How To Get Your Players to Focus on the game

After a week of practice, it’s game day. You are always excited to test your coaching and your players’ ability against the opposition. Yes, youth soccer is about fun, development, and learning, but you still want to win.

I was coaching my U13 boys’ team in our 4th game of the season against Port Chester (PC), following a loss the previous week to Castleford Titans (CT). Our team manager mentioned that PC tied CT  3-3 earlier in the season. 

I was making a substitution in central midfield, but the more I explained to Freddy to replace Henry he could not see the big picture. “You are taking out Henry and going into his position”. 

Freddy did not understand the move because at the start of the game he played midfield, and Henry started at center forward. During the game, Freddy was subbed and Henry dropped back to midfield. That picture was in my mind, on my clipboard, and on the field. 

However, that is not what players on the bench noticed. I was explaining repeatedly, which really was, overcoaching a player.

How many times have you explained your coaching points to your players and they seem to never understand? I bet it occurs every week.  You would think after several times they would get the picture but that does not happen. I understand your frustration and I have experienced similar situations.  

This blog is about understanding how to get your players to focus through coaching.  Coaching needs to have an effect on a player, where your players understand your ideas and are capable of implementing on the field.

5 Key Coaching Steps to Improve Your Players’ Focus

1. Knowledge – It’s not how much you know as a coach that’s important; it’s what your players can understand that will decide the game. Less is more, so be aware of talking too much (overcoaching) as players lose focus quickly.
2. Where are they? –  Effective coaching has to be age and stage appropriate. That starts w/ use of technical/tactical language. For example, telling a player to ‘find an opening’ can have multiple meanings.
3. Check for Understanding – Test if your coaching has been effective by asking questions (checking for understanding). Step 1 – Explain your coaching point; Step 2 – at a later point, ask a player what was your message.  
4. Guided Questions – ‘How’ and ‘why’ questions get players thinking, and their creativity flowing.  For e.g., at half-time, ask open-ended questions. What’s giving us trouble in the game?
5. Responsibility/ownership – Empower your players by giving them responsibility. Ask them for solutions to the problems they experienced. Support their answers by guiding them to deeper solutions.

How do you get your players to focus?  What methods have you used? What were the outcomes?