, calm, consistent, clear and well respected leadership on the field makes for consistent play even under the toughest situation. Groom, cajole, build up, befriend and create leaders on your team who your players will look to in time of isolation and difficulty. Communicate with these leaders during a game. Tell them to take control, to lead the team and tell the other players to key off of the leaders and you will have found a magic wand that you won’t have to waive to get your players to play consistent soccer game after game - consistent, dependable, respected leadership leads to consistent play game after game after game.
Some practical advice, try this during an unimportant soccer scrimmage. If your team is not performing well and there is no apparent reason for their poor performance, call your team captain to the sidelines during the run of play. Make him come all the way to the sideline that you are near so that all of the players on the field see him come to you. Try to do this when he is out of the play but during the run of play. The captain and the other players on your team will be startled that you did this. Also, this will force them to play one player short while you are talking to the team captain. Talk to the captain for about a minute or two. Do not criticize him or her but calmly give the captain a few clear, game oriented directions. It is extremely important that you be very calm and clear when talking to the captain during this few minutes.
During this time, the players on the field will not only think that you are crazy for pulling out one of the strongest players on the team during the game without a substitute but they may panic - which is what you want them to do. Their first thought will be that whatever you are telling the captain must be very important or you would not have pulled him out of the game to talk to him on the sidelines. Playing with ten players during this time will have the effect of jarring the players, changing their mood, forcing them to hold the game in check with one player short hopefully under heavy pressure from their opponent. Each player will get hit with a shot of adrenaline and find that extra energy to play with ten on the field while you and the captain are having a leisurely talk about some game strategy.
It really doesn’t matter what you tell the captain during this chat on the sidelines but you must say one thing to him or her at the end of your conversation - “go lead the team—tell them what to do”. Then just stand back and watch what happens. Go through this same routine each time that your team is playing inconsistently from game to game. The results will startle you as much as you startled the players by pulling out your captain for a short chat on the sidelines during the run of play.
Dan Minutillo
Head Coach Almaden U12 Boys
State Cup Champions
Regional Bronze Medalists
minu@flash.net
408 998-8900
Created:
12/20/99
Last Updated:
08/02/04
Since
February 24, 1999
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