A coach is a leader, a teacher, a friend and much more.  As the
old saying goes, "Attitudes are contagious, what are you
spreading?"  Ask yourself the following questions and do your
best to be your best.  

  1. Will I spend a lot of time yelling instructions during games?
  2. When spectators see me from across the field, will I look stressed
    or relaxed?
  3. Will I smile more this season than last?
In the beginning of the season, when you've just started working with a group of players, it will be necessary to measure their
individual and combined strengths and weaknesses.  Among other things, you'll need to know who is the fastest / slowest,
which player can control the ball on a sprint, how many kids are afraid of contact or will charge into a crowd and who is aware
of the surroundings and positions themselves for the best advantage on the field.  

The categories are:  
  • Aggressiveness: Not afraid of contact with others, not shy in 1:1 battles
  • Speed:  How each player compares to others on the team (below, at or above average)
  • Stamina:  Conditioning level meets or exceeds the rigorous demands of competition
  • Ball Handling:  Abilities at receiving, passing (short & long), dribbling (possession & sprint)
  • Effort:  Consistently shows grit and desire in all conditions
  • Focus:  Enjoys the game and concentrates on improving their skills, takes physical conditioning seriously        
  • Field Awareness - Ability to position for field advantage for offense & defensive situations
  • Defensive Techniques:  Knowledge of various defensive positions and how to work with others in a unit       
  • Offensive Techniques:  Knowledge of various offensive positions and how to work with others in a unit        
  • Play Maker:  Ability to succeed in several different positions, offense & defense, changes the game dynamic
  • Teamwork:  Ability to move the ball in a unit, selfless, give and go, makes the pass when there's an advantage
  • Sportsmanship:  Demonstrates respect for the game, opponents, teammates and referee staff by obeying the rules
    and not attempting to gain an unfair advantage on the field.


Primary reasons for player assessment::
    Practice Strategies:  Every team is made up of players who are quite different from each other.  Some have been
    playing the game for several seasons (or years) while others may be just starting out and have no formal training on
    how to handle the ball or work in a team environment.  As the coach, your ability to achieve two of your top three
    "Priorities" (Fun and Player Development) are greatly impacted by how you implement your practice plan.  

    In order for the higher skilled players to have fun they will need to be challenged and will not enjoy lower levels of play
    that the new or unskilled players will need to get started.  On the other hand, the new or unskilled players won't have
    fun if they are overly challenged and asked to perform tasks where they cannot be successful.  

    One of the most daunting tasks when planning your practice is to make sure everyone can experience growth while
    having fun playing the game.  By completing the player assessment you will be able to see how the players stack up
    against each other in both abilities and mental awareness on the field.  Having this knowledge allows the coach to
    plan activities that target the middle of the group.  Once you've know the mid range zone you can tweak the overall plan
    or specific drill (game) so that all players can be challenged in a way that they can have fun and be successful.

    Game Strategies:  Games can be loads of fun for the kids, but they also can be filled with stress and feelings of
    inadequacy.  The biggest factors on how well a team competes in a match rests within the coach's ability to select
    formations that work well with the skills of the team and by placing players in positions where they can be successful.  
    Even in the younger age groups this is true.  

    For example, you would not want to place a player into the defensive position if they're afraid of the contact, shy and
    won't fight for the ball.  The other team will simply drive through and score every time.  Not that we really care about the
    score, it's the player we need to focus on.  It would be an understatement to say this player would not have a good
    time.  In fact, the players confidence and self esteem might be so negatively impacted that they would lose desire to put
    forth effort, lose respect for the game, and most likely not want to return next season.  

    However, if you placed this same player into a midfield position, perhaps on the wing, they would have time to develop
    their skills which will increase their confidence and aggressiveness on the ball.  Combine strategic placement on the
    game field with a finely tuned practice plan to help this player (and others) build their confidence and soon that player
    might be able to work well in a defensive position.  

    Player Goal Setting:  One way of  motivating players to improve their skills / awareness is to involve both player and
    parents in the overall assessment process.  When the team unit of parent - coach - player sit down and decide on the
    player goals together then the players are more likely to stay focused and be successful.  See more on this on the
    "Players: Setting Goals" page.  

    Setting goals for the player to work on will help them focus during practice and games.  As a coach, it also helps you by
    focusing your practice & game strategies in a way that will allow the players be successful.  
Player Skill Assessment
Go Westside Warriors!  -  Skill Assessment