Sideline Coaching (from the Oregon thread)

[Beachbum]

Sideline coaching -- Dump the GPS and let the kids drive


By Scott Nelson

While observing U7 games a few seasons ago I got into a conversation with a disgruntled parent. It turns out that this parent was constantly being told to stop coaching from the sidelines by the team's actual coach. This parent felt justified "getting involved" from the sidelines because, he explained, the designated coach of the team "wasn't coaching enough."

Now, I had observed this parent’s sideline behavior several times, and had also seen him silenced by his daughter’s coach on more than one occasion. This parent’s pearls of coaching wisdom included phrases like “Go!” ”Get the ball!” “Shoot it!” “Get back!” “Hard kicks!” “Don’t Bunch!” and liberal doses of the one phrase guaranteed to make me cringe whenever I hear it: “Boot it!”

Without a hint of irony, this parent would also yell at his child to “Pay attention to the game” on the many occasions when she stopped playing to look over at him on the sidelines.

His daughter’s coach, much to this parent’s consternation, gave out none of this crucially needed guidance. Instead he would stand watching from the sidelines, giving out plenty of encouragement, praising good intentions (even when they weren’t successful!) but mostly leaving the kids to their own devices unless they needed help figuring out what to do on their restarts.

When he did intervene, he would ask his players questions instead of giving commands. “Where do you need to be?” “Where do you think they will go if they get the ball?” “Where do you think she will kick the ball?” “What shape should we be in?” Can you try and dribble instead of kicking the ball away next time?” In a season of observing this coach, I had never once heard him say “Boot it!” It was a testament to the natural ability of the kids, this parent said, that the team managed to dominate most of their games even without “real” coaching.

The truth was just the opposite. The team was playing well in part because of the lack of “traditional” youth sideline coaching. This coach and others in his club had been trained to act as facilitators, not directors. Coaches were encouraged to let the kids play and make their own decisions (both good and bad), not to micro-manage every dribble and kick.

Obviously, most of what this parent in question wanted to yell from the sidelines was just useless noise (Just once I’d love to see a little 6 year old turn to the sidelines and say “Kick the ball? During a soccer game? Dang! Never thought of that before ...”) but what if it wasn’t just superfluous information and noise? Suppose these sideline coaches were actually giving out proper advice in agreement with the coach’s policies and philosophy. What could be bad about that?

I’ll answer that by comparing coaching from the sidelines to driving with a GPS. A GPS system is great for getting from point A to point B, but most of the people who use a GPS tend to pay a lot less attention to where they are going. Many people end up relying on the GPS to the point where they cannot find their way without it, even when they have been on the same route multiple times. In a similar manner, coaching from the sidelines can hinder players from developing the crucial ability to make their own decisions and think for themselves.

For drivers who do know where they are going, the GPS can be a real annoyance, cutting into the songs on the radio and interrupting conversations with the passengers to tell the driver information they already know. At worst it is a distraction that might prevent the driver from concentrating on the road.

Now imagine if your GPS could not be turned off, and that it always presumed to know where you were going without ever asking you. Let’s further suppose it didn’t appreciate you exploring a side road or detouring to that espresso stand, and got increasingly loud and angry if you failed to follow its directions. “Take the next right turn ...” “When possible make a U-turn” “Recalculating route ...” “When possible make a U-turn ...” “Recalculating rout ...” “HEY DUMMY, YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”

What would driving be like if you had a GPS like this? It would be a lot like trying to play soccer while people on the sidelines were constantly yelling at you.

Bottom line: If we want our young players to develop and have fun, we need to learn to shut up and let them drive.

(Scott Nelson has coached at every imaginable level of youth soccer from toddlers programs and recreational teams to high school, premier soccer, ODP, and two years with the USL Seattle Sounders youth teams in the Super-Y League. In recent years his focus has been on the development of very young players. Scott has been a member of Washington Youth Soccer's instructional staff since 2004.)

