I ascribe to the transformational methodology of coaching and as such separate my view of coaching into two areas: goal and purpose. My goal as a coach is very simple, to win games, this is the same goal all education-based athletics have and the one South High School hires me to achieve. More importantly though is the purpose of coaching, and that is to assist your players in their growth as people, help develop them as future members of society, to be a positive role model, and connect them with other positive role models they can learn and develop from. Both areas must work in harmony to allow us to maximize our accomplishments both on and off the field. In addition, I work to foster a safe and collaborative environment for all players where mistakes can be made without fear of judgement. This is the only way we can improve as a team and as people.
Soccer Philosophy
While the most basic tenants of soccer play are attacking and defending, games are won by what players do in the transition between these two phases, aptly named the transition phase. What a team does when they lose the ball or win the ball sets the stage for how the other phases develop and how much control a team has over the outcome. Great teams don’t react individually to changes in possession; they respond as a team in rehearsed, coordinated ways that give them the best chance to affect the outcome of the game. I believe this is achieved through repetitive exposure to game situations (at game speed) in practice. On the field, I ask my players to focus on three areas: aggression, possession, and communication. Aggression is needed in both defending the opponent from moving the ball forward and with the ball at your foot in front of the opposing team’s goal. My teams play an aggressive style of soccer that seeks to win the ball with the whole body and display an overwhelming desire to score when the ball is at our feet. As a team, we look to possess the ball to allow openings to develop and to capitalize on the mistakes of our opponents. We also let possession dictate our play defensively by only letting opponents posses the ball in areas we want them to, forcing them into areas of high-pressure, and playing compact defensive soccer to win the ball. The most important aspect and the area that makes everything possible is communication. The game of soccer is a social game, and each player should be communicating at all times, either verbally or non-verbally. The best teams are in constant contact during play, making them able to adapt to ever-changing situations. This is the foundation of teamwork and must be in place or a team will fall apart.