The first task for our Modern Soccer Coach Mentorship Programme is based on defining our Coaching Philosophy.
My Coaching Philosophy
The process of defining a Coaching Philosophy
It’s something I have thought about but never taken the time to actually document what sort of coach I want to be and my coaching influences.
We started with a Webinar on “Designing a Philosophy” with Gary Curneen, the Coach behind the Programme where we discussed how to define a Philosophy and looked at examples.
About my Coaching Philosophy
I’ve broken my Philosophy into three areas:
- Me, the Coach
- Style of Play
- Developing the Young Person.
1. Me, the Coach
In the first section I have defined who I want to be as a coach, the attributes I want to develop and also look at some of my coaching influences.
2. Style of play
Within the Style of Play section I look at the teams and players that influence my desired style of play and then break it down to look at how I want my teams to play in possession, out of possession and in transition.
3. Developing Young People
The final part of my Coaching Philosophy looks at Developing Young People. As a Youth Development Coach I feel it is important to think of more than football and encourage good values and respect in the players I coach.
To be continued…
The process of defining my Coaching Philosophy has been interesting and enjoyable. While I have always had a good idea of how I want my teams to play, I have never and actually taken the time to document this.
I have learnt so much more about my Coaching Philosophy through this process but it has made me realise that while many of my principals will stay the same, my Philosophy will evolve over time.
Now I have a starting point and will refer back to it on a regular basis but I will continue to develop my coaching style and with it my overall Coaching Philosophy.
Surround yourself with good people
Thank you to all the coaches I have spoke to throughout this process. I’ve had a chat with several people based in various parts of the world, many for the first time, and have learnt a lot from our discussions.
If anyone would like to chat about my Philosophy or coaching in general please feel free to get me on Twitter or drop me an e-mail.