1. Being able to and knowing how to develop and train players to become better. This means from early fall to late fall they become better at the game in all aspects (technical and on the field positioning).

2. Holding players accountable. Does the coach expect players to train 10-15 minutes at home? Do it. Does the coach expect players to be able to juggle 10 at at time in three months? They hold them to it at practice.

3. Being positive when coaching hard. There is a fine line between coaching too hard and coaching too soft. Good coaches know how to explain what their players are doing wrong without them feeling bad.

4. Making the game fun. Some coaches don't make the game fun. These are still kids. They want to have fun playing the game.

Anonymous wrote:DEVELOPMENT. A good coach knows how to make your child a better player and your team a better team.

Oh that’s definitely Niko 🤫

DEVELOPMENT. A good coach knows how to make your child a better player and your team a better team.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest issue is communication. I feel ignored. Our coach never talks to us and never gives any feedback.

Coach is there to coach your child not to be your best friend.

Nobody is asking the coach to be our best friend. However, same as a school teacher, the coach needs to communicate with parents, give them feedback and answer their questions .

Anonymous wrote:Ask Chat GPT

Ha! Funny yet sad. We’ll all be asking AI for answers soon.

Ask Chat GPT

One thing I do is observe first several weeks of practices

Avoid coaches run the exact same thing all the time

who spend too much time doing rondos

Who spend a whole practice in scrimmage

Or who never scrimmage at all

The above are either lazy or a novice coach signal.

1. Communicating should be number 1. And not at some mid point.

2. Technical training should always be included at all ages. Not just suddenly cut off at U12

3. Fitness and Conditioning should be part of training

4. Specific tactical excursions should occur. Ie set piece attack, set piece defense, attacking 3rd

Anonymous wrote:My biggest issue is communication. I feel ignored. Our coach never talks to us and never gives any feedback.

Coach is there to coach your child not to be your best friend.

My biggest issue is communication. I feel ignored. Our coach never talks to us and never gives any feedback.

Also a good coach for one kid might be a terrible coach for another kid.

My 2 big things are:

1. Honesty - Gives frequent, timely feedback (good/bad). Nothing should be a suprise or blindside.
2. Gives the “how” instead of reiterating the obvious desired result. For example, it drives me crazy hearing coaches yell, “win the ball” - No sh*t. It’s refreshing hearing a coach remind/instruct players on proper positioning/shape and technique which will result in “winning the ball”.

It depends on age and level of the team. A U7-9 Coach in rec will be different than U9-u12 in travel will different than u13-u19 in HS/ ECNRL for example.

Also, a great coach for Girls will different than a great coach for boys.

1.) They should should approach the game with passion and enthusiasm.
2.) A Coach who inspires your player and your player looks forward to coming back to practice.
3.) A coach who talks to the parents after practice and games. (I've seen a lot of coaches who don't interact with parents very much.)
4.) A coach who's weekly practice efforts are reflected in the game on the weekend. (I.e. practice building out of the back and that is implemented during the game on the weekned.)
5.) While not the most important, they should have some professional education. There is a lot of knowledge and goodness in the coaching courses and continuing coaching education.
6.) Ask if they have what they know, if anything about Anson Dorrance and what they might liked about his coaching style? (One of the most successful coaches in all of sports...they should at least have heard of the guy.)
7.) Executes both repetition and new drills in practice. Are the flexible? Is it the same thing week in and week out?
8.) I could go on.... but see if you can attend practice before joining the team to get a better feel of the coach.
9.) Talk with one of the current parents, preferably over a drink to loosen lips.

Some red flags might be:

1.) Parent Coaches after u9, there will be issues.
2.) Coaches who lecture for more than 2 minutes straight, or those who do quite often.
3.) Unorganized, showing up late or just on time to practice.
4.) Coaches who have a hard time communicating clearly.
5.) Coaches who get visibly angry or flustered with kids under u13.

DS started travel at u9 and is now u16. He’s had a wide range of coaches. Here’s my opinion but it is just that. Others will value other things.

He had a great u9 coach. He coached A and B teams and moved players between each week based on performance and effort. He took the time to give players feedback on this decision each week. He was encouraging. He never yelled or joystick coached from the sidelines. He engaged in quiet conversations on the bench and sent kids back out to the field with specific feedback of what to do differently. We loved him but other parents felt he was too passive.

U10 and u11 had a coach who was very strict but effective at elevating the level of play. He focused on positioning, passing and demanded discipline. There was too much joystick coaching and yelling for my taste but some parents thought it was amazing. DS became a stronger player initially but lost his love for the game because he was so afraid of making mistakes.

He had a slew of ok coaches over the next several years. They were all positive and kind. However, my son complained there was not enough discipline. Kids missed practices and weren’t always present for pre-game warmups which affected the team. DS determined he preferred a strict coach so off he went.

Last year DS found his perfect coaching slate. Very high expectations and discipline but zero yelling. Coaches allow the players to take risks on the field and don’t berate them for mistakes. They use them as learning experiences.

My best advice is to attend practices and watch coaches in action before committing.

Could you please describe what you consider to be a good coach? What qualities do they have? What about a bad coach? I’m trying to understand what to look for in a coach. Thanks!