This is a very enlightening article that was sent pertaining to coaching from 4Skills.com

Look yourself in the Mirror.

Coaches, what is your first job?

Well, if you are a professional coach, coaching at the highest level, it would be to win.

If you are a youth coach, coaching a premier, competitive, or recreational team, it should be to get your players to the next level.

Is it shocking to hear that all emphasis should not be placed on winning? I hope not.

The truth is that we as coaches have to do a mental check, and ask the question, “What am I coaching for?” Is it to beat everyone in my path, or is it to make every player that I touch better?

Those of us who are caught up in the rat race of competition become overwhelmed with winning to the point to where we take possession of our players. Liken your team to a race car. You work on this race car tirelessly, changing the engine, the paint, the brakes, whatever it takes to get this car faster. The old brakes, tires, and other parts are thrown to the side maybe for another mechanic to pick up or not. That is how players are treated. Maybe at the professional or national level that is life and is acceptable, but at the youth levels, our thoughts should and can be different.

Why shouldn’t they be treated like car parts? Well, because our youth players are not spare parts, but kids with dreams and lives. They are not mean spirited, at least not at the start. It is us, you and I who teach them this mean spirit of hate and jealousy toward other teams.

Hey, I have played in country-against-country matches, and I know how competitive you must be to win; however, unless you are at least at the college level, things are not that important, and competition should not be at all costs.

Have some perspective. What do you want to give your players? Is it the gift of making it to the next level, or just winning one tournament at U-13s? I don’t know how I made it past that point, but I’m glad that when I look at my old trophy case, those trinkets don’t mean half as much as making it to college and beyond.

Coaches, forget the petty competition that is waged on the field weekend to weekend in league after league and promote soccer in a way that going further is the point, not just winning today. See the big picture. Can you see your players in college? There is a lot of space for players of all levels in college. Some coaches do. These coaches are raising the level of soccer in the U.S.

Look yourself in the mirror, and if you have not asked yourself "do I want my players to make it to the next level in the game?" shame on you and your selfishness! Yes, I am being hard on you, but no harder then you are on your players.

I am here to help, and the word is tough love because if you have competition on your mind, tough is the only thing that you will respond to.

Kamal de Gregory
Soccer Skills Guru
Director 4skills.com