Soccer coaching tips to help you plan review and improve

To improve as a coach, and pass on that improvement to your players, you need to reflect on your own soccer coaching skills and look for ways to enhance them.

Plan

I work in three-week blocks and have a particular focus for these soccer training sessions. For instance, it might be that we need to improve our defensive organisation around free kicks or corners. I write down the key points I need to put across to my players over these three weeks. I then break the list down into the objectives for each individual session and the key message for the players to take away from the session. From that I decide which small-sided coaching games, drills and exercises will best introduce and reinforce the message.

Do and observe

As I coach the session, I analyse key aspects of my coaching. I focus on one or two elements of the session, such as my demonstrations and questioning or organisation and work/rest ratio. I make mental notes about them and how effective they are in the session.

Review 

I am very critical of my own coaching and always striving to improve it. Immediately after the session I ask myself how well the session went. Were the elements I was focusing on as effective as I had wanted? I always write brief notes on my session plan to remind me what went well and what could be improved upon in the next session. I also review the session within my three-week block. Did I cover everything I wanted to? Are there areas where the players need more reinforcement?

Keep to the cycle

I coach to improve my players. To improve them, I need to improve myself. This is why I keep to the cycle of "plan, do, observe, review" and I keep detailed plans on which I also write my reflections.