[Unregistered]

Sideline coaching -- Dump the GPS and let the kids drive


By Scott Nelson

While observing U7 games a few seasons ago I got into a conversation with a disgruntled parent. It turns out that this parent was constantly being told to stop coaching from the sidelines by the team's actual coach. This parent felt justified "getting involved" from the sidelines because, he explained, the designated coach of the team "wasn't coaching enough."

Now, I had observed this parent’s sideline behavior several times, and had also seen him silenced by his daughter’s coach on more than one occasion. This parent’s pearls of coaching wisdom included phrases like “Go!” ”Get the ball!” “Shoot it!” “Get back!” “Hard kicks!” “Don’t Bunch!” and liberal doses of the one phrase guaranteed to make me cringe whenever I hear it: “Boot it!”

Without a hint of irony, this parent would also yell at his child to “Pay attention to the game” on the many occasions when she stopped playing to look over at him on the sidelines.

His daughter’s coach, much to this parent’s consternation, gave out none of this crucially needed guidance. Instead he would stand watching from the sidelines, giving out plenty of encouragement, praising good intentions (even when they weren’t successful!) but mostly leaving the kids to their own devices unless they needed help figuring out what to do on their restarts.

When he did intervene, he would ask his players questions instead of giving commands. “Where do you need to be?” “Where do you think they will go if they get the ball?” “Where do you think she will kick the ball?” “What shape should we be in?” Can you try and dribble instead of kicking the ball away next time?” In a season of observing this coach, I had never once heard him say “Boot it!” It was a testament to the natural ability of the kids, this parent said, that the team managed to dominate most of their games even without “real” coaching.

The truth was just the opposite. The team was playing well in part because of the lack of “traditional” youth sideline coaching. This coach and others in his club had been trained to act as facilitators, not directors. Coaches were encouraged to let the kids play and make their own decisions (both good and bad), not to micro-manage every dribble and kick.

Obviously, most of what this parent in question wanted to yell from the sidelines was just useless noise (Just once I’d love to see a little 6 year old turn to the sidelines and say “Kick the ball? During a soccer game? Dang! Never thought of that before ...”) but what if it wasn’t just superfluous information and noise? Suppose these sideline coaches were actually giving out proper advice in agreement with the coach’s policies and philosophy. What could be bad about that?

I’ll answer that by comparing coaching from the sidelines to driving with a GPS. A GPS system is great for getting from point A to point B, but most of the people who use a GPS tend to pay a lot less attention to where they are going. Many people end up relying on the GPS to the point where they cannot find their way without it, even when they have been on the same route multiple times. In a similar manner, coaching from the sidelines can hinder players from developing the crucial ability to make their own decisions and think for themselves.

For drivers who do know where they are going, the GPS can be a real annoyance, cutting into the songs on the radio and interrupting conversations with the passengers to tell the driver information they already know. At worst it is a distraction that might prevent the driver from concentrating on the road.

Now imagine if your GPS could not be turned off, and that it always presumed to know where you were going without ever asking you. Let’s further suppose it didn’t appreciate you exploring a side road or detouring to that espresso stand, and got increasingly loud and angry if you failed to follow its directions. “Take the next right turn ...” “When possible make a U-turn” “Recalculating route ...” “When possible make a U-turn ...” “Recalculating rout ...” “HEY DUMMY, YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”

What would driving be like if you had a GPS like this? It would be a lot like trying to play soccer while people on the sidelines were constantly yelling at you.

Bottom line: If we want our young players to develop and have fun, we need to learn to shut up and let them drive.

(Scott Nelson has coached at every imaginable level of youth soccer from toddlers programs and recreational teams to high school, premier soccer, ODP, and two years with the USL Seattle Sounders youth teams in the Super-Y League. In recent years his focus has been on the development of very young players. Scott has been a member of Washington Youth Soccer's instructional staff since 2004.)

