This is an important moment for football.
First of all I want to make a point, I don’t have an ego in terms of what I do. I do what I do because I love it, if the footballers that listen learn something from what I do then that’s even better, just means I’m doing what I love and people are benefiting from that. A few evenings ago I came across a training session, I like to observe as an important part of coaching is a continuation of learning, to perhaps steal some ideas and adapt them for myself. I was excited to see a coach kitted out in SFA level all weather jacket, tracksuit and the likes, my expectations were high so the notepad was out.
What followed was a shock.
18 players present he prepared two very short channels of cones for a warm up, this caused a back log of players including very little room for any player to perform the relevant stretches. subsequently the coach setup 3 massive rondo boxes, having far too much room allowed the players to relax and have time to move the ball without the pressure of a pressing player. He quietly approached each one the the boxes quietly presumably to explain the routine. During this time over 70% of the players were doing that routine without observation or a coordinated process, afterwards he merged the 3 into two rondos. Then afterwards he merges the 2 into one giant rondo box with two players pressing in the middle. This leaves numerous players non active in a typical Scottish weather environment and at risk of injury. Eventually the miserable session came to an end and he put the players together to start a game, he specifically set out each team having the players that “made an effort” in one team and the other team consisted of a group deemed lazy during the previous routines, and that was it. The session was done.
There was no point where the coach stopped the game to make a coaching point, there was no voice controlling and coordinating what was going on. Simply the players were left to their own devices.
Now going back to what I said originally, I don’t actively claim that I am better than anyone else, I make a point of remaining grounded in terms of my attitude, but in this case I was shocked as to the lack of enthusiasm and care put into the session. Of course I can’t name or shame, this would lack professionalism and put a bad light on a perfectly good club.