Reflection on Selection...

Something was said to me today that got me thinking.

Getting some shopping after work, an acquaintance said; ‘He, (Southgate) needed to play his strongest side, fittest, hungriest, every time, what was he thinking?’. I found myself uttering a quick answer, a bit defensive, but it made us both think? ‘maybe the squads for the world cup should be just 14 then if that’s the case’. Was my tart answer.

After a pause, he said; what about overplaying, injuries, when we need replacements, yellow cards, knocks, that’s rubbish! My next question then was; (and I realise I was still being facetious to a point), when would you play the replacements then? Quarter final? Semi? First knock out?

‘NAA, don’t be silly, we only use them when the first choices are fatigued, or injured’.

It occurred to me then, some people for the best of intentions want us to win, but fail to see the bigger picture; In my opinion, Trippier, Henderson, Stones (amongst others) Kane included have done well, people simply believe that they should be away from home, in a pressure cooker, play three tense games in an attempt to get out of the group, ‘’keep momentum’’, win a round of sixteen game, a quarter final, a semi final and be ‘’hungry’’ for the final, Did anyone else see a few on the bench, strapped, using Ice, & rehydrating, stretching?

If an Eric Dier came out in the semi for his first game after a month of no tournament football, make a clumsy tackle for a penalty, I assume for some it would be ‘’I never rated him any way’’…

As an esteemed colleague said to me recently, ‘football is about seeing the bigger picture, compromise and planning for what you want to achieve and by understanding the players in front of you’. The landscape changes, you need to look after those in your charge and in a world cup, the opportunities for all your troops to enter the gladiators arena are few & far between.

In my opinion, If we fail to beat a good Columbia side next Tuesday, having giving players a rest, and others a chance against Belgium it will not have lost us the game. However, if we do perform, and move forward, we will be in a much better place and fresher for it. 

Decision Making - A reflection..

Decision Making - A reflection..

On a number of occasions over recent weeks I have heard the term ‘Decision Making’ used by coaches, it seems to be much more prevalent in conversations & feature much more now in terms of 'coach speak'. You hear it used in sessions, coach education & a variety of informal learning environments.

Delivering practices that allow players to develop their ‘Decision Making’ skills & thought processes are widely accepted as a positive link to building cognitive, creative players.

I recently witnessed a session with a group of under 13's. Positively, the session had been active, fun, directional and game related. Therefore it had a huge amount of positives. However, during a brief chat (& in praising) the coach after, it transpired that along with his plan of working on switching play, he wanted to also develop the players ‘decision making’ for match days in other areas. 

As this was an informal observation & the first session I had seen nothing further was discussed. However, during a mentoring session some weeks later, I was fortunate to see the same team in a game situation. Although the team were enthusiastic, & enjoyed the game they lost narrowly. The coach remained positive:

Listening to the de-brief after: 

(Coach) Well played, I thought you did very well, however, what have we been working on recently? (Player) passing & Decision making (Coach) Good, & I really think we’re 

getting there, there were some great decisions made….  

(Player) But when do I know if what I did was the right thing, I wasn’t always sure?

An excellent reflection from the player I thought...

So, Question: how do we help the young player determine what a good decision is?

The right decision? The better decision? In other words, learn about ‘what are good decisions in context’? 

This surely must come down to the planning, interventions & the environment set by the coach. This coach is certainly on the right pathway..  If  we look for a definition on decision making, one is: 'The cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or course of action among alternative possibilities'. 'the belief’ I feel is really is important here for the players. This can be embedded with some powerful specific, individual praise.

To explain further: We should indeed deliver practices that are close to the game, where the ‘RANDOM’ & unexpected occur. But, for the players to learn what a ‘Good’ decision looks like, surely they must have some guidance on:

1) What we were looking to achieve in context

2) How we achieved it

3) Therefore, why the decision was a good one

A chance to review the outcome & what you the player 'believe' happened?

(A chance for confirmation & reflection)

The skill will come in letting the players play the game, enjoy the game, experiment within the game but being mindful of what the process is and what they are trying to achieve. Why this happened & why this didn’t happen. In other words, we must make mistakes in order to log learning but we must also know ‘why’ a chosen course of action was a ‘good course of action’ a successful course of action. 

Some academic research talks of ‘Decision Making’ as: 

Decision making follows perception & precedes action. It is vital that this takes place for a skilled performance. 

Decision Making (A Definition):- The cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or course of action among alternative possibilities.

Perception (A Definition):- The organisation, identification and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent & understand the environment.

There are a number of definitions & theories, however the common ground that makes the subject so important in the development of our young players is that both perceptual skills & decision making are learned and developed through experience.

Scan, look, notice, adjust, learn. Decide.