I have to tell you I am guilty of being one of those Dads. Although I am well on my way to recovery. My coming to Jesus mopment was when I was asked to fill in at an indoor game as coach because the regular coach was running late. Very quickly I realized I didn't have the faintest clue as to how to coach. I just had "sideline opinions". The real coach couldn't get there fast enough. I am not perfect but instead of my misdirected rants I much more often yell positive encouragement (usually :))... Thx for the post.

[Unregistered]

Please bring back Silent Sunday....
The only ones allowed to talk during the game are the players.
Some of you would be surprised how well they do without your input.
Save it for the car ride home

[Unregistered]

Please bring back Silent Sunday....
The only ones allowed to talk during the game are the players.
Some of you would be surprised how well they do without your input.
Save it for the car ride home

Boot it is the driving equivalent of yelling "Drive over the cliff!!!!!!".

[Unregistered]

Silent Sunday?? And people wonder why soccer is a second tier sport in this country or why the players who stick with it behave like mercenaries rather than teammates. I guess there is no room for passion in the game. Everything has to be sterile least we create anything less than the optimal environment. The thing I really object to is you are making a family problem a social problem. Sure the girl will probably never amount to a soccer player because their father clearly is dividing her attention, but why is that the rest of our problem's? Sounds to me like the player lacks the confidence to play her game and the motivation to play hard consistently. Quite frankly it sounds like she is playing for the wrong coach and that is just not any of our issue to get into.

Don't get me wrong, I am a coach myself and do get annoyed with parents negatively interjecting themselves into the game, but Silent Sunday? Sounds like you want to turn the game into a science experiment. I personally don't mind hearing a parent call their child out for effort or mental things. Honestly I am ususally just as frustrated as them with their player and it saves wear and tear on my vocal cords. The only side line communication I stop is when I have instructed a player to zig and they start yelling at them to zag. That creates confusion and disrupts the flow of what the team is trying to accomplish. Occasionally I do run into a parent who intellectually flogs their child during a game but that is a private discussion between me, as the coach, the parent and the player. I am certainly not force all of the other parents to shut up just so that one player can have smile on their face.

Let's be real, there has always been emotion in sports. If you take all the sideline banter away you diffuse all of the emotion from the event. You might as well lock the players up in a closed practice. Just be aware that eventually practice becomes boring and people stop doing things when they find that they are no longer fun.

[Unregistered]

Silent Sunday?? And people wonder why soccer is a second tier sport in this country or why the players who stick with it behave like mercenaries rather than teammates. I guess there is no room for passion in the game. Everything has to be sterile least we create anything less than the optimal environment. The thing I really object to is you are making a family problem a social problem. Sure the girl will probably never amount to a soccer player because their father clearly is dividing her attention, but why is that the rest of our problem's? Sounds to me like the player lacks the confidence to play her game and the motivation to play hard consistently. Quite frankly it sounds like she is playing for the wrong coach and that is just not any of our issue to get into.

Don't get me wrong, I am a coach myself and do get annoyed with parents negatively interjecting themselves into the game, but Silent Sunday? Sounds like you want to turn the game into a science experiment. I personally don't mind hearing a parent call their child out for effort or mental things. Honestly I am ususally just as frustrated as them with their player and it saves wear and tear on my vocal cords. The only side line communication I stop is when I have instructed a player to zig and they start yelling at them to zag. That creates confusion and disrupts the flow of what the team is trying to accomplish. Occasionally I do run into a parent who intellectually flogs their child during a game but that is a private discussion between me, as the coach, the parent and the player. I am certainly not force all of the other parents to shut up just so that one player can have smile on their face.

Let's be real, there has always been emotion in sports. If you take all the sideline banter away you diffuse all of the emotion from the event. You might as well lock the players up in a closed practice. Just be aware that eventually practice becomes boring and people stop doing things when they find that they are no longer fun.

