Have you been nominated to be coach?

We have all been there. Your child wants to play a sport, you sign them up, usually with all their friends, only to find you don't have a coach for the side.

Nobody wants to put their hand up, and you think "I'll volunteer, how hard could it be".

Running around in the park with the kids is fun. In fact, just kicking the ball with the kids during a training session is extremely rewarding as you watch their little faces light up when they see their friends and kick a ball to each other. Even more so if one of them kicks a goal during a mock game.

I mean, "how bad is this?"

Then the games start. Sorting out positions, subs, trying to keep some control of the game and players. Dozens of parents all yelling opposing comments to their kids. If you are lucky they win, if not it can be even worse. There was no coherency, nobody listened to you, it looked more like a scrum in rugby union than a soccer match. You feel like you have let the players down. You feel like you have let the parents down.

Some teams and parents can be forgiving, others not so. Some will outright start blaming you. "Why?" you think, "nobody else wanted to volunteer, I though I was helping everyone out".

If you are one of the unlucky ones, your team may not see any wins, kids gets depressed, parents upset, and you feel a mixture of anger, resentment, betrayal and sadness. "Why did I volunteer for this?"

Fear not fellow "super coach". Dont get disheartened, get upskilled. Parents, like yourself, want the best for their kids. They want them to have fun, but perform at their best. And the players themselves want to play their best for their team-mates, coaches, and most of all their parents. When approached correctly, parents are willing to admit they need help, that their child or team need some extra guidance. And if you yourself can freely admit that to a team, they wont begrudge you for it, in fact most players and parents see this as a sign of your commitment for improvement to themselves.

Communication is key, with all people involved in your team. At C.F.C. we can teach you the right techniques with communicating between players and parents. We can set you on the correct path and help your team enjoy playing soccer, both as an individual and as part of a team. Whether they win or lose, players can always enjoy the game when they play well.