‘Doing the right thing at the right time’ is another statement often used, but if we take the simple theory that our decision making is improved via real experiences, being placed in an environment where we are encouraged to ‘TRY’ to ‘LEARN’ to ‘HONE’ and develop this then surely the way our practices are delivered is vital in developing these skills.

In summary, players will need to know the context to be able to understand what is the ‘preferred course of action & Outcome'.

Yes we need the ball rolling but we also need to remember, ‘why and what we are looking to achieve'.. 

Revisiting 'thoughts' on feedback...

Feedback 
Learn to see the difference between constructive & destructive:

Feedback is vital when trying to establish a culture of learning and furthering development. However, whilst giving positive feedback may be relatively easy and indeed enjoyable, there are times when a mentor, tutor, friend or a peer-coach will need to feedback on areas of development, critique’ on performance, delivery, and maybe on the overall progress in general. 

Being prepared (to give or receive) constructive feedback is important since without addressing it correctly the feedback is unlikely to have an effect on what we want to instigate; the deeper reflection needed to move things forward and ultimately, develop. We need to give & take to make it work!

To be useful, feedback needs to be given in an empathetic and supportive way and to include both the relevant positive areas & also the vital key areas to improve on from your observations. 

In providing feedback, remember to limit the amount of information, be succinct to what the receiver can use realistically, and make it relevant rather than just delivering the amount you would like to give. 

Things to consider:

1. Invite the individual to self-reflect	‘What do you consider as your strengths & areas of development?’
2. Use positives-be positive	Try to include some (genuine & realistic) positive feedback. ‘I liked the great introduction, excellent’
3. Focus on the agreed, outcome not  the person. This will give  them chance to reflect.	‘The players seemed to really enjoy the session; however, do you think they grasped the topic? Rather than: ’Í really don’t think the players understood that topic’.
4. Be clear, if possible, suggest ways to find support	‘The session plan is coming along really well. However,  didn’t I see you with some course reference material the other day? That may help your planning further?’
5. Make sure ‘you’ own  & believe in the comments you are making	Use ‘I’ statements rather than ‘you’ statements, e.g.  ‘Sorry, I’m not sure I understand’ rather than ‘you don’t sound too sure on this here’.
6. Where practically possible,  don’t wait in delivering feedback	Immediate feedback is very valuable. If this is not possible, keep clear notes & feedback as soon as you can. Set the scene if feeding back later, let them ‘gather’ their thoughts. Revisit.
7. Be aware that the  immediate response to your feedback could be negative/defensive. Why?	It may have been the way you delivered it? It may be you need to understand their thought process more. Be clear that your feedback is understood.

One of the key areas to remember is that although you are delivering the feedback you may also need to evaluate your delivery of it, how you are perceived in doing so and how effective you were in delivering on the key aspects?

Evaluate this from the response from the recipient, but importantly, be open to feedback yourself, be open to the key areas you have to improve on. Feedback after all is the fuel for our further development. We never stop learning....

'Clubbing Together, supporting creativity at grassroots'.

In the search for creativity, whether this is in players, in teams or coaches we often do what we have always done and then hope, sometimes in vain, for something different. For example, clubs are called clubs for a reason you are a collective, you have a common purpose. Some ideas later but first...

Creativity, a state of mind? - 'The use of imagination or original ideas to create something'

Being Creative is as much about attitude and self-confidence as about talent. Creativity by its very nature is often less ordered, structured and less predictable. Therefore, with young players a good tip is to try setting a culture where questions and the answers are openly encouraged. This will start their creativity journey far better than just ‘Telling’ & expecting. It may be a good idea to share these thoughts with other coaches, 'spread the culture'.

Q; As in, is there more than one answer to a given situation?

Example - If the players think yes to the above question & they are free to let you know their answers, you are likely to come up with lots of suggestions. Of course, many suggestions may not be 'right' but that’s OK. Encouraging this type of thinking will open the doors to more creative thinking & problem solving if handled correctly. Guiding them to the correct solutions & offering relevant praise is a far better development road than just giving them the answers all the time.

‘I want some’
Everybody wants creative players. From the Grassroots coach on the muddy touchline in January to the prime-time TV pundit waxing lyrical about how we need creative players to ‘spark up’ the game. Creative players are the ones who light up our game, and deliver the key moments we remember across the stages from the under 8 stage to the World Cup. There have been movement over recent years towards tackling this subject, understanding it, developing it, or more importantly I feel, enhancing. Long may it continue.

‘Right, if you behave in the next bit we can have a game’.

Was a statement I heard recently during an under 11 training session. The children arrived and were admonished for touching the balls; their instruction was to jog slowly from one side of the pitch to the other. By the time the 8th player arrived the first two who arrived first bubbly and enthusiastic were walking slowly, red faced and very despondent. The complete opposite demeanour I would suggest we need in developing inquisitive, creative young people. The coach then questioned their attitude.

