The Omaha Legends Coaching Philosophy

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Description of Legends Coaching Philosophy


A weakness of most coaches is that they pay scant attention to the leadership component of developing very young and adolescent players. Over time coaches usually develop reasonably astute tactical ability. They are “little commanders” moving men and weapons into different positions to create match-ups of superiority or hide areas of weakness. They have attended tactically focused coaching courses and read numerous books and magazine articles on strategic teaching and methods. These courses have convinced them that the best way to get success is to use what technical skills and leadership ability their players already have to steal the win against the next opponent. They have wrongly convinced themselves that finding the best way to arrange and use the troops to win is the main purpose of good coaching. Kids love to play and create. They will spend hours setting up their toys and constructing imaginary scenarios. The natural tendency to be diverse, creative and adventurous is often stifled by the coach who sees the game from a rigid, organizational, win-oriented, perspective. The inexperienced young player wants to learn and grow. She needs to be encouraged to experiment. She desires the ball and wants to be taught to do amazing creative things with it. The last thing she wants to do is share it with a teammate. The normal child desires fun through the satisfaction of the need for active play. This involves great movement and lots of contact with the ball in a creative, free spirited manner. However, most coaches ask their players to play a position. They first try to give their team structure. Young kids don’t want or need positional structure in their games. It takes away from the things they see as most enjoyable, i.e. ball contact, movement and play. Therefore, it takes away part of their motivation and enjoyment. Control freaks need not apply for coaching job.

Modern knowledge of soccer tactics and systems has allowed us to manipulate statistical results and control players in restrictive ways to their detriment. This is a fact that becomes clearer each day as creative development dies and our players fail to achieve their potential. Indeed by disconnecting us from creative license traditional win/profit oriented coaching has led us into actions so inharmonious with developmental reality that, if we stay the course, a character and creative ability catastrophe seems inevitable for our players. Win oriented coaching methods, far from telling the truth about how we develop talent and character are myths meant to feed our fading fantasy of ego based coach power and control. If we dare to move beyond our fear of losing to practice coaching as a form of maximizing potential and creative character development we might abandon our illusion of control and enter into a partnership with parents in developing truly brilliant humans with spectacular soccer abilities and character.