From the Touchline: Match Day Coaching

There are certain things a coach can do on match days that gives their team confidence to play the game without feeling scared or under pressure from the watching parents.

One thing you can do is just to be there for them... the players that is. They get so much confidence from having a coach giving them support from the sideline.

First match nerves

My Under 13 girls team played their first matches this week, and for their very first match our referee had a problem and couldn't turn up. This caused a huge problem and to save the game being cancelled I decided I would have to referee the match myself.

Of course the problem with this is that for the girls first match I wasn't on the touchline helping them out, although I was closer to them on the pitch I wasn't able to support them in the game and encourage them when things didn't go as planned.

They lost the first game, but when they played the second game this week I was on the touchline and I could support them and help them when they were unsure about things. This meant their confidence was sky high and that helped them to win the match, sure of what they were doing and that they were going about things the right way.

Often as coaches we think out players need to be directed about where to go and what to do when what they really want is encouragement and reassurance they are doing the right things. We played a team that had coaches shouting and pointing the whole time which helped us to some degree because the girls they were shouting at looked confused and unsure about what they were doing.

Give your support

What your players do not want to see is you getting annoyed on the touchline or engaging in arguments with the opposition – they will get far more from you if you concentrate on them and whether they are winning or losing remain calm and give them your support.

That often can be just a simple acknowledgement that they are okay and that you are concentrating on what they are doing.

This is what the players – the boys and girls you coach – want to see. Leave all the shouting and the detailed instructions about where they should stand at a corner for training nights. Match days are for the players to show their understanding of what has taken place during training, you support them and make notes about what you will work on when you get them back to training!