Tag: Coaching Tips

Why You Shouldn’t Punish Your Players

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Sport Psychology

In Canada, there has recently been a move toward the terms "old school" and "new school" to describe a shift in coaching behaviours. The terms have developed as a result of the abandonment of "old school" methods like yelling at kids, focusing on a select few talented players rather than all, and punishments like push-ups, laps or "benching" players. But still, everywhere I go, I still see coaches looking for ways to punish their players. And so today, I write this piece, with the bold statement that you should never punish your players. I am usually one to avoid saying the word "never", especially in respect to coaching. I may want to tell coaches that I mentor and develop to never do elimination games or to never limit a player's number of touches. But there may be a time and a place where it could be beneficial or logical. But when it comes to punishments, unless someone has something really compelling to say and wants to try to convince me otherwise, I believe you should never punish your players. Here are three reasons why!

How To Keep Your Players Engaged During COVID-19

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Sport Psychology

Over the past couple of weeks, much of youth sports around the world have been postponed due to COVID-19 and the ongoing spread of the virus. For both coaches and athletes this presents a unique challenge, as self-isolation and social distancing makes practicing a team sport particularly difficult. That said, it's not as though nothing can be done in this time of self-isolation or as though players must spend all day on their phones. Here are some ways to keep your players engaged during this time.

5 Common Mistakes Coaches Make

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Sport Psychology

Recently I had the privilege of helping teach a coaching course at my university institution to eighty students, most of which had never coached before. Not only was it (hopefully) a valuable learning experience for the students, it was also a great learning experience for me and my development as a coach. Across the course, the students adapted well to the teaching methods of the course. However, a few common mistakes could be found in nearly every single session that the students delivered. As a result, I have developed this list of the most common mistakes coaches (not just beginners) often make. This list should be a helpful reminder to all coaches on how to be better in their roles and ensure participants get the most out of their experience.

Restricted vs. Conditioned Games – Coaching Soccer

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Sport Psychology, World Football

Many coaches often add restrictions to games. Restrictions like needing to complete three passes before the team can score or players being locked into different zones on the field can be valuable to teaching certain topics to young players. But restrictions need to be used wisely. Instead of restricting behaviours, coaches should look to encourage behaviours and do so more carefully through encouraging something to happen, rather than restricting it. In this article I will outline why restricted games should be more scarcely used, and why the term 'conditioned game' should possibly have a change of meaning to urge coaches to encourage the behaviours of their players in games without restricting their players.

Teaching First Touch in Youth Soccer

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses

The first touch that a player makes after receiving the ball is a highly underrated skill. The first touch can often make or break an attack and in some cases make a break a player's ability to score a goal. Here is a quick-fire guide to teaching young players how to take their first touch.

Support in Attack (9v9)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, World Football

Although players are constantly thrust into 1v1 battles on a football pitch, attacking is something that the whole team needs to engage in as a unit. As a result, players need to learn how to support each other in attack, even if they are not directly involved with the play. This article will explore support … Continue reading Support in Attack (9v9)

Support in Defense (9v9)

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching

Although players are constantly thrust into 1v1 battles on a football pitch, defending is something that the whole team needs to engage in as a unit. As a result, players need to learn how to support each other in defense, even if they are not directly involved with the play. This article will explore support in defense for 9v9 teams through diagrams involving the 3-2-3 and 3-4-1 formations.

Communication in Youth Soccer

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Masterclasses, Masterclasses, Player Education, Sport Psychology, World Football

Communication is one of the most important skills for young players learning their trade in the beautiful game to develop. Communication is not just all about players shouting at each other and calling for the ball. It goes far beyond that to non-verbal communication, body language, and even knowing when not to communicate. Here are some of the key words and phrases that young players can communicate to their teammates during games.