Developing a culture of learning and inquisitiveness across the club may help, what do other coaches do with their teams? have you looked across at their warm up and thought, I like that, but have been too proud to ask? share... you are in the same club, a safe environment, it’s about the players right?

‘That looks messi/y’!
Creative players do things ‘differently’, the very essence of creativity. At the centre of creativity is the opportunity to experiment, try, and learn. Practice environments therefore need to offer the opportunity for this to happen. The game itself is random and being able to ‘react in the random’ will enhance the opportunity for young players to be creative.

Make a start, how can a collection of club coaches be creative?
Open discussion can 'create the creative'.

Many clubs hold club meetings or coaches’ meetings but often on the agenda are the likes of fees, club events, 5 a side, fines etc... in the search for being creative, be creative with your time: Can your coaches who look after the 8 - 12's for example get together, share ideas, practices, what worked well when we were under 8's and transferred into under 9's? I'm not sure what to expect at 9v9? set time to discuss with a coach at your club who has experienced this. Network, collaborate & learn.

'Tips n’ tricks'
Create a culture & ethos that rewards ‘trying’ and that those mistakes are part of the learning. Build a coaching philosophy/DNA across the team/club which values an approach to creativity and a sense of ‘belonging’. If I feel included, safe, I am more likely to experiment.
This starts with the club and coaches; If I'm willing to learn, watch and ask, then maybe the players will?

What do you Want?
To enjoy your coaching journey? to share your successes, develop your players, relate to the parents and share a common goal? then, think of how you can create a positive environment with other coaches at the club. add to your library and lend to others....

Give it a try, SHARE, be creative.

Rapport....

'Building Rapport’

‘A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well’

We have heard many times that ‘simplicity is genius’. Sometimes when we are looking for answers or solutions the ‘simple’ answers & solutions allude us, we convince ourselves to trawl for the potential deeper answers & meanings.

From a coaching perspective, a mentoring perspective, one of the most overlooked & an underused tool is the importance in building initial rapport.

Some key points to consider:

• Generally, people care deeply about themselves

• People like to feel important/worthy

• People like & trust their familiar environment (comfort zone)

• People open up & relate to people they trust

So if you are looking to offer support, feedback, support or advice:

Get people to talk about themselves

The best mentors are usually the ones that never say too much about themselves. They are great at building trust by asking questions, listening actively and feeding on what has been said. This tells the person that you have made them a priority, they are valued & they are important. This technique is most effective when you have a genuine interest and curiosity in the other person. So in football terms for example, a touchline cup of coffee, a chat, a mutual understanding is a solid & often necessary place to start in building ‘Rapport’.

You will also learn more about the person you wish to support. You will also most definitely learn something of interest for yourself: ‘Everyone you will ever meet will know something you don’t’

Remember names & relevant facts (Commonalities) 

Nothing is more important to a person than their name. I bet a lot of us can remember a time when someone called you by the wrong name, especially publically? Therefore, make the effort to learn someone’s name when you first meet them & use it, it’s is a real compliment and it helps the person feel important. Also, by active listening remember a few key points, an event you discussed, an upcoming interview, their favourite team. When you revisit the initial chat mentioning their name and a relevant fact from the conversation will invoke trust & the fact you care. Also highlighting the ‘commonalities’ & shared experiences will develop a relationship grounded in understanding.

Connectivity

Once you have identified commonalities, a connection is developed. You can now more freely exchange ideas, & work together. Over time this relationship will allow you to check & challenge ideas, reflect & review. The trust you have developed will allow you to support, guide & offer advice.

Collaboration

This should be at the heart of any good relationship. You must build a sold rapport first & then you can collaborate & work more effectively. This means having shared & agreed approaches to problems, ideas as well as having common goals.

Remember, no matter what you are trying to achieve in life, gaining trust from other people will be an integral part of your success. Reflect on the points above, who are you trying to help? The mentee/coach? The players & their development? Definitely,… but ensure there is a bit of learning for you…

Reflecting on 'Decision Making'

Reflecting on ‘Decision Making'

In my opinion ‘Decision Making’ features much more now in terms of coaching. You hear it used in sessions, coach education & informal learning environments.

Being able to deliver practices that allow players to develop their ‘Decision Making’ skills & thought processes are widely accepted as a positive link to building cognitive, creative players.

However, I am penning this blog following witnessing a session recently with a group of under 11’s. The session could have been deemed to be active, fun and game related. Therefore it had a huge amount of positives. However, on questioning (& praising) the coach it transpired that he was working on the fact that he wanted to develop the players ‘decision making’ for match days. 

