Glass half full?
Ok, so you are a soccer coach working in a elite environment and you have one or two new players in on trial. How do you view them when it is obvious to everyone at that moment in time that technically they are way behind the group you have been working with over a number of seasons. How do you gauge their potential
As a rule I would look past the
technical deficiency as this is
the first thing you would expect
to be lacking,although having
said that I have seen players
who are on trial have more
technical ability than some of the
players who were in some so
called elite programs!
Enthusiasm for the game is a must and is always a good thing to see players who are always looking to get involved, personality is another trait to look for. If the player on view possesses those two qualities I then
A look at recruitment and coaching
start to look at other qualities the player may have, speed agility etc.. then get my crystal ball out and ask myself as a coach can I help this player improve? if so, how much? Will that improvement take that player further than those currently in the program? Will I want my sessions disrupted while this player plays catch up? A number of other questions run through your mind and you then make your judgment. Continued overleaf
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