What we look for in a coach

We are always on the lookout for new coaches that can contribute to our growing football programme, but what kind of skills do we look for in a future coach? Or what skills should parents look for in someone entrusted with coaching their children?

Often it is the less obvious skills that are most valued in a football coach. Anybody can pay to go on a football course and obtain the basic qualifications relatively easily. However I have seen plenty of UEFA A Licensed coaches that I have been far from impressed with, and plenty of Level One coaches that have been exceptional. (That’s not to say all are). So qualifications, whilst important, do not truly represent the value in a coach. In reality, experience counts for much more.

All coaches have their own style and way of delivering their practices, but what truly makes a great coach?
It’s easy for anybody to look on YouTube and find a fancy practice that will use lots of cones and look visually spectacular. Indeed many 1 to 1 coaches make a living doing exactly that. But what is the purpose of the practice? Do you wake up and think ‘I saw a great passing drill today, so that’s what we’re going to do at training.’ Or is there a reason for working on a specific topic?
A good coach will have hundreds of practice designs and can choose or design one specifically to aid the development of the players they are working with. But remember a session design is often just the skeleton of the practice. The real coaching (the meat on the bones) is what information is passed and learned by the player during that practice. The coach should have a clear focus on what outcomes they are looking for, and not get distracted by other topics they could work on that may take the focus away from the players primary objective. They will build on a topic from session to session to increase the difficulty and depth of understanding. You wouldn’t open a book and read the first 2 pages of Chapter One, then pick it up the next day and start from Chapter Two. You would probably go back over the last part you read to remind yourself before continuing where you left off.

At Goal Coaching we try to avoid ‘reactionary coaching’. That is “We conceded two goals from corners this weekend so we’re spending an hour on set piece routines this week!”, instead we prefer a pro-active approach. What are the most important skills these players will need as they get older? We focus on these and try to build the best foundation for each player we possibly can.

Recently I witnessed a famous ‘YouTuber Coach’ delivering a 1:1 session where the player was asked to scan the pitch before taking their first touch to receive the ball. The player was encouraged to turn their head and check the opposite side of the pitch before receiving. What the coach was missing was that nobody else was on the pitch, the whole point of scanning is to take on information to make more informed decisions, yet there was no information to gather. Essentially he was just teaching the player to turn their head. It looked great on video, but offered very little learning for the player.

All of this of course is useless if the coach cannot pass information to the players. Good communication skills are a must, not just how much information to share, but when to share it. I’m sure we have all witnessed sessions when the coach is talking for half an hour and the players are stood around freezing or bored. A good coach will make their point quickly and get out just as fast to allow the game to flow and maximise the learning time with the ball.
We often wonder why great players do not always make great coaches. Often this is because they cannot pass on the wealth of knowledge they have obtained to others. This is a skill in itself. Understanding each individual is essential and building a relationship with each player is key to encouraging good learning. When working with Goal Coaching you will notice all of our coaches crouch or sit down when talking to the younger groups. This is not because they are tired and need a rest but because it’s important they get on the same level as the players. By towering over each player they can make them feel uncomfortable, and exerts dominance. By sitting with the players they are showing they are willing to give the players equal opportunity to speak and express themselves. They are less domineering and more approachable, meaning players are more likely to find the confidence to voice their ideas and be creative. They encourage, each player to try things without a fear of failure. This is just a small part of creating a great learning environment.

Very often the coaches personality will be reflected in their team. At Goal Coaching we expect all of our coaches to first and foremost be good people with good values. We try to avoid confrontation and over-competitive behaviour. We are respectful of opposition and officials and we encourage our players to act in the same way. Our coaches are role models to the players we work with. Sport is such a fantastic tool to develop life skills and sporting behaviours, and we expect our coaches to use this tool to encourage our players to be the best version of themselves they can be. The reality is that few of the children will one day become professional football players, but we hope many more will grow-up to be good people.

Does this sound like you? Or how you would like to deliver your coaching sessions? If so we’d love to hear from you. We are always looking for enthusiastic and reliable coaches to join our team. Hopefully this blog will provide an idea of the type of personalities we are looking to work with, or for parents the kind of principles to look for in a coach.