Coaching Tip #2

Tagged – Tip of the Week, Practice Management

When players are tired, the first thing they think about is how tired they are.  The more time they have to think, the more they tell themselves and each other how tired they are.

Drills that require learning, take a lot of mental energy.  Tired players are using a lot of that mental energy to tell themselves and each other how tired they are.

This does not mean that the players are not motivated, or don’t want to work, or don’t want to improve.  It just means that you have to cater your training to the current mental and physical state of the players.

If players don’t have time to think, they don’t have time to dwell on their problems.  So make the breaks between actions shorter.  For example, use drills with multiple repetitions in a short time.

Competition always motivates.  It is endlessly amazing how grown men will drag themselves literally and figuratively off the ground the second you play some silly game, just because it is competition.

If the team is tired, add an extra ball, or play another game and the players will always be able to find a bit more energy.

Read about the great new Vyacheslav Platonov coaching book here.