influence


My experience growing up and how it has influenced me as a coach

In today’s guest post football/soccer coach Anthony Goss reflects upon how his past influences his coaching now.

"My experience growing up and how it has influenced me as a coach" By Anthony Goss

My experience growing up and how it has influenced me as a coach

By Anthony Goss

I have never written a blog before. Here it goes. . .

Playing football when I young

I started late playing football, when I was 10/11 from what I remember. Most kids around me had started before me, therefore had couple or more years to develop the basic balance and co- ordination needed to play football.

This meant by the time I joined the local football club Totnes and Dartington (will be using T&D as short hand) I was behind. Looking back, I would say I was a late developer overall and this along with my late start in football meant I wasn’t very good compared to the other players in the team.

The manager/ coach was old fashioned. He only played the best players in their best positions. It was all about winning for him. This meant that I, along with several other players never got a chance to play in actual games for T&D against other teams. Even though I turned up every training session, in all weather conditions I wasn’t picked because I wasn’t considered good enough to play.

Now looking back, I didn’t think much of it at the time; I was happy just playing football and making new friends. I asked my Mum the other day what she thought of it though and she thought it was unfair how I always turned up but never played; she had a point.

When I did get my chance in the team (think it was the Under14s season and I would have been 13, nearly 14) I went along to the games but didn’t play that much, or at all. One time I was on the bench for an away game, travelled 14 miles to a pitch in the middle of nowhere on top of a hill and I didn’t even come on!! (We destroyed the other team and we knew we would but because we had 4 subs and at the time you could only use 3, I was the 4th sub)

I only started to improve when surprise, surprise I played started playing regularly (T&D created a ‘B Team’ for our age group). I was playing every week and looking back, this was the start of me becoming a better footballer. Don’t get me wrong I still wasn’t good but I was a lot better than when I started. This I’m sure was down to playing football against other teams.

Now as a coach

These events that happened when I was growing up have influenced the way I coach and manage my youth teams. The main I think about going into every game with my team (T&D Under13s) is how can I make it fair for my players?

I make sure that over the course of the season they all start on the bench equal amount of times.

During the game, they all spend time on the bench (rotate them around) (I think they are more crateful for this, this season as we have moved to 11 a side) and I make the time spent off the same for everybody.

I also rotate their positions around. This is mainly because the ‘defenders’ of the team have all said to me at one point “I don’t like playing in defence”. This is fair enough; I want to keep them happy so every now and then I play them in different positions.

This also gives me a chance to allow other players to experience playing in defensive. This hasn’t been easy though. Some players have not liked playing defence for the first time and I have had ‘strong discussions’ to convince them otherwise. I hope that when they look back they will truly understand why I have done what I have done.

Rotating players also allows players to learn about different positions. It will in the long term give them a better understanding, overall of playing football. This does make my job harder tactically but in the long run it will be worth it. They will hopefully be better players for it. I am very lucky as well that all the parents agree with what I am doing and are letting me get on with it.

I have managed my Under13s for nearly two years now and I like to think all the players have improved since I started. This would be down to the fact they have all played regularly and it’s been fairer for them then what it was me.

My motivation now

I sometimes wonder why I get so involved with T&D and local football. Currently I am coaching the Under8s (was their manager at the start of the season), coaching and managing the Under13s and helping with the Under15s. I could also at the time of writing this blog, about to start two after school clubs at local primary schools. Then the reason came to me. I get involved so much because I want to give the young players of today a better footballing upbringing than what I had. I feel that if I continue to learn and take ideas on board from other coaches (Twitter is brilliant for football coaching ideas) then I will improve and therefore, my coaching ability will improve.

About Anthony Goss

“My name is Anthony Goss. I am a 23 year old football coach from Totnes, Devon. I currently coach 3 age groups at my local club, Under8s, Under13s and Under15s. I manage the Under13s as well.”

Connect with Anthony via twitter: @AnthonyGoss23


Goals You Can Control

Early Jackson, shares his coaching expertise and knowledge in this weeks guest post:

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Goals You Can Control

By Early Jackson

Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker and inspiration to thousands through his books and products once said, “Things are the way they are because we are the way we are.” I have found this to be a tough but valuable truth to live by. Often our largest challenge in life will not come from anything external, but the internal wrestling of procrastination. As a coach, I speak to people about what they wish to happen for them. Usually the reality is a disconnection with what they want and how they act. We spend too much time focusing on what we can’t control instead of what is within our reach.

