Winter 2023 | Page 36

and in divergent ways . The coach does not have to impose everything ! The coach-player relationship is not a doctor-patient relationship with set prescriptions .
Instead of the coach being the main character in the teaching and learning process , responsibility should often be transferred to the young pupils and ask them , through systematic questioning , to solve most of the situations that are presented . A true master of teaching never gives the answers to the problems , but helps pupils find and discover them on their own , guiding them to correct results . The game of soccer itself must become the teacher and not the coach . Johann Wolfgang von Goethe says it with other words : “ Our youth prefers to get stimulated rather than instructed .” The excessive instructions given by the coach as well as the acquisition of automated and coach-directed soccer moves is not helping to develop the creativity of young soccer players .
WE MUST FIND MORE CREATIVE COACHES TO PRODUCE CREATIVE PLAYERS
To see more creative players , with the capacity to be innovative and to do things in a completely different way from the norm , in the future our coaches will have to rethink the following and more :
» While practicing or competing , coaches should not always punish the mistakes of their players , as this will inhibit the players from taking risks and thereby inhibit their creativity , fantasy , and imagination from flowing .
» In the training sessions , more space or time should be offered to allow players to experiment with new moves that occur to them spontaneously . A more informal environment — as seen when soccer is played on the street , the beach or in a par — helps to develop more creative players .
» Any flash of creative behavior in a player should be recognized by the coach who should do everything to encourage players to be different and to look out for original solutions to the problems inherent in the soccer game .
» The coach should look for ways that allow for the accumulation of new experiences in young soccer players so that these are not gained exclusively with the use of the analytical method , but whenever possible , coaches should find a way to do it in a more attractive way through the application of the “ global ” method .
» The questions that a coach normally raises to help players to find the solution should , from time to time , be raised by the players themselves .
WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE YOUNG SOCCER PLAYER IS AN ENEMY OF CREATIVITY
Nowadays most of our young talent grows in an atmosphere which is noticeably hostile towards creativity . Their familiar and scholastic surroundings , especially between the ages of 7 and 14 years , are characterized generally by an “ intentional direction ” of learning with strict norms , which is limiting personal initiative , independence , originality , and the value of trying to do things in different ways .
On most soccer fields , the young players are dominated by instructors who allow relatively little freedom of movement and decision-making to the young players whose opinions are never considered . For the coach it is important to always have everything under control . When players depart from the expected norms , they are often chastised and told to respect the coach ’ s directions .
Often instructions are given to the players about what to do and how to solve the problem or where to be positioned on the field . If during a competition the coach does not direct the players , many parents may think that the coach is not motivated or not qualified for the job .
In soccer training , as well as in school , too much instruction from outside does not favor the personal initiative of the players . Many coaches think for their players , instead of stimulating them to think for themselves .
Compliance has to have high priority ! If a player begins to show signals of autonomy and self-awareness , he / she will receive a call from the coach to get in line . This way , over the years , the young soccer player gets used to following the coach ’ s instructions and plays according to the information received but without individual thought and personal flair .
When these young players arrive at the age of 14-15 years , it is obvious that they are going to face serious problems if they are asked to make their own decisions , because for many years they have been trained to execute only what the adults have told them . At this age there is a massive drop-out of players . A recent study conducted in Bavaria , Germany between 1978 to 1988 showed that the number of teams decreased during this decade by more than 50 % when the players switched from category C ( 12-14 years of age ) to category B ( 15-16 years of age ). (“ Kicker ” - Sportmagazin , 05.11.1989 ).
It is logical that suddenly it is very difficult for them to become more of a composer and creator instead of a simple executor , because for years they have not been allowed to play in a creative way . Such players are not capable of enriching the soccer game and their teams ’ performance with their creativity , fantasy , and imagination .
As today many private or governmental institutions or organizations are busy occupying the free time of our children , the kids lose fantasy , imagination , and creativity to do their own things , to do what their desires , expectations , and needs demand .
Instead of giving fishes to the children , the students , or the players , the parents , teachers , and soccer coaches should teach them how to fish . n
36 | Soccer Journal