Volunteer Coach

Quick Tips - Listening & Communicating with Players

• A skilled coach needs to develop communication skills as both a giver and receiver to truly excel and build strong relationships with the players.

• Active listening is a communication skill that guarantees clear, mutually understood communication, makes players more willing to talk to the coach as well as promotes a more meaningful relationship between the coach and player. In active listening, the receiver tries to understand the sender's message, puts their understanding into their own words, and feeds it back for the sender's verification.

• Good listeners pay full attention to the player's words and signal their attention to the player with small responses via their head and facial movements, low-key 'verbals', and body posture.

• Be aware of the four common pitfalls that lead to communication break downs.

  1. Bias, such as in the form of personal prejudice or anger, can affect how well coaches listen and how they perceive what the player is saying.

  2. Environmental factors, such as noise, temperature, and limited time after or during a game or practice can cause coaches to focus their attention on other factors besides what the player is saying.

  3. Rehearsing a response takes place when coaches catch the drift of what the player is saying or anticipate it's their turn to speak so they begin too rehearse a response, thereby missing parts of the message.

  4. Hot words, or certain words that people react to (i.e. "play favorites", "don't know what you're doing", or "stupid") causes the listener to concentrate more on the emotion of the word or its implications. This leads to the listener losing sight of what is being said.

• Coaches can communicate with purpose by being aware of posture, eye contact, facial expressions, distance between the coach and player, distracting behaviors, and voice quality.

• Players appreciate and expect open communication. For coaches, building these skills and insuring they understand players is crucial in addressing their questions and quandaries.

Additional Resources:

Communication and Motivation

Communication Between Parents and Coaches

• Assist - The pass that goes to the player that scores the goal.

• Corner Kick - If the defense kicks the ball over the end line, the ball is placed in the corner of the field. An offensive player then kicks the ball to resume play.

• Cross - A kick from the side of the field into the middle.

• Defender - A position that is the last line of defense in front of the goalie. Their job is to stop the other team's forwards from scoring.

• Formation - The arrangement of players on the field.

• Forward - An attacking position. These players are farthest up the field and usually score the most goals.

• Free Kick - Any time there is a foul, the team that was fouled gets to kick a stationary ball to resume play.

• Goal - When the ball is kicked into the net it is a goal, and it counts as 1 point.

• Goal Kick - If the offense kicks the ball over the end line, the ball is placed in the corner of the goal box. The goalie (or any player for U6 & U8) then kicks the ball to resume play.

• Goalie - A position with the job that guards the goal. They are the only players that are allowed to use their hands.

• Handball - A violation whenever a non-goalie touches the ball with their hand or arm.

• Hat Trick - One player scores three goals in a single game.

• Header - Hitting the ball with your head.

• Midfielder - A position in between forward and defender.  The players specialize in passing and moving the ball toward the goal, from the defensive half of the field to the offensive half.

• Pass - When the ball is kicked from teammate to teammate.

• Penalty Area - The goalie may use his/her hands anywhere in this area.

• Penalty Kick - If a fouls occurs in the goalie box, it is called a penalty. One player from the team that was fouled gets to attempt a penalty kick. The ball is placed 12 yards away from a goal and only the goalie is allowed to attempt to stop it.

• Punt - When the goalie drop kicks the ball.

• Red Card - A card signifying ejection from the game, it is drawn either by one exceptionally bad action or receiving 2 yellow cards. Players who receive a red card cannot be replaced by another player, leaving the team down a player.

• Save - The goalie blocks the shot.

• Shot - Any attempt to kick the ball into the goal.

• Throw In - An overhead throw to resume play after the ball goes out of bounds on either sideline.

• Trap - Stopping the ball with your body in order to control it.

• Volley - When a player kicks the ball while it is still in the air.

• Wall - In an attempt to block a free/corner kick, defenders will set up a row of players, usually in front of the goal.

• Yellow Card - If an action is thought to be flagrant, the player is cautioned and given a yellow card.