In the late 1920’s at the turn of the industrial revolution America implemented a system of evaluating employees, especially factory workers. If a person on an assembly line at location ‘A’ was clocked at 85% efficiency, great attention would be given to the 15% that was lacking. This created a unique problem. The person would not get better, but worse. Why you may ask? Because wherever focus goes, energy flows. People do not progress by focusing where they lack, but by emphasizing their strengths. The system of correcting behavior was flawed mainly because the attention was placed on the wrong statistic.

Many do not attempt their goals at all because they see the task of planning for them as a huge mountain they cannot conquer. Half the battle is developing the right strategy and the goals that once were impossible, are easy to obtain. Instead of giving your precious focus to the negatives surrounding your desires, begin to assess what you already possess.

Here are a few things that you can control:

  • Your perception: My mother always said, “You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head but you can stop it from building a nest on you.” You and you alone control how you think. No one is so powerful that they can make you think a certain way. People are there to influence, but the end result is yours to handle.
  • Your attitude: If what you think is based on perception, how you think is a result of an attitude. Life goes on even if you have a bad day. How you respond to life is going to determine what you get out of it. It is a proven fact that people with a better attitude live a more fulfilling lifestyle.
  • Your time and schedule: Time is the only currency you can never earn more of. It is far better to lose money then your time. You can always earn more cash, but once time is invested and loss, it is gone forever. It is your responsibility to guard your time and use it wisely.
  • Your circle of influence: We all have wished at some time or another that we could have chosen our family members. But the reality is, you have the family God wanted you to have. What you can choose is who gets into your ‘space’. Focus on who you are allowing into your life because that’s who will have influence.

Actions are simply our response to our motivation. Once the fire has been lit we have to move quickly to implement our goals and use that momentum. Life gives us what we are willing to put into it. Goals aren’t prejudice nor play favorites. Goals show up completed when the person pursuing them employs consistent effort and planning.

See you at the TOP!

Early Jackson

About the Author/Further Resources

Early JacksonEarly L. Jackson Jr., profoundly recognized as a Social Activist, has been laboring to bring balance, skill, relevance and understanding to people of all nationalities. After effectively overcoming a stretch of drug addictions, Early has highly developed himself to become a successful life coach. As a result Early has had the opportunity to speak at such prestigious institutions as Rider University, The University of Phoenix, Jefferson Hospital, The Philadelphia Board of Education, The University of Pennsylvania and even on Carnival Cruiseline. He has also served diligently as an educator, a conference and seminar host as well as a radio and television personality in the Greater Philadelphia area for more than thirteen years. Coach Early was recently featured on The Hampton Roads show and is a regular contributor to “Inside Business” The Hampton Roads Business Journal as well as a writer for ” Examiner.com” a dynamic entertainment, news and lifestyle network that serves more than 20 million monthly readers across the U.S. and around the world. In addition, he is acclaimed for his work as a life coach working with individuals, couples, families and professionals in designing and living extraordinary lives. Early, has a special ability to build leaders, while developing people to a life of happiness, with deep, lasting satisfaction and fulfillment.

Early is known for his passionate teaching, humor and genuine love for people. Drawing from experience as a leader in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm, he proclaims a liberating message of empowerment to those who lack a voice of affirmation. He is known as ‘the constant encourager’ to many who seek a greater experience of true achievement.

Early Jackson, happily married to his wife Cherese, is a heavily sought after teacher and conference speaker; he has been invited to speak both nationally and internationally. He is the author of “Groomed For Greatness: 31 Days To An Empowered Life”, 50 Affirmations For Next Level Living”, “Tweet Your Way To Greatness” and “10 Mistakes I Made Before 30 & How To Avoid Them” as well as a variety of Coaching CD series. His overarching belief “If we are to exercise our full status and potential in this life we must be retrained in our daily behavior and mind sets” is a prevalent and recurring theme in his teachings.

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