In coaching high school soccer, it’s a fact that similar to confidence; self-control too is a choice players need to make. In soccer coaching, it’s the relation between emotions and thoughts that concludes the self control strategies. All of us know our mental state influences our passions that accordingly enhance our performance.
I’ll explain to you a 12 step strategy that’ll allow you to assist your players in learning the discipline of self-control. Still, it is better that players take up these steps only when they feel that it is going to be of value to them.
What’s more, the players should also be prepared to take full responsibility for the actions they take. The 12 steps are explained below.
1. Awareness: Help the players figure out their weak points during the course of coaching youth soccer. Allow them to investigate when, where and how loss of control happened on field in their past.
2. Understanding: Allow the players to make out the reason that affected their thinking in such a way that they lost their emotional stability.
3. Differences: Give them time to recollect situations when they did lose control and when they did not. Let them judge the distinction between their behavior, attitudes, and emotions then.
4. Problem: In coaching high school soccer, try to find out the exact problem. For example: Is it the guilt of letting the whole team down because of their performance?
5. Belief: The players should be taught to raise their expectations for themselves with self-control as one of the traits. Persuade them that they can change.
6. Reinforcement: A change in behavior is promoted by reinforcement. Therefore, you must not forget your duty as a coach to recognize and honor the improvements of players so that they stick to these.
7. Goals: To guide the players through skill upgradation process, set a series of small goals for them. You need to make the players understand the link between actions, thoughts, and feelings.
8. Techniques: To maintain the confidence level, employ a set of behavioral practices. For example: When a particular situation comes up, this is the path that the players must go by.
9. Plan: In football coaching, teach the players to pursue their goals in a planned and systematic way.
10. Progress: Teach them how to be patent. Let them understand the principle of gradual improvement including the ups and downs.
11. Setbacks: Let the players understand that setbacks are there to stay. So, the best way is learn from them and become even stronger.
12. Remembrance: Last but by no means the least, make the players understand that they are trying to change for a reason. The players must always know that why and what are they doing. What will their future be like, if they don’t change.
It is well known that a soccer player must act swiftly and yet comfortably to be perfect performer. This simply means use of full energy without stress.
Make no mistake about it. Coaching high school soccer must include relaxation techniques so that the players can learn to be in-charge of their emotions to save energy and kill any fears.
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Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Practice Drills.