Like any other sport, in Coaching high school soccer too, confidence is the prerequisite that each player needs to discover and instill in himself or herself to become successful. Often when you say that the players have to play under pressure in a game, it indicates your player’s lack of confidence to handle any situation. This is because it is only with confidence that we expect success.
Confidence is a choice and your players have to first choose to become confident. When coaching youth soccer, illustrate this point by telling them the behaviors of two parrots sitting on either shoulder.
One is a positive parrot that pushes the player to accept and conquer every challenge coming his way by repeating “You can do it.” The other parrot has the tendency to de-motivate the players saying “You can’t do this.” That’s why it the player who has to make a choice between which parrot to follow.
Once the choice has been made, teach them to take responsibility for their actions. And this may be an everyday decision. Build confidence in the players by emphasizing their involvement in past successes and ready successful players to make a strong team.
Teach your players during soccer coaching that holding someone or something else responsible is a symbol of insecurity. Rather they should take responsibility and consider setbacks as a part of the learning curve, not a failure that could shake confidence.
When coaching high school soccer, condition the players to see every lost opportunity as a lesson and they should keep telling themselves “I’ll get the next one.”
The distress of the miss instantly motivates, hence ensuring no effect on confidence for the next strike.
One of the keys to managing a successful team is your ability to make quick judgments regarding a player’s ability to survive the demands of competition. Judging physical readiness in football coaching is relatively easier than judging mental readiness.
To facilitate this type of judgment, look for clear messages. To check player’s capability to thrive in the game, it is necessary to browse their verbal and non verbal messages.
Confidence comes from success. Success in Soccer comes with the belief in yourself that you are well equipped and ready for every situation that may build pressure. “If you are not preparing to win, you are preparing to fail” is a phrase often used to motivate players.
Experience is a building block of confidence. Players must be conditioned to take in their stride all fears, mistakes, defeats, and criticism to build the foundation of experience they need. It is always felt that he or she has the knowledge, has practiced it before and knows what to do next.
Don’t take it for granted. Building of confidence is an everyday task in coaching high school soccer, so players ought to reflect on positive and main steps for their realization.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make training fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: http://soccerdrillstips.com
