How To Deal With The Player

Who Does Not Listen

BY HASHIM RAJA
Most coaches have their favourite athletes, whether they want to admit it or not. Some athletes are just a pleasure to coach and can make coaching so easy.
But on the other hand, life wasn’t meant to be easy and there is always at least one athlete who reminds their coach they have a job on their hands.

Whilst some athletes can be difficult to coach, there are others who are simply disruptive. Not only are these athletes difficult to coach, but they can also
make coaching everyone else difficult. By interrupting other members of the team it can be problematic to coach the rest of the team.
With adult athletes, coaches can be more direct and if required remove the athlete from the playing list if it comes to that. After all, it only takes one rotten apple to spoil
the whole barrel. Sometimes teams/clubs are better off without certain athletes.
With children the circumstances are different. Coaches need to remember that some children may not be there on their own will. Also learning and attention difficulties
are present in youth teams and need to be considered by coaches. But that does not excuse athletes from interrupting your coaching or your other athletes’ experiences.
Dealing with disruptive young athletes can be tremendously difficult. However, at the same time, it can be incredibly rewarding. These circumstance present coaches with
the opportunity to have an ever-lasting impact on a young person’s life by turning their behaviour around. An opportunity that coaches shouldn’t shy away from.
How do you deal
First, it is important to tailor your practice to your players’ ages. If the
player or players in question are under eight years old, they are
probably just exhibiting personality tendencies common to that age
group: short attention spans, high energy, sociability, an inability to
understand certain detail-oriented explanations, etc. It has been shown
that it is fairly unproductive to attempt to teach players under eight
years old the technicalities of soccer such as corner kicks, goalkeeping
skills, throw-ins, etc. At this level, the kids just want to have fun and get
touches on the ball. This is why small-sided soccer is so important at this
level. Playing with less players on the field results in more children
getting touches on the ball, and consequently, more learning and more
development.
For players eight and up who have been
playing soccer for at least one previous season
and who should be accustomed to how a
soccer practice is “run,” discipline problems
can be treated as such. Unfortunately, these
discipline problems can run the gamut from
not listening to being disrespectful to other
players and coaches. Try not to be too hard on
the player who won’t listen to you—after all,
these kids have been “listening” in some form
or other to an adult all day at school, a place
that is filled with lines and lectures, two non-
kid friendly items.
At soccer practice, out in the fresh air, the kids
may feel compelled to just run around and
burn excess energy, which is OK to an extent,
but can become detrimental when its affecting
your ability as a coach to teach the other
players important soccer concepts.
Remember that you are the coach, not a “buddy.” Some people have the ability
to pal around and still inspire unconditional respect from their players. Some do
not. If you are in the latter category, it is important to have respect first. Be nice,
always, and do not lecture, but be firm.
Do not tolerate rude or disrespectful behaviour. This should result in a “time-
out” for the player who is acting up. Be sure to judge each situation in a new
light. Some players don’t mean to be rude—they just weren’t paying attention
at the time. Only consciously punish consciously rude behaviour. Be aware that
some medical conditions can cause children to behave in seemingly disruptive
ways.
Send a letter home to parents describing your coaching philosophy—what you
expect from your players and what they should expect from you. Explain that
the first “incident” will result in a physical activity such as “knee-jumps” (he
stands still & jumps, raising his knees to waist height—quick and less disruptive
than laps), second in a time out, third in sitting out practice and a letter home,
fourth in asking parents to attend practice, etc., at your discretion. Examples of
proper soccer practice behaviour.
Everyone must follow all directions given by
the coaches & assistant coaches
Everyone must do their best
When coaches talk players must be still and
listen
Everyone to be a good sport whether we win
or lose (this includes parents)
No swearing or name-calling
Disruptive or disrespectful behaviour will not
be tolerated
Keep your hands to yourself
Do not kick your ball in the air unless coach
tells you to do so
Buy a whistle & use it to get attention!
The most important thing to remember when
dealing with ANY players under 13 years of age
is that they are at practice mainly to have fun
and play the game of soccer—which, finally, is
just a game. Taking the game too seriously, or
making practice too much like school, will
result in your players becoming uninterested
in the game.
A good idea is to schedule an “energy burn”
session into your practice. Think of how you
feel sitting in your office all day long on a
beautiful spring day. These kids feel this
sensation 10x more than you do-— humans
are simply not designed to sit inside all day.
Your players have their whole lives to sit at
desks and listen to other people. Playing
soccer, going for a run, playing golf or tennis
—- these are the ways that we all use our
physical energy that sits dormant for most of
the day.
“As your kids grow up they may forget what you
said, but they won’t forget how you made them
feel.”