The Goal Line Gazette

A Kings College Womens Soccer Publication

Volume 4, Issue 2 Mar. Apr. 2013

Table of Contents
1 1 2 2 Coach-ability Finding Your Role Coach-ability (Cont.) Calendar of Events

Finding Your Role

How your Role Changes and Accepting your Role

Mark Stauffer
Coaching Education Staff Coach; NSCAA In every one of us there is a want to belong to a team. Simply having your name on the roster does not fulfill this desire. In order for this need to be fulfilled, you have to accept and perform the positive role given to you by your coach. By performing this role to the best of your ability, youll be accepted and appreciated by your teammates and the coaches. More importantly, youll be instilling within yourself a true sense of accomplishment. For each and every one of us this role is different in one aspect or another. The biggest challenge for us as coaches is to help each player on our roster find a specific role. Finding your role on the team is not always as easy as you might think. Sure, its simple to find your role if youre the dynamic goal scoring forward, or if youre the playmaking central mid -fielder with impeccable field vision. However, what if youre the player who struggles a bit both technically and tactically, but you have overwhelming speed? Helping you find your role is where the coaching challenge begins. If youre that speedster, you can quickly make our team dangerous in the last ten minutes of each half. Your fresh legs against the tired legs of defenders who have already played thirty-five minutes; suddenly weve utilized your strength and made a positive impact for the team. For those ten minutes you shine. Now that weve found a specific role for you, and you understand it, its in your hands to find acceptance of this role and excel in it. If you can understand and accept your role, youll be more productive going into the match than if you sit on the bench complaining about only getting ten minutes a half. Always remember that its not how much time the coach gives you, its what you do with the time the coach gives you that counts. Finding and accepting your role on the team will lead to individual happiness, which in turn leads to team happiness, cohesiveness, and success. Dynamic forwards and brilliant central mid-fielders cant win a title on their own. To reach team success each of the players on the roster needs to fulfill a role, no matter how big or small. Weve all seen the team that consists of great players but somehow fails to succeed. More often than not, their misfortune is due to too many players trying to play the same role, leaving many roles unfilled. If youre an upperclassman surrounded by talented younger players, your role may simply be to work hard every training session, be a positive influence, and to be a role model for the rookies on the team. It may not be the highlight role, but if it is your role, accept it, and do it with passion. Remember, your role on the team at any given time is yours to do with what you want. Do it well, and your role may very well change for the better. Complain about it, and your team will gradually find someone else to fill what was once your role.

Coach-ability
What is itand do I have it!?! Frank Carrozza Coaching Education Staff Coach; NSCAA What is coach-ability? Coach-ability has become a term that coaches of all sports now use when talking about their team and potential student-athletes in regards to the recruiting process. Coach-ability is a very important attribute for any athlete. Coach-ability is what makes an average player good, and a good player great. Coach-ability is listening to constructive criticism, accepting the criticism or suggestions, and using them as pin points on areas of your game that need to be improved upon in order to take you to the next level. Coach-ability is the willingness to learn, accept mistakes, as they happen at every level, and to block out the concept of being stubborn. Coaches often run into the athlete that is a quality player with a high skill set and looking to play in college. They are raw, athletic, and hungry to play the game. The aspect that makes or breaks the deal in the recruiting process is if this athlete is willing to swallow their pride and accept feedback knowing that it is only given out for the purpose of making the athlete better. The athletes that respond are the athletes we are attracted to as college coaches. The athletes that react are the athletes we as coaches tend to pass on. So your next question is probably what is the difference between responding and reacting because coach, I want to play?Great question. Productive Thinking means that athletes choose to respond, as opposed to simply reacting. Reacting usually involves hot thoughts, or thinking that is emotionally driven and counter-productive (Ellis & Harper, 1997). Responding represents cool thinking, which is relatively calm, less biased, and more reflective than hot thoughts.

(Continued on page 2)

The Goal Line Gazette

A Kings College Womens Soccer Publication
Volume 4, Issue 2 Mar. Apr. 2013

(Continued from page 1) Reactive Thinking occurs because athletes allow the competitive environment to control them, while responding involves the important step of using mental skill to interpret and manage the competitive environment in advantageous ways (Vealey, 2005). Now that you know the difference between responding and reacting you can now do a self-assessment of how much coachability you possess. I strongly feel that with age and experience comes a higher level of coach-ability although that being said we now know as coaches what we should target when working with youth teams and youth player development. If we can increase youth players level of coach-ability just think how much further we can take that player and our team once they get to us at the college level. Not only have we helped our players, team, and program but we have also helped to aid in the growth and development of the game of soccer as a whole in the United States. In closing I would like to suggest taking a closer look and focus on coach-ability not only as a player but as a coach as well. Coaches, like their athletes, are constantly learning--that many things are essentially "coaching" them about being coaches. This is where "coach-ability" comes in to play for coaches. Just like their athletes, coaches need to be open to criticism, either provided directly or indirectly, be open to learning new things, or just adjusting already established concepts to further your progress. Teach, learn, and continue to grow our players, coaches, and this wonderful game we have loved for years. Increasing your level of coach-ability may increase your level of performance earning you that roster spot, earning you that starting role, furthering your education of your sport and taking you to new heights. *This article was published in the NSCAA Soccer Journal, Vol. 56 No.4 page 64

Contact the Editor

Frank Carrozza Head Coach; Womens Soccer Kings College 133 N. River Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 570.208.5900 x 5270 Frankcarrozza@kings.edu www.kings.edu

Calendar of Events
As you near your senior year and you create that list for your college search, we challenge you to explore all that we have to offer to determine if Kings College is the right place for you. Please call 1-888-KINGS PA for more information. The Kings College Womens Soccer Coaching Staff will be on the recruiting trail throughout the spring. The following showcases will be attended by the Kings College Womens Soccer Coaching Staff: Jefferson Cup Baltimore Mania Showcase MSSL Spring Showcase NJ College Bound Showcase PDA Showcase

To get in contact with the Lady Monarchs Soccer Staff, please contact Coach Carrozza at: (570) 208-5900 x 5270 or Frankcarrozza@kings.edu