During the summer of 2016 we conducted a survey on the needs of Grassroots Soccer Coaches. Over 500 Technical Directors or Directors of Coaching of National Football Associations, State Associations and Grassroots Clubs completed this survey. We are very grateful to these ladies and gentlemen
The results of the survey are shown below. To download these results please click Download Grassroots Coaches Research PDF
Our overall summary of the survey would be :
- Greatest need is in ‘ How ‘ to Coach not ‘ What’ to coach e.g.
- Make it ‘ FUN’
- Understand children
- Understand Age ‘ Appropriateness ’
- Take advantage of the web to provide training and support for grassroots coaches !
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QUESTION
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MOST COMMON REPLIES
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What do you believe to be the number One most common mistake grassroots coaches make when they start to coach ?
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- Do not understand the needs of kids ( inappropriate content and practices )
- Too much talk,too often. Too many instructions.
- Too much emphasis on the ‘ results ‘ of winning games thus too much emphasis on the better players and bigger players
- Not enough emphasis on Fun
- Too many drills and not enough small sided games and practices related to the game
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What do you believe to be the most common reasons grassroots coaches quit coaching ?
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- The Attitude of Parents
- Too Time Consuming
- Their own child quits playing
- Lack of support from the Club
- Unrealistic Expectations of Grassroots Coaching
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What do you believe are the most common mistakes grassroots coaches make in WHAT to coach ? i.e. what are the most important aspects of KNOWLEDGE they lack ?
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- Do not understand the concept of Age Appropriateness - Content & Delivery
- Do not coach to the level of the players: unable to differentiate and to know how/when to progress
- Too many unopposed drills with kids waiting and standing in line + time wasted on warm ups. Not enough game like activities involving decision making
- Too much emphasis on winning - fitness,set plays,playing positions, tactics
- Do not understand ‘ Principles of Play ‘ / ‘ Key Moments in the Game’
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What do you believe are the most common mistakes grassroots coaches make in HOW to coach ? i.e. what are the most important aspects of Coaching SKILL they lack?
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- Not enough FUN. Do not make sessions enjoyable enough
- Too much talk: talk too long and too may stoppages
- Not engaging and connecting with the kids. Too autocratic and not enough child friendly language and tenderness
- Not creating problems for the individual players to solve.Not individualised
- Poor Intervention techniques - knowing how and when to intervene. Poor Questioning Techniques
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What do you think are the most effective methods in retaining Grassroots Coaches ?
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- Recruitment & Induction : Spend more time on preparing coaches. Educate Parents & Establish Agree Realistic Objectives
- Recognise: Value & Thank them, Acknowledge them, Club Awards
- Support: Provide a Curriculum and dedicated support person/mentor.Less time on admin. Get Feedback. Free Coach Education. Access to information
- Reward: Kit, Coach Education Scholarships,Expenses, Fees
- Rest: Give them the opportunity to have time off - miss a week etc.
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What Ongoing ONLINE SUPPORT do you think could be provided to Grassroots Clubs to help them retain Grassroots Coaches ?
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- Club recommended or Club arranged content on the web to avoid having to trawl through search
- Club Specific Examples of Good Practice and FAQ’s
- Access to a community of other Grassroots Coaches
- Online Mentor/ Webinars
- Case Studies / Scenarios on key aspects e.g. how to deal with Parents/ Engage players
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