Who's Your Daddy?
Not me. I am a soccer coach. Never think of me as a father figure because responsibility scares me.
Good morning! I want to talk about how I get parents on my side when coaching their kids, now that I’m back coaching in Canadian soccer!
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Enjoy the newsletter!
Exercise of the Week
I’ve been recycling this session plan a lot since being back in Canada!
It’s so simple but helps explain some very key ideas:
Playing to where we have space
Giving the game direction
Finding ways to exploit space
I’m a massive fan of the 4v2+1 rondo. Been using it or a variation of it for years.
Getting Parents on Your Side
Being back in the Canadian soccer sphere has reminded me how difficult parents can be if approached the wrong way.
Truth be told, in North American soccer we are providing a service first. Parents expect to get as much value out of the program as possible. If you start off on the wrong foot, parents may become distant, which will reflect on how the player behaves in training.
If you get parents on your side then you can expect to see more growth from your players. If the parents support you and your training, then the players will see that and want to be part of your training.
In most cases, coaches will never exceed the value a parent has in the eyes of the player, so the opinions of the parent matters a lot.
Here’s how I get parents on my side:
Parent meetings - explain as early as possible your ideas, intentions and goals for the group. Parents want to be involved in the life of the player, even if they know nothing about football or coaching.
Frequent dialogue - talk to the parents as often as you can handle. Do your best to explain decisions if the parents have questions. I’ve had success when being as transparent as possible. Parents like that.
Be honest - Tell parents when their kid isn’t or is good enough. Most of the time parents will know anyways, but don’t lead them on. If your opinion is the difference between a player who isn’t good enough staying with the group or not, be honest. Your team dynamics shouldn’t suffer because of one or two players.
This isn’t perfect by any means, and your mileage may very so tread with caution!
Soccer parents, when on your side, can be your biggest asset. Parents want the best for their child but if they know nothing about soccer or coaching, which many do not, then it is your job to educate them as kindly as possible.
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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.
I recently wrote a post of Scouted Football that talks about how I’d train Manchester United to get the best out of Jadon Sancho! Do check it out below!
Conclusion
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See you next week!
Kindest,
Cameron
Just you know, here in Malawi parents are never a problem.