At some time or another every soccer coach is likely to bemoan their team’s struggle to communicate both on and off the field. One way an effective coach can address this struggle is to try to identify the personality of their team, the “environmental” factors that influence that personality and then to map out a strategy to improve the skill of team communication.
To a large extent most teams, regardless of their competitive level, are social groups.
The group may rely on one or two powerful individuals who are very vocal, can lead, to good or bad outcomes, and who overpower the majority with their presence. Or the group may be one that has a collection of individuals all trying to establish “roles” within the group and, as such, no single voice, or indeed any voice, really comes to the forefront. Or the group comes collectively from another social environment, such as the same school, and socially cannot “shut up”, but fail to communicate in a performance setting for fear of damaging friendships.
Some of the “environmental” factors that can externally impact a group’s dynamic could be, among others;
• Sideline behavior by coaches or fans
• The pressure of the competitive level
• The attitude of the opposition
• Various parenting inputs
• Fatigue
• Educational experiences of the players
So the coach has to see how the team actually communicates and has to assess why that maybe the case. At this point the coach can then employ some general and ultimately specifically contextual strategies to improve effective team communication.
1. Empowerment
Players have to plainly feel that they are encouraged to communicate and that they are free to do so within reasonable guidelines, e.g. appropriate language, etc. Just as we want the players to have the ability to see a variety of choices in the game and then decide what to do so they need to feel able to make choices and decisions when it comes to communication.
2. Implementation of specific training activities
There are many training games that place a specific challenge on the player’s communication skills and to be successful in require them to be vocal. Possession games that employ three teams, with two working together against one and then switching up as the ball is turned over is a good example of a game the players need to talk in. See the attached game that is highly recommended if the coach is willing to be patient and really challenge the players.
3. Use of captains or leadership groups
For both on and off field purposes identifying individuals who are effective communicators within the group and have the respect of the group is a skill for a coach. Some coaches prefer to use a single captain, others will share the role. Also using off field “captains” for each class within a college or HS team can share the load of communication and foster understanding and dialogue that may be carried over to the field.
A natural response to a team struggling to communicate is to do it for them. In the short term this can be effective, but long term it is not teaching the players to communicate and it is a role for the coach at odds with evaluating and assessing performance. A coach should be conscious when they are “supplementing” the communication that the team needs to be making and to do so only for the long term development of the players.
5. Self-awareness of the fans
Be it a youth or high school environment or even in college the coach can find ways to share with parents and fans the types of support they hope to see. Parent and fan support that lapses into giving direct instruction is distracting for players and often at odds with the coach’s direction. Also anytime the sideline behavior is more of a spectacle than the game itself is not going to help players flourish physically and cognitively in the game.
6. Fostering an environment where all players and staff have value
The environment in a healthy team should always be fair, though not necessarily equal. A four year starter and captain in a HS has earned some consideration that perhaps a frosh on the team has not. Still the coach must be sure to express the value of everyone in the group and to value their contribution. Along with empowerment this expression of value is likely to encourage players to be comfortable expressing themselves.
7. Creating a unique team vocabulary
Much as a team has certain tactics and strategies and approaches to set plays it practices and holds unique to the group so can be the case for a vocabulary. For example with the 6 and under players with a good set up story, “peanut butter” could mean spread out. For a HS team “locking in” an opponent will mean to deny an opponent getting out their final third, but the actual execution will be unique to the team. If the coach and players establish these key words or phrases it can greatly assist communication and understanding.
Certainly a team that is not effectively communicating on and/or the field can frustrate a coach. It often can become an excuse for a coach when performances lack. Rather than excuse though the coach should find the reason for the weakness understand it and train to address it. Good luck in training and games this season.
