01: Grow Coach Newsletter
Soccer Coaching: Helping Players to Deal with Pressure
A warm welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board. This is our first-ever newsletter. We are looking forward to providing many more!!!
Here is what to expect:
Helping your players deal with pressure.
Coaching tips and action steps to deal with pressure.
Session Share: Build-Up Play Game.
Problem/Fix: A common error young players make.
Spotlight: How to coach ball striking.
Coach Project: Take some action to help your players or team cope with pressure.
‘‘Pressure is a Privilege’’
So often we see pressure as a hindrance to performance. In reality, it’s the very thing we have been craving to drive us forward. The pressure of playing or coaching football grabs everyone at some point.
One of our jobs as coaches is being able to recognize that our players are feeling the heat and then offer advice, support, and solutions.
I like this quote because it signifies the expectations and challenges that players face. It highlights that pressure occurs as a direct result of their talents and the opportunities they’ve earned.
Why do players feel pressure?
High expectations
Competition
A desire to do well.
They need to keep their place in the team.
Fear of not progressing to the next level.
When a threat to any of these occurs, pressure can start to creep in. This can result in players hiding from moments they usually embrace. Others complain, moan, or blame to deflect from themselves.
For some, they may experience a confidence crisis and dip in performance.
‘‘ ARE YOU FEELING THE PRESSURE OR APPLYING IT’’
Usually, player’s pressure comes from a competitive situation or experience they have been desperate to be part of.
However, this situation has not gone to plan or has become too much for them.
Coach to Player Advice:
Focus on the process not the outcome: Give players a challenge to focus on, for example breaking lines with forward passes, using wall passes to beat players, and marking a specific opponent.
Specific Instructions: Provide some options or answers from your experience. Give the players ideas of things that have worked before when others have overcome the same barrier.
Pep Talk: Sometimes the player just needs permission or reassurance to take the risks needed to get the job done. Once that is provided the pressure can dissolve.
Coach Tips:
Body Language: When the pressure is on how you manage your body language is important, to stand tall, open posture, and use lots of smiles, thumbs up, claps, fist pumps, etc to show you are relaxed.
Verbal Communication: Be aware of your voice pitch and tone, you can increase the pressure a player feels without realizing you are doing it.
Emotional Control: Football is a very emotional game and coaches get caught up in it. Give yourself some time before addressing the players to get yours in check, and be aware of your sideline behaviors.
A Final Note
As a coach, you should be looking to deflect or distract the player from the pressure they are facing.
Give the player some options, ideas, and actions. Reframe the pressure, get players to think about how they can apply pressure rather than feel it, and ask the question.
‘‘What are you doing to apply pressure?’’
A positive approach to overcoming pressure can be a useful tool to keep players on task.
Bonus Tip:
‘‘Learn to Feedforward, rather than Feedback’’.
STEPS:
Try to focus on a player’s future potential: What does the next level of performance look like for them?
Look at the current reality: Tell the player what is working for them and what is missing!
Identify the obstacles: Help the player see what is holding them back.
Action: The player should be clear and energized on how to move forward.
By focusing on the future first the player is motivated to act. Feeding forward leaves the player uncomfortable but eager to get going. They know what is working and the obstacles holding them back. Suddenly their discomfort is converted into energy.
Session Share: Build Up Play
Aim:
Practice playing through pressure.
Set-Up:
30 by 20 space, split into three sections, a pair of mini goals at each end of the field.
3 Teams of 4 players: Two teams attacking (blacks, blues), one team defending (reds).
How to Play:
The ball always starts between the mini-goals. Attackers connect 2-3 passes in their zone and then transfer the ball to the opposite zone via the central zone.
One attacker can drop into the central zone to help progress the ball. The receiver of the pass must play the ball between the mini-goals before passing the ball back through the central zone.
If the defending team wins the ball they can score in the mini-goals where the build-up phase was taking place.
Problem: Turning into Pressure!!!
Are your players turning into pressure?
They have the ball at their feet and they are being pressured by a defender. As they turn to try and escape, they show too much of the ball to the defender.
This often results in a battle, that could have been avoided. The defender manages to get a touch on the ball or just takes the ball off the attacker.
This common mistake can be a problem, especially if you like your players to look after the ball.
Fix: Hide the Ball with your Body!!
Look out for this next time you are coaching. If this is a mistake that you see, the solution is encouraging the player to turn whilst keeping their body between the ball and the defender. Hiding the ball makes it harder for the defender to access it.
Players often turn to get onto their preferred foot to dribble with. Get the player to practice turning with their weaker foot. This makes it easier to turn away and not into pressure. Two-footedness gives the player more options to escape.
Topic: Ball Striking!!
Why is it important:
Scoring Goals: Using the correct technique to finish a chance is essential.
Passing Accuracy: Players must be able to keep possession of the ball so they can make progress up the pitch.
Crossing: Fullbacks and Wingers rely on this skill many times in a game to set up scoring opportunities.
Set Pieces: Corners and freekicks require accurate deliveries to place the ball where they want it to go.
First Touch: Players with great ball striking skills can use their first touch to set up their next actions.
How to Coach It:
Eyes: Observe the flight/movement of the ball before it arrives, and select a foot surface to hit the ball with (inside, laces, outside).
Body: Position the body to allow for a clean ball contact. Place the standing foot alongside the ball and put your arms out to the side for balance purposes.
Striking: Draw the kicking foot back, make contact with the ball using the chosen foot surface, and kick through the ball towards the target.
Coach Project
Objective: Explore a range of interventions associated with the topic of helping players or teams deal with pressure.
Task: For the next 2-4 training sessions:
Identify your player’s pressure problems.
Observe the conditions when these moments occur.
Act on the information and develop some intervention steps to help your players or team cope.
Extension activity:
Objective: Create a list of 4-8 conditions/constraints to ramp up the pressure on your players when they train
Why: To use training to recreate moments or conditions that might cause players to feel pressure. The aim of this is to allow the players to get some practice at coping in a familiar environment.
Please feel free to get in touch or share your ideas, actions, and interventions. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions post them here and we will do our best to answer them.
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