It was an informal observation & the first session I had seen so nothing further was discussed. I was fortunate to see the same team in a game situation some weeks later. Although the team were enthusiastic, & enjoyed the game they lost narrowly. 
Listening to the de-brief after: 

(Coach) Well played, I thought you did very well, however, what have we been working on recently? (Player) passing & Decision making (Coach) Good, & I really think we’re 
getting there….  

(Player) But when do I know if what I did was the right thing, I wasn’t always sure?

So, Question: how does the young player above determine what a good decision is?

The right decision? The better decision? In other words, learn about ‘what are good decisions in context’? 

This surely must come down to the planning, interventions & the environment set by the coach. If we return to the definition above: The cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or course of action among alternative possibilities. ’the belief’ is important.

To explain further: We should indeed deliver practices that are close to the game, where the ‘RANDOM’ & unexpected occur. But, for the players to learn what a ‘Good’ decision looks like, surely they must have some guidance on:

1) what we are looking to achieve 
2) Why the decision was a good one 
3) A chance to review the outcome & what happened?

(Chance for praise, confirmation & reflection)

The skill will come in letting the players play the game, enjoy the game, experiment within the game but being mindful of what the process is and what they are trying to achieve. Why this happened & why this didn’t happen. In other words, we must make mistakes in order to log learning but we must also know ‘why’ a chosen course of action was a ‘good course of action’. 

Some academic speak talks of ‘Decision Making’ as: 

Decision making follows perception & precedes action. It is vital that this takes place for a skilled performance. 

Decision Making (A Definition):- The cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or course of action among alternative possibilities.

Perception (A Definition):- The organisation, identification and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent & understand the environment.

There are a number of definitions & theories which argue the difference between the two, however the common ground that makes the subject so important in the development of our young players is that both perceptual skills & decision making are learned and developed through experience where we can therefore better determine the action to take in a given situation.

‘Doing the right thing at the right time’ is another statement often used, but if we take the simple theory that our decision making is improved via real experiences, being placed in an environment where we are encouraged to ‘TRY’ to ‘LEARN’ to ‘HONE’ and develop this then surely the way our practices are delivered is vital in developing these skills.

However, in summary, players will need to know the context to be able to understand what is the ‘preferred course of action’. 

Yes we need the ball rolling but we also need to remember, ‘why’….

Revisiting thoughts on 'feedback'

Feedback 

Feedback is vital when trying to establish a culture of learning and furthering development. However, whilst giving positive feedback may be relatively easy and indeed enjoyable, there are times when a mentor, tutor, friend or a peer-coach will need to feedback on areas of development, critique’ on performance, delivery, and maybe on the overall progress in general. 

Being prepared (to give or receive) constructive feedback is important since without addressing it correctly the feedback is unlikely to have effect we want to instigate the deeper reflection needed to move things forward and develop. We need to give & take to make it work!

To be useful, feedback needs to be given in an empathetic and supportive way and to include both the relevant positive areas & also the vital key areas to improve on from your observations. 

In providing feedback, remember to limit the amount of information, be succinct to what the receiver can use realistically, and make it relevant rather than just delivering the amount you would like to give. (A good analogy may be too much info at half time)!

Things to consider:

1. Invite the individual to self-reflect	‘What do you consider as your strengths & areas of development?’
2. Use positives-be positive	Try to include some (genuine & realistic) positive feedback. ‘I liked the great introduction, excellent’
3. Focus on the agreed, outcome not  the person. This will give  them chance to reflect.	‘The players seemed to enjoy the session;however, do you think they grasped the topic you set? Rather than: ’Í really don’t think the players understood that topic’.
4. Be clear, if possible, suggest ways to find support	‘The session plan is coming along really well. However,  didn’t I see you with some course reference material? That may help your planning further?’
5. Make sure ‘you’ own  & believe in the comments you are making	Use ‘I’ statements rather than ‘you’ statements, e.g.  ‘Sorry, I’m not sure I understand’ rather than ‘you don’t sound too sure on this here’.
6. Where practically possible,  don’t wait in delivering feedback	Immediate feedback is very valuable. If this is not possible, keep clear notes & feedback as  soon as you can. Set the scene if feeding back later, let them ‘gather’ their thoughts. Revisit.
7. Be aware that the  immediate response to your feedback could be negative/defensive. Why?	It may have been the way you delivered it? It may be you need to understand their thought process more. Be clear that your feedback is understood.

One of the key areas to remember is that although you are delivering the feedback you may also need to evaluate your delivery of it, how you are perceived in doing so and how effective you were in delivering on the key aspects?

Evaluate this from the response from the recipient, but importantly, be open to feedback yourself, be open to the key areas you have to improve on. Feedback after all is the fuel for our further development.