What Soccer Coaches Want vs. What Soccer Players Need

Some coaches want their players to listen to them and follow instructions. They want to be the focus of practice and the center of attention. They tell players what to do and ask no questions, because what the players think is of no consequence.

These coaches love drills, because they believe that technique is best taught through repetition. This is true to some extent, but technique performed without the pressure of the demands of the game is futile. The problem with drills is that there is an absence of thinking. Maybe some coaches prefer this, but players need to solve problems on their own, so the environment has to encourage this as often as possible.

Even when working on skill/technique, there should be competition, movement and intensity. The pressure does not have to come from a defender in the beginning stages of training, but there should be pressure of time, space and the accomplishment of objectives. Some coaches forget that the game is for the players and they learn most from this, because it it relevant and realistic.

Players  want to play soccer at practice. The game is indeed the best teacher, so most of their time should be spent participating in activities that look like soccer. The Dutch believe that 75% of practice should be dedicated to this. We all know players love this, so why is it so hard  for some coaches to implement in training?

Soccer coaches seem to stay away from games until the last 20 minutes of practice, because they fear loss of control. You cannot control what happens in soccer as a coach, but you can influence what happens. Educated coaches know that they can coach within the game, by guiding players through difficulties without stopping the entire group. They know that mistakes are a  part of soccer and that there are many variables. They coach at natural stoppages, so that the rhythm of the game is not broken. They impart knowledge through guided discovery. This is what players need to become game intelligent problem solvers.