What is a rapport? As per WikipediA, Rapport occurs when two or more people feel that they are in sync or on the same wavelength because they feel similar or relate well to each other.
As a coach you should, and it is a must, that you carefully consider this as I have mentioned in past posts that a youth soccer team is not only trained by a coach but by all involved with the team for which it is formed from a large part of the parent's participation. Complete transparency is the goal as it will establish an environment that will be both pleasurable, memorable and successful to you and your team.
Yes you are one of the soccer parents and in most cases this is the situation therefore, you have a vested interest in the team but as the coach of the team, you have become more than just a parent. You need to acknowledge this and act accordingly staying away from the temptation that you are building a word class soccer team and that what you say and do and how you act is the way it is and if nobody likes it, then it is to bad. Not a very good start or future if you follow this path. Having understood this you can move ahead with the following recommendation which has worked really good for me and the teams I have trained.
Once you have had the chance to plan out the season and established your goals for the team it is time to communicate this to the parents and if the young players are old enough they should be included. Plan on having at least three formal parent's meetings. One before the start of the season, one at the middle of it and one at the very end. Nothing stops you from planning more but keep in mind that in most cases parents have added the soccer sport for their children on top of other activities that have with the family and in their own lives. Also they may have other children doing other activities or on other soccer teams because of age differences among their children and other preferences.
As you prepare for the first meeting make sure you keep the following themes in mind. Think about respect, caring, being positive and supportive, encouraging and reassuring. These are but a few of the topics you can or should cover within this initial meeting. This is the time where you start that rapport with parents and young players that will be meeting you at a more personal level. It is an important initiative putting both parents and the players at ease because they will get a open understanding of what they can expect being part of the team.
The meeting can be held right before a scheduled practice depending on parent availability. It is easier to have it then because they would have already arranged their personal schedules to bring their child for practice therefore, adjusting the time to get there is easier that planing for an additional day/night to participate in the meeting. If the parent population is more flexible then you can have a more formal meeting over and above a practice session at some location where parents can take a seat while you run the encounter. Most importantly is to time box the meeting as this shows your leadership skills and keeps a good order for the meeting. It also sets the expectation for the team as a whole. I have done both types of meetings and I tend to lean towards the extra meeting session that is not before a practice session as you can really concentrate on running a good session.
I will dive into more details of what a good initial meeting should cover in another post but in the mean time this is a good start as food for thought. This topic is why I have mentioned that you will need to sharpen your communications skills because it will help you build that rapport.
What do you think about transparency? Have you experienced being involved with a team where the coach establishes a good rapport through meetings as proposed here? If you have, what do you think about the experience?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your point of views are welcomed.