Speaking of Coaching high school soccer, the outlook and behavior of the coach are the most important influences affecting a player’s performance. The coach can build a mentally tough team only when he has devised a plan that supports a positive attitude aimed at winning.

The most important and a prominent authority figure in a player’s career is his or her coach. The body language, attitude, and expressions of the coach can shape, reinforce, or damage the players self esteem and confidence.

With respect to coaching youth soccer, mental toughness is all about meeting challenges with a positive outlook. Therefore, the coach must be the starting point in both practice and competition.

After the match, the coach should follow a disciplined routine to help him or her staying away from getting too high or too low. An experienced coach will apply ideas, chronicle, and descriptions, videos, etc to shape the collective approach of the team and prepare them to be mentally tough in their game.

In football coaching, the coach should aim at building a mentally tough team by demonstrating his or her ability to cope with emotional setbacks in spite of personal feelings.

Coaching high school soccer

If the coach shows an unwavering belief in the team’s ability to achieve despite the obstacles, then the team has a framework for building the same mind-set and will become increasingly motivated.

Dealing with mistakes and failure is another area in coaching high school soccer, for which the coach is solely responsible. One of the keys to a player’s motivation and the wish to work towards correcting mistakes is the coach’s response to failure. There are two option for the coach to choose from.

To give a response to the players in order to improve them, their failures can be used as an opportunity to correct them. Persuade them to recommit themselves to the effort with renewed motivation.

Second, use failure as evidence of the player’s inadequacy and proof that they cannot meet expectations. Such a heartbreaking overreaction might de-motivate the players.

Players can be made psychologically strong by accommodating the accountability for their judgment, stances, and actions and rejecting all probable excuses. In soccer coaching, players can be questioned and listened by the coaches rather than always being accused of their mistakes. By discussing about their better performance which they could’ve delivered, the players can be encouraged.

This exercise is known as self-reference. Self reference can be encouraged in the players by the coach to motivate them to perform better. Asking the players of their reaction for the situation is a better option for a coach than giving his own view points or definition on it. Take an example: “How do you feel you played?” or “Why do you feel you behaved that way?”

In this way, players must think through and account for his or her view points which are an important part of the learning process.

So, start applying the methods you just learnt, in coaching high school soccer.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Youth Soccer Training