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Post by mensengrizzlies on Jul 3, 2007 11:15:51 GMT -6
I am coach for a Junior team in Switzerland. We just finished our season and although we improved from last year we had one underlying problem, and I believe that to be team spirit.
Guys wouldn't come to practice, and even missed a few games becuase they had better things to do or just plain couldn't be bothered.
I know that most of you coaches in the US don't face this problem because guys just love to play football and are motivated by their friends, schools and family to play.
But I thought you might still be able to help with some general ideas on how to create more team spirit, and install a sense of respobsibilty within the players.
Anything from team policy, to great team training drills would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Armand Mensen
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Post by brophy on Jul 3, 2007 12:55:04 GMT -6
semi-pro
you have to MAKE them accountable.
Practice time & team fundraisers / functions are mandatory and count towards playing time.
If you don't play, there is no point in coming out to practice
if you don't practice, you ain't gonna play
Team publicity / fundraising / charity event
Team workout session
Team practice .......it all counts towards if you are meeting your 1/11th of the team's goals.
Those things don't seem sexy or fun, but they are a PART of what makes up the final product.
(85 - 90% attendance....some quantifiable benchmark)
If you don't show up to any of that, then what are you REALLY playing for? You don't "need" people who aren't committed.
"Motivation is easy. You get rid of all the people who aren't motivated." - Lou Holtz
CoachGoodknight and some other guys have run successful semipro teams over the years.
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Post by mensengrizzlies on Jul 7, 2007 5:08:43 GMT -6
Thanks a lot for your input. There is one thing I most commonly hear though which can't really apply to many teams in Europe, and that is... if they don't show up at practice, they don't play.
I often only have 8 out of the 25 players turn up at practice, so its pretty much impossible to keep guys from playing. As a coach I usually end up begging guys to come to practice and even if they don't im always forced to play a lot of them anyway.
So the main problem I face is that I have no option to hold them at randsom. I need to find a way so they choose to come to practice and feel accountable for one another.
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Post by coachd5085 on Jul 7, 2007 6:11:29 GMT -6
Peer Pressure could be your ally here. Make the guys hold other guys accountable. "Hey, if you don't come to practice, you are really hurting ME"
But as you said, if adults feel they have "better things to do", then it is really an uphill climb. I guess the secret is to find at least 11 guys who really don't think there are "better" things to do.
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Post by fbdoc on Jul 7, 2007 12:00:06 GMT -6
You've got all year to go out into the community and promote your program and try to attract additional / better players for next year. Visit the local schools and have your better (loyal) players demonstrate the basic skills and rules as a way to give your team some visibility. Also, let any new players know that practice time will lead to playing time.
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Post by Coach Goodnight on Jul 8, 2007 9:25:21 GMT -6
I have ran a semi-pro team, sucessful, well I am not sure about that, the main thing is like brophy said, you have to make them accountable, no practice, no play because if they arent at practice are they gonna know whats expected of the this week and in this game. Biggest thing is accountability.
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Post by brophy on Jul 8, 2007 10:25:44 GMT -6
So the main problem I face is that I have no option to hold them at randsom. I need to find a way so they choose to come to practice and feel accountable for one another. your best bet may be to re-frame your perspective. It is not what you are doing TO them, ----it is what you are doing FOR them. Set up a Players/Leadership Committee / council, whatever Where the players that have become the MAIN INVESTORS (if you don't HAVE to be there.....you are investing time & resources into something)... much like you have a CEO that calls the shots, but a board of directors that steer the direction of the organization. The Player "council" (veterans, who SHOW UP) levies the punishments / fines. Also, in the vane of "doing it FOR them" - ask the players themselves....WHAT IS A CONVENIENT TIME TO PRACTICE?! You have to be flexible. Grown adults have too much going on.....Tues & Thursday nights are good, maybe a Saturday morning or Sunday evening.... The other thing is make practice Worthwhile. How? Be organized - short, sweet, and to the point. Get in and out in under 90 minutes. Don't dick around with long warmups and intricate schemes -- just get the fundamentals covered and then game plan routine (skelly work / inside work) |
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Post by mensengrizzlies on Jul 14, 2007 3:00:08 GMT -6
Thanks so much for your input. I really like your ideas and will try and implement them this upcoming season. (We start in October here)
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Post by gldnglv165 on Jul 14, 2007 14:41:05 GMT -6
Another tough aspect to this, is in many cases in Europe, the players pay to join teams. I know in the German team I coach, there is definately a sense of entitlement among the players because they paid money, so you have to play them on game day. It's sometimes strange with the mentality of the players. Unless you are in one of the biggest leagues, most of players are only playing for fun and don't really care if they get better. I always find it strange that the first thing most of my players do after practice is take their shoulder pads off, light up a cigarette and pop open a beer.
Unfortunately the only answer I can give to creating unity is to establish a core of team captains to get on the others.......and to win. If we are winning games, the players come to practice, if we are losing, they don't.
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