Reader,
Game day is an exciting time for players, coaches, parents and fans. It’s the culmination of all of the hard work and planning of coaches, and the sweat and determination of the players on the training pitch.
Whether it’s coaching a group of U6s and seeing the joy when they make a pass or score a goal, or it’s leading a team out in a final where we’re playing for silverware, staying self-aware in our coaching practice is crucial.
Over the last season, I have watched a lot of coaches work on game day, and without doubt, the variables that the game and competition present is what can really test us.
Whether this is officiating, fans, player behaviour, the context of the competition, the frustration of mistakes or perceived pressure, the way we behave can be impacted by so many variables.
So how can we ensure that on game day, we are hyper-aware of the impact of our behaviour, words, body language or interventions?
Three Things to Consider
1. Get clear on your values and your team culture.
You cannot lead others without leading yourself first. Values are the anchors or pillars we can lean on in ‘the fire’. Whilst football is not life or death (and we need to keep it in perspective), it is only human nature to feel a degree of pressure and expectation when leading people.
By knowing who you are and what you stand for, you can then ensure that you’re modelling the behaviours that will support a calm, clear and controlled environment.
If we let every ‘uncontrollable’ impact us and just ride the wave of emotion, this could be detrimental to actually making a meaningful intervention and impact on our team. Staying calm and composed allows us to get impactful messages to our players in moments where it can make a difference to performance and outcomes.
2. Dial in your support staff.
If you’re in a position where you have an assistant coach, a team manager (volunteer or otherwise) or even a parent, make it clear to them where the line is in your behaviour and encourage them to pull you back if you cross it. By allowing yourself to trust a coaching colleague to do this, they can keep you in check if you see the red mist.
3. Be open with the players and walk the walk.
If you’re going to demand the players go out and show confidence, composure, resilience, character, persistence or play to a style you’ve been working on, then you need to ensure that they can expect the right behaviours from you. By modelling the behaviours you want to see in your team, you stand to be more credible with the playing group. The impact of poor sideline behaviour can be hard to come back from.
One thing to try this week
Sit down and consider what you ask of your players. If you want them to be on time, work hard and perform, then make sure you’re doing the same.
Create a list of expectations for yourself on the sideline. How do you want to ‘be’ when the pressure comes on, and how would you like your players to remember you?
One Critical Resource on the Topic
Check out this Masterclass Discussion on Authentic Leadership with Liverpool FC academy coach, Keith Mayer and his son, author and coach, David. This chat covers the importance of authenticity and the coach as a role model.
