4 Essential Items Every Coach Needs To Get Better

Folks who are fixer uppers or tinkerers know that the key to handling any situation is having a nice toolbox. Whether its needle nosed pliers or a power saw or cordless drill...these things will prove to be essential for any job that needs to be completed. And it's the same with coaching! We need to have a toolbox that is stocked so that we're able to deal with the disgruntled player, the starter whose spot is about to be taken, as well as the athletic director that wants you to fundraise a ridiculous amount of money each year.

Here's four things that every coach should have in their toolbox:

Soccer Drills

Mentors - When I took my first head coaching job at age 24, my toolbox only had a hammer and a couple of nails clanking around in it...not nearly enough for the repair project I'd taken on! I was certainly enthusiastic, but that needed to be combined with knowledge...and I was a bit short on that. Enter our men's basketball coach who was a legend in his field and had a head full of coaching genius that he was willing to share. So I'd haul my butt up to his office about once a week and we'd chat. Sometimes about my team, sometimes about his, but each and every time I learned something from this man.

4 Essential Items Every Coach Needs To Get Better

Peers - Here's one thing I know: coaches love talking about coaching. Once you find folks with a similar philosophy, make it a point to talk to them and pick their brains. I truly believe that coaching is coaching so it doesn't matter if you talk to the football coach or the soccer coach...if you share the same philosophical foundation, you've set yourself up for fun and challenging conversations about coaching.

Seminars/Conventions - Be a coaching nerd! Go to your sport's convention...and attend the sessions (not just the social stuff) and hang out after it's over and chat with the presenter. Go to local clinics even if you don't think you'll learn something new...you certainly won't if you don't go! Plus other coaches will be there and maybe you'll be able to chat them up and get a different viewpoint on an old problem. This will help keep you current in your field.

Books - I read a lot of books. I read books for myself in order to grow in my leadership and influence. I also read books that I think will be good for my team to read during the season. Sometimes they're sports books, sometimes they're business oriented, and other times they're faith-based...but what they all share in common is that I think that they'll make me a better coach.

What do you think? What would you add to the list?

4 Essential Items Every Coach Needs To Get Better

10 Essential Items Required to Run a Kids Soccer Practice

Every Player needs a ball. As the coach you should probably have some extras just in case some kids forget, however the expectation is that each child should bring their own. Many times the league will provide some balls for the coach to use during the season. You should also have a ball pump and needles available to keep the balls inflated. Shinguard's. Every player should wear shinguards.  It is important to practice with them on so the kids are used to them for the games.  Many leagues require these for both practice and games, so the sooner the kids get used to them the better. Water Bottle. Every player needs a water bottle with their name on it. The coach may want to bring some for the kids that forget their own. Small Soccer Cones. There are really two types of cones on the market. Small cones as you traditional picture them and what are called disk cones. These cones are ideal for marking areas for small sided games. As a rule of thumb, consider having 2 cones per player (e.g., 30 cones for 15 players). A Whistle. Save your voice. Whistles are not expensive and are an easy way to teach the kids when to stop and start. A Way To Identify "Teams". The most common way to do this is through colored vests. Many times the league will provide coaches with the vests (also called pennies, or bibs), or you can buy them at your local sporting goods store. There a many alternative ways to identify teams, so you can always use your imagination and have some fun with this one.  Assistants. Parents will often want to stay and watch the practice. Get them involved as assistants. The more active you can keep the kids, the more fun they will have. Use parents to shag balls if nothing else.  A watch or stopwatch.  You will need to time your drills and practice sessions. A stopwatch is the easiest, however any watch will do. An Equipment Bag. Keep your coaching supplies in one place. Keep your clipboard, pennies, cones, etc so your not running around only to find you forgot something you needed at practice. You may also want to keep a supply of band-aids and instant ice packs, as these seem to be miracle cures for kids with bumps and bruises. Some type of Goal.  This is not essential, however it is visually satisfying for the players to see the ball hit the back of the net.   There are quite a few portable mini-goals on the market ranging in price from inexpensive to extravagant.  However, cones, clothing, books, anything that identifies two goal posts will work.

Soccer Drills

10 Essential Items Required to Run a Kids Soccer Practice

10 Essential Items Required to Run a Kids Soccer Practice

Essential Skills for Soccer and How to Develop Them

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea. It was a fierce game in which Chelsea eventually proved victorious. And even though I am a huge United fan, I enjoyed the game immensely. Why? The talent level was so high. The players on these two massive clubs are so good at what they do that anyone who watches them can't help but be impressed.

It got me to thinking, how can a player become so good? I have been playing soccer for over 20 years, but I am no where near their skill level. So, what is the difference. Well, the following are a few things that professional players possess and I lack. Below, you will see a short list of skill sets that make players great and how to develop those particular skill sets.

Soccer Drills

1. Ball Handling: Upon watching professionals, it seems as if the ball is literally glued to their feet. Where they go, the ball goes too. This skill set is developed by becoming comfortable with the ball at your feet. To do this, a player must get as many touches as possible each day. When I played in high school, our coach made us get 1,000 touches on the ball before practice would even begin. You can do this by doing the following:

Essential Skills for Soccer and How to Develop Them

- Juggling. This can be done alone or with a group, but keep the ball in the air. Don't let it touch the ground, ever. But, unlike traditional juggling, to get a better feel for the ball, juggle while moving. Find a grassy nook and juggle the ball from one end to the other. Also, instead of using your strong foot (almost everyone prefers one foot to the other), try to keep the ball in the air using your weaker foot.

- Roll Overs: Whether you are going side to side, backwards or forwards, roll overs will help your control. Find a field of some sort and practice rolling the ball with each foot. However, instead of just rolling the ball and watching it, use each step you take to roll the ball again. Essentially, you should be running and rolling the ball with the sole of your foot at the same time.

2. Passing. Whether it is a cross-field pass or a 5-yard pass, professionals are right on the money. They pass the ball to a specific spot as opposed to a general area. To mimic the accuracy of professionals, there are one or two main drills you can do to increase your skill level.

- Keep Away. Playing keep away can help you in just about every way imaginable. But if you want to develop precision passing, play keep away with small goals of 1-2 feet wide at either end of the field. If you play keep away with a regular sized goal or no goal at all, the play tends to take place on the outskirts of the playing field. But by setting up small goals, each team is forced to pass the ball within the confines of a small area in order to get close enough to the goal to score.

3. Field Awareness. In order to play at a high level, you must know exactly where your teammates are. Many times, when a player looses possession, he or she has taken too long to pass the ball to another player. But, if players know where their teammates are before they need to pass the ball, possession will be retained on a more consistent basis. The best way to become more aware of the field and players around you is as follows.

- One- or Two-touch passing drills. It doesn't really matter what type of drills you do in this case. However, the way you perform the drill is extremely important. The rule is you cannot take more than one or two touches on the ball before passing it. This seems a little hasty, but if you do not have many touches to use, then you are forced to pick your head up and take a look around you. By doing this, you will develop the habit of looking around you before receiving the ball so you know where you are going to pass beforehand.

There are many reasons why professionals are professionals. But, the aforementioned skills are necessary for anyone to play soccer at a competitive level. Performing these drills will help you become a better and more influential player.

Essential Skills for Soccer and How to Develop Them