26: Grow Coach Newsletter

Football Coaching: Using the C.A.R.E framework.

Jun 20, 2024

A warm welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board. We are looking forward to providing you with helpful content.

Here is what to expect:

C.A.R.E: Use this to improve your coaching.
Session Share: 3v3 (+2) | Possession to Score.
Problem/Fix: Is the ball getting stuck under your player’s feet?
Coach Project: Using constraints: rewards, reviews, restrict.

Football Coaches: Do you C.A.R.E enough?

The acronym C.A.R.E serves to remind the coach about methods they have at their disposal to help players learn. The model also serves as a useful reminder about creating an environment where players learn to thrive.

C: Coaching Styles

They are used to deliver messages to the players. A coach should use a variety to improve their connection with players.

A: Awareness of Needs

The coach needs to be aware of the ability and level of the players

R: Respect

Their input, ideas, and actions. Most players are giving everything to be the best they can be, make sure you give them the respect they deserve.

E: Empathy

Players will mess up, they need help and support when they do

‘‘ If you are going to be a footballer, be a great one, If you are going to a dream, dream big ’’ (A. Ferguson)

Coaching Styles

Your coaching style should match the type of session you are planning. If you are putting your players into physically demanding intense situations then your coaching style should match this. Similarly, if you want the players to solve a problem then your coaching style should be posing questions and getting them thinking.

I have created a table below to summarize how coaching styles could be used to place similar demands on the players.

In-session tips on coaching styles:

01: Mix them Up: It’s often easy to rely on the same coaching style but match your style to the situation. Think about what the player needs, how much time you have and impact. Choose a style that will deliver the most efficient message.

02: Develop them: Experiment with the other styles of coaching. Your coaching style on a match day could be different to training days. Preplan to use one of the coaching styles. Don’t be afraid to mix and match as you go through a session.

03: Seek regular feedback: Try to get a more experienced coach to watch you work. Have an informal chat about your style to discuss, things that you will continue to do, challenges from the session and changes you would like to make.

Awareness of Needs

A session objective will serve as a solid pillar for any coaching session. The session objective can always be referred back to. It should be used to ensure that the content discussed and explored is useful and relevant to the session objective.

The objective is useful to stop a coach from going off-topic.

The coach can observe their players for the session objectives and then coach the players on what they need based on this. I feel that having some solid ideas of what you are going after can help.

I would encourage coaches to think about the before, during, and after moments of a giving situation. Use this detail to help a player with the session objectives and their personal needs.

See an example of 1v1 defending below:

The coach can pick out the pieces that the player needs.

In-session tips on being more aware:

01: Observe: Use your observation skills and coaching experience to check in on the needs of the players. What do they struggle with and how can we help them?

02: Ask: Communicate with the player and ask them an open question like what do you find hard when you are playing?

03: Remind: If there is an opportunity for a player to work on something they need, give them a gentle nudge and remind them before the practice begins.

Respect

Remember when you're coaching that your players are people first. Players are not parts of your gigantic puzzle where you just get rid of them when things are not working out. They are people.

Every individual wants you to appreciate them. They need you to remember things they have told you. It helps if you can show an interest in them as people. Hobbies they have outside of soccer, birthdays, and maybe some one-to-one time.

When you communicate, don’t talk down to people, keep them on your level, and treat them as equals. Respect the players as if they were your family members. This treatment will influence the players and they will reciprocate your actions.

Encourage the players to be respectful to opponents, officials, and anyone associated with or linked to the team.
Encourage and remind the players to be thankful for the training, the staff, and the opportunities they have to become better people and players.
Respect is an attribute that can make people stand out. If you take the time to respect your players they will remember you for it and you can make a lasting impression on them.

In-session tips on respect:

01: Greet and welcome every player: Make the effort to go over to them as they arrive and say hello, ask about their day, give them a high 5, fist pump, and just connect with them.

02: Be willing to evolve: If you mess something up, change it, don’t let your ego get in the of making the necessary changes. There will be some mistakes made but

03: Think before you speak; Your language and tone are important, speak to players on their level and be genuine about their ideas. There will be times when you want to say something harsh. Catch yourself in this moment and decide if it will help or hinder you.

Empathy

When you are coaching you should expect failure from the players. When players are learning new skills, ideas, and tactics it will take time to master them. Players need a coach who understands this and is empathetic towards their needs. A coach can show empathy in many different ways.

Reassurance is a way of showing empathy: You help the players remove their doubts by offering opinions and insight into your experiences of the past. You can encourage players to take action to apply the information or advice in the hope that it helps them.

