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Positive Coaching Alliance Connector
July 15, 2010
David Jacobson, Editor |
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Leadership Tips from Julie Foudy
As coaches and parents, we hope you will pass on to your players some of Julie's insights, drawn from life lessons she has learned on and off the field, and which she imparts in her Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy. Here is a sample of her views on the role of captain:
"One thing I learned right away -- and this isn't one of my strongest traits at all, so I had to work on it a lot -- is you have to be a great listener. As captain, you're the middle person between the coach and the players. You're keeping your finger on the pulse of where the team's at, and so, a lot of my responsibilities as captain was relaying to -- if it was Anson or Tony or April, whoever the coach was -- 'Maybe we should think about just going a little bit lighter because the legs are fried.' Or, 'You know, we need to be pushed hard.' Sometimes they listened to me, sometimes they didn't. Being able to have your finger on the pulse is an important part of being the captain.
"The other thing I learned that is hard, especially for women, is you're sometimes going to have to make decisions that aren't popular, and, go in and talk to teammates who maybe aren't staying with the team's principles and foundations. We used to call those interventions, Carla and I, saying, 'Hey look. This isn't quite good enough. And, we need better. And, here is why. You can contribute so much to the team, and we need your help. We need you to give more.' That's hard for women, you know, that confrontation."
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Ask PCA: Crowd Control
Thanks for your responses to our most recent "Ask PCA" question about using stalling tactics. To review that question and PCA's answer, you can continue scrolling through this item, but for now, consider this week's question:
How Can We Correct Fans Who Encourage Foul Play?
"I am a 5th- and 6th-grade lacrosse coach, and slowly but surely, I am noticing what I call the 'gladiatorial' aspect of crowd reaction: approval, rather than disdain for slashes and other unsportsmanlike conduct. I hear, 'Did you see my son upend that kid?' and then laughter from the rest of the crowd! Also, I notice coaches, just like in the Roman arena, playing to the crowd and congratulating players with nods of approval on their way to the penalty box. The type of rabid football parents I remember from childhood are penetrating other sports. Any suggestions?"
-- Chris Keena, Irvine, CA Following is the previous "Ask PCA" question and PCA's response: "Opposing softball coaches whose teams are ahead in a game sometimes stall in various legal ways, such as needlessly changing pitchers, tying shoes, calling time outs to discuss tying shoes, etc. In a close game, I can live with this, but some coaches stall with an eight-run lead and a pitcher shutting down the opponent. In a perfect world, such stalling strategies wouldn't happen, but in the real world, are they sometimes just part of the game? Do others feel like I do that this is more acceptable in some situations than in others?" PCA Response by Eric Eisendrath, Lead Trainer-New York
There is no situation, regardless of the score, where I would find this type of behavior acceptable. At PCA, we talk about "Honoring The Game." Within this Principle, is the idea of "Respect for Rules," where coaches follow not only the letter of the rule, but the spirit of the rule, as well.
When looking at a rule, I ask coaches to identify the motive behind the rule.
Was the time-limit rule designed to keep players from getting to play? Definitely not, but that can be the outcome of a coach using stalling tactics.
In a tight game, I would challenge coaches who waste time to try to ensure victory to ask themselves how important it is to win the game. We call that the "Fear of Losing Profile." Are they so afraid of losing that they would want to win in a way that would keep the opposition's players from getting their full measure of time in the game? My hope is that all coaches would prefer to play the game the right way -- and teach their players to do so -- rather than manipulate a rule to ensure victory.
Read all the Ask PCA blog comments on this question.
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Inspiration: A Beautiful Game
 This gorgeous coffee-table book comprises stunning photos from around the world of youth at play and of international soccer stars, while text conveys moving personal recollections from 40 of the world's greatest soccer players. Most of the players' memories revolve around the role soccer played in their childhood, sharing a worldwide range of views on everything from parents to pick-up games.
A sample from the page by Denmark's Martin Laursen:
"You know, the best thing about football when you're young, perhaps playing for a small team in your village, is that it's not made to feel too important. You don't have to be there. You're there because you like it. No one's saying to you that you have to go; that you have to run that much; that you have to win next week. The longer it's like that the better.
"There's plenty of time later for football to get serious. You can learn the basic things: how to control the ball, how to pass the ball. But you mustn't get burnt out; it mustn't stop you doing other things; you have to grow up as a person, too. It's only football, and who knows whether you're going to be one of the few that makes it? What's going to happen to you if you don't? It's a great thing to chase a dream -- and football is a dream job -- but I hope you don't have to miss out on your childhood."
Five percent of the originating publisher's revenue from sales of the book worldwide will benefit selected UNICEF sports-related projects. Therefore, you not only get a book containing stories and photos of children guaranteed to make you smile, but you also contribute to UNICEF's effort to ensure millions more children can smile from sport transforming their lives.
-- David Jacobson
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Support PCA
PCA is a non-profit committed to transforming youth sports so that all athletes through high school age can benefit from the life lessons that are uniquely available through sports.
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