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Holly Fowler reflects on her maiden season as lead coach of an U16s team.
I have been coaching for around five years and playing adult soccer for about 11 years.
But this season has been my first as a lead coach, working with an U16s girls’ team in the Junior Premier League (JPL) in England.
With this first experience under my belt, I wanted to take time to reflect and revisit the things I’ve learned over this past year.
Knowing and understanding your players is key – in my first season as a lead coach, I wanted to keep this front and centre.
All players have a love of the game in common, but they are all individuals who learn and process information differently.
Take time to get to know their individual personalities.
These go a long way with your players, enabling you to engage with them and understand what builds up their confidence.
I create individual confidence cards each season for them to refer to when they need an extra boost and self-belief.
If players feel they can trust you, you’ll get more out of them on the pitch.
Teach them to trust their team-mates too – this will take time, but will create an unbreakable bond on the pitch.
Regardless of what ages you coach and what qualifications you have, respect is earned – you have to show it to receive it.
A conversation at the start of season around what you expect from players and what they expect of one another is very helpful in setting boundaries.
This is crucial to a successful season – set out your rules regarding matchdays so that players have a routine to follow.
This will save you time in preparation, as well as allowing them to gain responsibility.
In many countries, girls these days have been lucky enough to play soccer from a young age, so they understand the game.
Listen to their suggestions – they are the ones in the game after all, you are observing.
This is linked to knowing and understanding your players, but notice who might not be themselves at training or in a game.
One thing you can’t control as a coach is the mood your players turn up in, but, during training, you can have a positive impact and affect the mood they leave in.
Unfortunately, I have witnessed two dislocated knees this season and you can never be prepared for the impact it has on players and their team-mates mentally.
Support their recovery in every way you can, encourage them to come to games and be around their team, and build their confidence.
No game at junior level is the World Cup final.
Yes, we all want to win, but players know when they have made mistakes and they feel the losses as much as you do.
Try to find positives in everything you do – every game is an opportunity to learn.
At any age, watching football – even if it isn’t watching their own match back – is so helpful for players.
You can often tell the difference between a player who regularly watches soccer at any level to those who don’t. Encourage it, go to watch games as a team and set tasks.
Coach other age groups, watch other coaches and don’t be afraid to ask for advice or assistance.
A lot of things don’t have a right or wrong answer; sometimes another viewpoint is all you need to develop and progress.
You’ll likely never have the same team, same season and same successes, however small they may be.
Enjoy playing a small part in your players’ soccer journey, prepare them for the future and turn them into players that all coaches would love to have the pleasure of coaching.
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