Keep things actionable: This links in with the previous idea. Providing information and detail that is actionable will give the player a chance to experiment with something.

See and hear: This is about observing the players and being mindful of their fears, frustrations, and obstacles. Part of your job is trying to manage or reduce these aspects. The player will be much more receptive if they can see that you are trying to help them solve their biggest problems.

In-session tips on empathy:

01: Practice active listening: Nodding, eye contact and repeating problems back are a great way to show that you are listening to what the person is saying. Thank them for sharing their ideas.

02: Pay attention to the nonverbal cues: The player’s body language will tell you a lot. You can often tell when they are angry, frustrated, bored, or emotional. Be careful of your words at these points. Try to manage these feelings.

03: Avoid making assumptions: Avoid assumptions about the other person's thoughts or feelings. Instead, try to see things from their perspective and ask them questions if you are unsure.

‘‘ A Coach will impact more people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime’’ (B. Graham).

Session Share: 3v3 | Regain Possession to Score.

⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner

Aim:

Regain possession and attack the goal.

Set-Up:

40 by 30 pitch with a 20-yard central zone.
Constant 3v3 practice where teams must be outside the shaded zone to score.

How to Play:

🟢 GKs start the practice, 2🔴s and 2⚫️s join the pitch each time to make a 3v3
Alternate attacks: but 1x🔴 and 1x⚫️ stay on the field all of the time.
If the opponent wins the ball they try to score in the opposite direction.
♻️Rotate the central players each round.

Constraints:

🏆Reward: Score a goal within 6 seconds and it counts as double.
🚫Restrict: You can’t take more than 2 touches in the shaded zone.
👨‍🏫Review: Can you spot the right time to pass into space for a runner?

Session Share: 3v3 +2 | Transitional Possession.

⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner

Aim:

Release a runner and escape into an end zone..

Set-Up:

30 by 20-yard pitch space.
Split the field in half and add a 4-yard scoring zone at each end of the pitch.
🟡s act as support players for both teams.
⚫️s and 🔴s are attacking and defending.

How to Play:

⚫️s start the attack they connect 3 passes in a half using the 🟡s then they must pass their way into the other half.
⚫️s have 1 player in the opposite half ready to receive the pass after the connected passes have occurred.
Once the ball has been played into the other half 2x⚫️s can join in and 2x🔴s can recover.
If the defending team 🔴s win the ball in the opponent’s half they score in the shaded zone behind the attackers ⚫️s.
If the 🔴s win the ball in their half they connect the 3 passes.

Constraints:

🏆Reward: If the pressing team win the ball and scores, they get to start the next attack from their half.
🚫Restrict: Teams must find a 🟡 before transferring the ball into the other half.
👨‍🏫Review: Can you play forward off 1 touch and join in?

Problem:

Do your players get the ball stuck under their feet?

The attacker receives a pass from a teammate and has to take extra touches before deciding what to do with the ball. You expect your player to pass or dribble beyond the pressuring opponent. Instead, they get the ball stuck under their feet and lose possession.

A player’s inability to scan and prepare their space often results in extra touches while the player figures out what to do with the ball.

This common mistake can be a problem, especially if your players are reluctant to look away from the ball before they receive it.

Fix:

Scan, Prepare, Skill or Share !!

If this is a mistake that you see, the solution is encouraging the attacker to:

01: Scan and look for the direction of pressure and the options they have.
02: Prepare their space by adjusting their body positions to receive the ball (ideally forward facing,).
03: If the defender is aggressive and moves in fast, encourage the attacker to use skill to manipulate the ball around the pressure.
04: If there is a good support option and the player is facing forward, then a front-foot pass can be used to lend the ball to a teammate and get it back.

Timing of the skill to dribble or pass is important. The attacker needs to tempt the defender in toward the ball before releasing it or changing speed.

Coach Project

Objective: Explore a variety of ways to constrain your players for different practice topics.

Task: Categorise your ideas into rewards, reviews or restrictions:

Identify some ideas for each of the topics listed below.
Create a coaching aid that will support your coaching delivery.
Act on the information and give it a try for one of your deliveries.

Extension Task:

Practice Design: Design a forward passing activity to practice to use with your rewards, reviews and restrictions.

Coach Task :

Design a practice activity for 6 – 12 players to work on forward passing.

•Keep it SIMPLE

•Ensure it is REPETITIVE

•Include a COMPETITION

Note Down:

•The rules and organization

•Progressions and regressions

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; we will do our best to answer them.