Responsibility is defined as a duty or obligation to satisfactorily perform or complete a task (assigned by someone, or created by one's own promise or circumstances) that one must fulfill, and which has a consequent penalty for failure.
For me, the key
word is “one.” It is my responsibility
as a coach (and as a parent) to help and teach these lessons of responsibility
to my players and kids. However, it is
ultimately ‘one’ person’s job…the player.
The younger the player, the more prodding and assistance they may need,
but they should do the work. In all my
years as a coach, I have never had a parent score a goal or save a shot.
One of the most
difficult aspects of coaching is keeping the discipline within a team. The discipline is always better when each
player understands the rules and follows them.
Consequences should come when rules are broken, no matter how small the violation. Players must also understand that no two
violations are the same and that different consequences may result.Taking responsibility is a learned trait and heavily influenced by peers. Knowing that, each player should strive to set the standard within their team and/or training. BE ON TIME – nothing shows your preparation like being on time and ready to go 5 minutes early. KEEP IT CLEAN – dress in the appropriate gear, keep your bag zipped, clean and lined up with others. LEAD BY EXAMPLE – whether you are first in line or last, perform every little detail the correct way. BE APPROPRIATE – keep conversations about soccer and things related. Be the first to keep others language and topics in line, even if it is uncool. KEEP FOCUS & INTENSITY – there are many times in practice (and games) that you can fake it or go through the motions – DON’T! Even when it is difficult and failure comes often, push through the frustration and become better.
Parents remember responsibility is a learned trait. BE ON TIME – if you are responsible for driving, get your kids there 10 minutes early. If you are running late (happens to everyone), make sure your children are running to training. NO EXCUSES – do not give your children an excuse for why they performed poorly (as an individual or team). It wasn’t because of a bad field, or too much homework. PRAISE HARD WORK – winning and losing will happen as long as your children play. Hard work will improve their skills, win games they shouldn’t, and last them a lifetime. GIVE THEM FRIENDLY REMINDERS – prod your young ones to train on their own, tell them to get their uniforms (don’t do it for them), look at test results and evaluations together, and remind them they have a choice, so they should choose to be their best.
Being responsible is hard. You will make mistakes. We all do, even coaches. Being responsible is also a habit. I often tell my players it takes 1000-1500 repetitions to turn a technique into a habit. If a player shows responsibility 100 times a week, we are still looking at 10 to 15 weeks to make it a habit. If you are already on top of your game, congratulations and keep your standards high. If you know you are lacking in one area or another, the best time to begin is now.
"Let everyone sweep in front of
his own door, and the whole world will be clean." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