Finally someone bringing some sound reasoning to this website!
When I watch coaches such as Guardiola yelling at the sideline, I wonder how is it possible that he is telling those guys what to do. Well, I guess that's his job.
I am convinced that young players need to hear directions from their coaches. They have short memory when it comes to learning. Making comments about mistakes at the following practice session would not be very efficient; the moment for learning is during the game and that's how the coaches' instructions are relevant.

[Unregistered]

Coaching communication is not much different than what should be taking place between the players as they play the game. A coach yelling "Suzie is open" is really no different than Suzie yelling "Here!" It is just communication. The thing parents and some of you coaches need to recognize is that the individual athlete has to be able to take that communication in and then make decisions. Players are not robots. Team sports take cooperation to play well. Communication is the building block of that cooperation. If they won't listen to communication or ,on the other side, let it take them out of the game, then they just are not going to be able to play the game well at a high level. If, by the time an athlete gets into the competitive levels of a sport (meaning beyond early developmental) and can't selectively tune out parents to focus on their game, that is a failing in the athlete. It will prevent them from advancing in the game.

[Unregistered]

Silent Sunday?? And people wonder why soccer is a second tier sport in this country or why the players who stick with it behave like mercenaries rather than teammates. I guess there is no room for passion in the game. Everything has to be sterile least we create anything less than the optimal environment. The thing I really object to is you are making a family problem a social problem. Sure the girl will probably never amount to a soccer player because their father clearly is dividing her attention, but why is that the rest of our problem's? Sounds to me like the player lacks the confidence to play her game and the motivation to play hard consistently. Quite frankly it sounds like she is playing for the wrong coach and that is just not any of our issue to get into.

Don't get me wrong, I am a coach myself and do get annoyed with parents negatively interjecting themselves into the game, but Silent Sunday? Sounds like you want to turn the game into a science experiment. I personally don't mind hearing a parent call their child out for effort or mental things. Honestly I am ususally just as frustrated as them with their player and it saves wear and tear on my vocal cords. The only side line communication I stop is when I have instructed a player to zig and they start yelling at them to zag. That creates confusion and disrupts the flow of what the team is trying to accomplish. Occasionally I do run into a parent who intellectually flogs their child during a game but that is a private discussion between me, as the coach, the parent and the player. I am certainly not force all of the other parents to shut up just so that one player can have smile on their face.

Let's be real, there has always been emotion in sports. If you take all the sideline banter away you diffuse all of the emotion from the event. You might as well lock the players up in a closed practice. Just be aware that eventually practice becomes boring and people stop doing things when they find that they are no longer fun.

The only part of your post I agree with is that Silent Sunday's are ridiculous. That being said your failure to understand that sideline behavior needs to be managed either means that you are coaching in soccer nirvana or oblivious. Passion for the game can be displayed by cheering and encouraging the players. I did a game this past Sunday and while one team was up 5-0 the parents for the team that was ahead began cheering for the other teams goaltender - who made some incredible saves. It was really nice to see. The coach on the other hand kept up an incessant monologue of what to do and when to do it for a full 60 minutes.

Furthermore why are you telling players what to do on the field WHILE they are playing. You should be doing your coaching during practice, prior to the game, and making adjustments during half time. A good coach says very little during the game itself.

I ref alot of games during the course of a season. I actually find the biggest problem in youth soccer is the incessant stream of commands and directives coming from the bench. Players need to learn how to work out their own problems during a game. They need to be able to communicate with each other and a coach's incessant blathering during a game actually hinders a players development. Sure some parents are a problem but my experience is that the kids either don't hear them or don't listen to them.

Rather than trying to prove to your team's parents that being a good coach means that you should have an ongoing stream of directives coming out of your mouth during a game try having a pre-season meeting where you discuss the important issues with the parents such as: 1) cheering and not instructing the players, 2) informing them that you don't say much during the game because you want the players to work things out for themselves on the field. By virtue of being a sideline coaching chatterbox you are actually giving parents an incentive and subtle cue to mimic your behavior.


