Dear Coaches and Parents, This is SO IMPORTANT!! And I never see coaches or parents talking about this.
Coaches, please, please please let your players know it’s okay to make mistakes and try new things every practice! PRAISE it when it happens!
Obviously, not literally. We don’t want them to make mistakes on purpose but we want them to encourage them to try new and creative things.
There are plenty of players who know how to perform the scissors and may even do it a lot in 1v1 drills at practice but never in practice games, and especially not in a game that counts!
How To Perform The Scissors
How can we expect our players to be dynamic and creative, instead of one-touch robots, if we don’t give them an environment of freedom and support?
I don’t care if it’s a scissor with no one on the other team within 10 yards. We have to start somewhere. These kids are terrified to do anything but the predictable boring play.
If they don’t do it in a game, they’ll never do it in a game. And they don’t do it because they are afraid of the consequences of messing up.
That means we, as adults, are creating an environment where the kids are afraid to play the game without fear.
Yet you can’t ever be great if you don’t make mistakes and mess up a LOT first!
How will a player ever pull off a Matthews or a cool little heel pass in a game if we don’t give them the freedom and support to know it’s okay to mess it up?
How To Perform the Matthews And The Matthews With Scissors
Parents, support the coaches in this! Just because a mistake looks awful in the moment, doesn’t mean it’s not a great thing for the players long term development!
Isn’t that what it’s about? Development? It is, right?
I will end with my favorite Chris Pratt quote, “I want to make a heartfelt apology for whatever it is I end up accidentally saying during the forthcoming Jurassic World press tour,” the 35-year-old actor begins. “I hope you understand it was never my intention to offend anyone and I am truly sorry.”
Also, no high school, US Soccer or “possession” crazed soccer was harmed in the making of this post.
Let’s all be better at this! Rant Over! Thanks!
