Set the standard, don't meet it
Work harder you little puke.
Good morning! I want to talk about why setting standards for your players is important.
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Exercise of the Week
Hard to say exactly how this relates to our theme, but I’ll make it work!
The simplest sessions can show which players are meeting the standards you set for them. Many players will say they want something more challenging before they’ve mastered the basics. Many coaches let their players get away with this because the coaches don’t enforce standards.
I use this session plan often. I used it a lot in Malawi with my U15s because it was boring, and something they had seen before. By repeating sessions you can see who needs to be stimulated constantly and who just wants to improve, no matter the session plan.
Hold yourselves to a higher standard
There is a lot to be said about the effects of telling young people that “wanting it more” and “working harder” will lead to success. Many point to C. Ronaldo as an example of someone who just worked hard, often ignoring the fact that he’s one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen, and graduated from one of the best academies in Portugal.
Instead I suggest adding standards to your sessions that you expect your players to meet.
Players, and young people in general, are a lot more resilient than we give them credit for. Many accept adversity and can learn to take it in their stride when training. This is something that can be coached as well.
The difference between standards and just telling your players to work harder is that working hard isn’t specific to anything, whereas your standards can and should be.
Here’s what I ask my players:
What does your worst session look like?
Can you quantify it?
What isn’t quantifiable? Working hard, asking questions, communicating, etc.
The difference between Messi and your players is that one is a generational talent who came from one of the greatest footballing nations in the world and played for Barca under one of the greatest coaches the world will ever know, and the other is your player.
But the difference between your player and a professional player is standards. The pro may “work harder” but their worst session will look a lot better than your players’ worst session.
WHY?
What standards does the professional player set for themselves?
From what I’ve seen:
They communicate
They work their socks off
They are relentless in their questioning
They demand more from their teammates
These aren’t easily quantifiable. However, they’re something literally any player can do but don’t. I think that comes down to standards the player sets for themselves, and I think that is an oversight in youth coaching.
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Neat Reads
Neat Reads is a segment where I share an article or podcast that interests me and relates to our weekly theme.
Standards don’t have to be scary. I really enjoyed this podcast by Let’s Talk About Mental health. It isn’t football related but it does speak to the importance of standards.
I hope you’ll enjoy.
Conclusion
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See you next week!
Kindest,
Cameron