This does not mean that you cannot remind your team of certain things during the game but they should be limited and carefully chosen opportunities when you have a players attention (such as waiting for a goal kick or throw in). I have coached for many years and my style was to say very little during a game. My teams were successful and if a parent had a problem with my style and felt that their kid was not learning they were free to move to another team. Since I was the A team coach that did not happen very much. Ego's being what they are the parents wanted their kids on my team.

[Unregistered]

Coaching communication is not much different than what should be taking place between the players as they play the game. A coach yelling "Suzie is open" is really no different than Suzie yelling "Here!" It is just communication. The thing parents and some of you coaches need to recognize is that the individual athlete has to be able to take that communication in and then make decisions. Players are not robots. Team sports take cooperation to play well. Communication is the building block of that cooperation. If they won't listen to communication or ,on the other side, let it take them out of the game, then they just are not going to be able to play the game well at a high level. If, by the time an athlete gets into the competitive levels of a sport (meaning beyond early developmental) and can't selectively tune out parents to focus on their game, that is a failing in the athlete. It will prevent them from advancing in the game.

You'd be better off reminding Suzy when she comes off the field for a break to pick her head up and look for the open player. Coaching from the sidelines is totally different than players communicating. Rather than telling Janie that Suzie is open - coach your kids during practice to let each other know they are open. As long as you are blathering this information from the sidelines they will not learn to do it for themselves.

[Unregistered]

Finally someone bringing some sound reasoning to this website!
When I watch coaches such as Guardiola yelling at the sideline, I wonder how is it possible that he is telling those guys what to do. Well, I guess that's his job.
I am convinced that young players need to hear directions from their coaches. They have short memory when it comes to learning. Making comments about mistakes at the following practice session would not be very efficient; the moment for learning is during the game and that's how the coaches' instructions are relevant.

Guardiola is coaching U12's in Massachusetts? Who knew? Are the parents using Rosetta Stone software to get their kids up to speed on Italian?

[beentheredonethat]

The only part of your post I agree with is that Silent Sunday's are ridiculous. That being said your failure to understand that sideline behavior needs to be managed either means that you are coaching in soccer nirvana or oblivious. Passion for the game can be displayed by cheering and encouraging the players. I did a game this past Sunday and while one team was up 5-0 the parents for the team that was ahead began cheering for the other teams goaltender - who made some incredible saves. It was really nice to see. The coach on the other hand kept up an incessant monologue of what to do and when to do it for a full 60 minutes.

Furthermore why are you telling players what to do on the field WHILE they are playing. You should be doing your coaching during practice, prior to the game, and making adjustments during half time. A good coach says very little during the game itself.

I ref alot of games during the course of a season. I actually find the biggest problem in youth soccer is the incessant stream of commands and directives coming from the bench. Players need to learn how to work out their own problems during a game. They need to be able to communicate with each other and a coach's incessant blathering during a game actually hinders a players development. Sure some parents are a problem but my experience is that the kids either don't hear them or don't listen to them.

Rather than trying to prove to your team's parents that being a good coach means that you should have an ongoing stream of directives coming out of your mouth during a game try having a pre-season meeting where you discuss the important issues with the parents such as: 1) cheering and not instructing the players, 2) informing them that you don't say much during the game because you want the players to work things out for themselves on the field. By virtue of being a sideline coaching chatterbox you are actually giving parents an incentive and subtle cue to mimic your behavior.


This does not mean that you cannot remind your team of certain things during the game but they should be limited and carefully chosen opportunities when you have a players attention (such as waiting for a goal kick or throw in). I have coached for many years and my style was to say very little during a game. My teams were successful and if a parent had a problem with my style and felt that their kid was not learning they were free to move to another team. Since I was the A team coach that did not happen very much. Ego's being what they are the parents wanted their kids on my team.

