How Do I Keep A Losing Side Focused?

On every course I have been on, the debate has always been “you should not be trying to win, but trying to develop the youth of today”. We should be trying to encourage players to stay actively involved in the game. But when does losing begin to hurt? When does it become too demoralising to continue? Realistically, players will either leave a club and go to a better one (which will result in the age group folding and players no longer being able to play) or people will just stop playing because they can’t see the fun in losing every week. This is the reality of coaching. My philosophy is and always will be to develop, but how do I stop players from becoming demoralized if they continue to lose every week?

STRUCTURE YOUR SESSIONS

What do your players need to work on?

I always believe in starting from basics, no matter what stage I take a team. I need to know what I am dealing with. When I first took my U10's side, my first session consisted of them bouncing a ball in a 7x7 yard area. I asked them to get used to the way the ball bounced and how would it make it easier to react if the ball went in a different direction? Eventually I got the answers I was searching for in that the players need to be on the toes and have a low centre of gravity to move quickly.

The session progressed slowly because my players needed to progress slowly. However, if I did the same with an U12's side...I may move the practice a bit quicker. Either way, my focus is still seeing what each individual player is capable of. They need a ball, whether it be in hand or at their feet.

After basic ball familiarity, I started to look at movement - could they move like a footballer? Was anyone struggling with their ABC's? Naturally, some will be better than others but I needed to structure sessions about what my players needed, not what I wanted to coach.

FOR EXAMPLE

I want my players to play out from the back. 

This didn't mean I had my U10's doing a SSG on playing out from the back. I had to develop the individual before the team. How was I going to get the players to receive on their back foot to actually play out from the back efficiently? They have to check their shoulder before receiving and have an overall awareness.

Too many coaches throw their players in the deep end and ask their players to practice something they are not capable of. Start from basic - link your sessions together..this will allow you to..

GIVE YOUR PLAYERS REALISTIC TARGETS

If they are not going to win the game, how can you challenge them?

How can you challenge your players without asking them to win the game? If I have been working on possession prior to a game at the weekend, I may time how long my players are in possession during the game with a stopwatch. As a result, before a game, I may give them a target to either half time (recommended) or to full time. My target might be: I want my players to have a total of 5 minutes possession in the first half. 

This gives the players something to achieve. If they're losing 5-0, they still have a focus and if they achieve their targets they are not only developing but they are gaining confidence from it. You will be surprised at how much a players reaction reflects their coach reactions. If you're happy, they're happy. If you're impressed, they know they have done well.

However, you have to make sure your targets are realistic. Give them something they can achieve. You may even challenge individual players if they are finding their focus too easy, but give the players a focus on something other than winning.