Reader,
I was recently listening to a podcast with a health and fitness expert who when asked about goal setting, she replied, “Set standards, not goals.”
This really resonated with me in a coaching sense given that most teams will have the same goal – to win a game, win the league or to win the tournament.
Every team wants to win, but this quote got me thinking about the importance of culture, expectations, values and processes that will support in delivering outcomes. Without a doubt, having a clear direction is key, but it’s important that we still uphold standards and live our values whether the result is positive or negative on game day.
For most professional academies, the goal isn’t about winning games, it’s about developing players for their first team, or to push on to other clubs in professional football.
In grassroots settings, I would argue the number one priority is to ensure that players fall in love with the game, have a positive experience and come back next season.
However, when leading development programmes, or teams with players who might take their football more seriously, setting high standards (for both players, and yourself as a coach) is critical.
At the start of each season, I like to get my players together and facilitate sessions that allow them to agree on values, set expectations, be clear on what I expect of them, and task them with telling me what they expect from their coach.
This process has been exceptionally valuable to me and I believe it creates an environment of accountability, often where players have to take initiative and drive their own standards. In turn, my belief is that these skills can support players beyond the game, in their everyday lives as they move towards adulthood.
Three things to consider
- Have you ever asked your players what they want from a coach? This can be a rewarding and revealing experience, that can provide some pillars to inform your approach to coaching the group based on their needs.
- Do you ever spend a session off the grass discussing what the players want from their football experience, or supporting them to create their team culture?
- When ‘pressure’ comes on, or results might be disappointing, this is the true test as to whether your environment is as strong as you think it might be.
One thing for you to try this week.
Set your players the task (ideally in a face-to-face meeting) of getting together in small groups to discuss what they want from their coach, what they believe are standards and expectations for the playing group, and what their collective team values look like.
Distil the information and play it back to the group to see whether they agree on the language or ideas – this can be a superb way to start your season or check in mid-season to adjust the team’s direction if you feel it’s going off-course.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this PDP guide on building team culture, a must-read on how you can create a strong environment for your players to thrive.