There are many styles of coaching. I have seen both the silent and verbally active coaches succeed and fail in equal numbers. It comes down to what you do and how successful you are while doing it.

I personally took what the poster was saying about Silent Sunday to be about emotion in the game rather than coaching. I hate going to games where you can hear a pin drop. That doesn't feel like sport to me. Just my opinion.

[Unregistered]

There are many styles of coaching. I have seen both the silent and verbally active coaches succeed and fail in equal numbers. It comes down to what you do and how successful you are while doing it.

I personally took what the poster was saying about Silent Sunday to be about emotion in the game rather than coaching. I hate going to games where you can hear a pin drop. That doesn't feel like sport to me. Just my opinion.

There are plenty of ways to show passion for the game without ruining it for the players on the field. Trust me, I am a CR for tons of youth games. Players do not want to hear instructions from the either sideline. Cannot tell you the number of times they mutter to themselves. "Please SHUT UP..."...

What do you describe as failure - a losing season? A winning season? I describe it as producing players who improve significantly during the year. Players learn by applying what they learn in practice during games and not vice versa. The game is for players, training is the time for coaching.

[Unregistered]

There are plenty of ways to show passion for the game without ruining it for the players on the field. Trust me, I am a CR for tons of youth games. Players do not want to hear instructions from the either sideline. Cannot tell you the number of times they mutter to themselves. "Please SHUT UP..."...

What do you describe as failure - a losing season? A winning season? I describe it as producing players who improve significantly during the year. Players learn by applying what they learn in practice during games and not vice versa. The game is for players, training is the time for coaching.

...and you would be the type of pompous coach I would never let one of my kid's anywhere near ...agree with BTDT, the big thing with coaching style is what works for the situation you are in and the group of players you are coaching ...people who make absolute statements about how to coach actually show themselves to have a very limited vision of how the world works ...one size does not fit everyone.

[Unregistered]

There are many styles of coaching. I have seen both the silent and verbally active coaches succeed and fail in equal numbers. It comes down to what you do and how successful you are while doing it.

I personally took what the poster was saying about Silent Sunday to be about emotion in the game rather than coaching. I hate going to games where you can hear a pin drop. That doesn't feel like sport to me. Just my opinion.

I posted "Silent Sunday" and intended to address the parents who feel the need the play the game thru their child. You know the ones I mean....The ones who need to call the foul or offsides before the ref. The ones who need to direct the play before the kids can make their own decision. I'm all for cheering and applauding good effort on both sides, but can't stomach those who are playing thru their kids. You annoy just about everyone....the refs, the players on both teams; including your own kid and anyone within earshot. We all know which kid is yours by the way......it's not the one looking forward to the ride home.

[beentheredonethat]

I posted "Silent Sunday" and intended to address the parents who feel the need the play the game thru their child. You know the ones I mean....The ones who need to call the foul or offsides before the ref. The ones who need to direct the play before the kids can make their own decision. I'm all for cheering and applauding good effort on both sides, but can't stomach those who are playing thru their kids. You annoy just about everyone....the refs, the players on both teams; including your own kid and anyone within earshot. We all know which kid is yours by the way......it's not the one looking forward to the ride home.

Personally, I am in the other corner. I am more a believer in the concept that it takes a village and look for parents to be involved. I just try to focus them more productively. I do recognize that sort of parent you are talking about can be a pain in the butt, but truthfully the only one they are hurting is their own kid. I have always found that the kids that have a problem with a parent like that just end up quiting. I actually think the parent who is more destructive to the team is the silent one who never calls their kid on the carpet for their lack of intellectual or athletic effort. In today's coaching world you get into very grey areas when you try to supply motivation for an athlete. That is a task best left to the parents. The problem now is when parents ignorantly applaud poor effort or find reasons to excuse it they set the bar artificially low for not only their child but the other players as well.