X-Factor COACH

"I see Mats (name freely invented) as a player, not as a project," replied the young head coach of a U13 team at an academy (NLZ) to a worried father's question about the presumed playing time his offspring might get, at the point when, after three trial training sessions, the boy was facing the decision of whether to join the academy's team or not.

For clarity: by "player," the coach meant something like a "squad player," while he referred to players with development potential as a "project."

Today's post in my column "So schaut's aus" is dedicated to one facet of the coaching role at an academy, and to how far-reaching it is.

This weekend I wanted to focus on the topic of COACHES anyway, and so a comment made by a father in connection with talent development and an academy coach gave me the perfect opening to better outline the complexity of this role, as well as the extensive requirements profile of a youth coach.

In doing so, I'm not exclusively concerned with coaches at performance centers, but also with the many coaches at amateur clubs across the most varied leagues.

The excerpt from the dialogue between the parent and the academy coach described above makes clear how important it is for both sides to be aware of one another. How much a coach lacks in empathy — but also in the imagination needed to actually develop talents — becomes clear when he makes a statement like that.

Shouldn't the coach of a performance-oriented junior team keep a constant eye on the opportunities and strengths of his players? Of course, honest and sincere communication is the foundation for fruitful cooperation, and unfortunately, uncomfortable conversations sometimes have to be had too — but certainly not at the moment a player is potentially being taken onto a team. It's also clear that the coach can't give the father any guarantee of playing time. That would undermine the merit principle within his squad, which would be counterproductive for his players' development — but telling a father, in this situation, that his son is merely a "player" and not a "project" pulls the ground out from under even the most committed parents.

When you consider the sacrifices a family makes to support a child in competitive football — starting with the countless drives to training and matches, the conversations that need to be had with the talented offspring, organizing everyday life, balancing academic and footballing development, all the way to preserving the family's overall equilibrium — it becomes very clear, very quickly, that this young coach robs perspectives with a few careless words and also does lasting damage to the club's reputation when it comes to youth development.

If, instead, he had properly internalized his task/role, he would see every single player as an opportunity and work on his development with enjoyment. With that mindset, words like the ones from the dialogue described above would never have crossed his lips. As I said, promising playing time wouldn't be honest and would be counterproductive, but assuring the father that he, the coach, would do everything to support the player's development would, at that moment, be a sincere statement from a mentor with the right mindset.

The full truth, of course, also includes the fact that players' prospects need to be assessed in a differentiated way at various points in time. But that also means that development opportunities are recognized and that regular status conversations are held.

In doing so, the coach may address the individual areas among the predictors of talent development (which I listed in my post "Eltern - PEINLICH oder ein Faktor in der Entwicklung") that fall within his direct and indirect sphere of influence, namely physical, physiological, and perceptual-cognitive abilities. In this context, open exchange with the parents — and also with the talent, ideally in a joint conversation — is especially valuable.

The more clearly the coach can communicate his ideas, the easier it is for the player to orient himself by them. Images and video analyses often help to work out a shared understanding of particular characteristics and ideas.

When it comes to U13 players, technical skills naturally take center stage. The so-called golden learning age, as it's fondly called, in turn places particular demands on the coaching staff. "Clean," technical movement sequences need to be trained, and these need to become more and more automated. An accurate, powerful header, secure ball control with the foot or chest, fluid dribbling, and a firm, well-placed pass form the foundation of footballing skills. At the same time, tactical aspects must not be neglected. Individual tactical behavior, in particular, moves to the center of attention. How should a player position himself relative to the ball and the ball-carrying opponent in a defensive action? What options does he have for acting? What consequences follow from each? The same naturally applies in reverse when in possession. What position should the player move into in order to initiate space-gaining follow-up actions? How does the player need to position himself to offer his ball-carrying teammate a passing option? When does turning with the ball make sense? When is laying it off ("Klatschen") the better choice?

In addition, it's helpful if a U13 coach can already clearly convey which group-tactical and team-tactical ideas he wants to implement with his team.

And yes, that applies both to performance-oriented teams and to teams in amateur football. Of course, the level of execution and the demands placed on speed and precision differ, but fundamentally, coaches should have clear ideas about this, and they should also be able to articulate them clearly.

That would initially create the foundation for clearly distinguishing between the target and the actual state, and for defining a set of expectations regarding talent development. Unfortunately, what's often already missing here is a clear target vision on the coach's part. The consequences are obvious.

I appeal to all coaches in youth development:

1. Check your mindset! What is your most urgent task?

2. Break free from old patterns of thinking and acting!

3. Keep educating yourselves! There are so many inspiring opportunities out there.

4. Seek open dialogue, above all with the players, as often as possible!

5. Maintain sincere dealings with everyone around you.

I look forward to addressing another topic in talent development with you next week under my column "So schaut's aus." Until then! Stay healthy, and always a good ball!