Player Development

One of the many catch phrases thrown around in youth soccer is "Player Development." I believe that this phrase is used way to loosely and doesn't do an adequate job of defining what it is that we are trying to accomplish in youth soccer.

So...what does player development mean? Does it mean that we have aspirations of developing the next Messi or Beckham or Hamm or Foudy? Maybe for some clubs...some systems the answer is yes. However, for the vast majority of us, the reality is that scenario is probably not going to happen...

I believe that our mission needs to be much more realistic and far reaching. Rather than think of developing the player, maybe it would be more appropriate to look at this in terms of developing the whole person...with the player component just being a small part of the whole.

It is quite easy to start firing off some categories that fall into player development...

-Technical Ability
-Tactical Awareness
-Fitness

But what about things like:
Responsibility
Ethical Decision Making
Problem Solving
Trust
Accountability

Personally, to me it is more important that the impact we make on our young athletes remains with them long after they are done playing soccer. As coaches, we can make a huge difference in the lives of our players. And having a lasting positive impact leads to much greater satisfaction than any State Cup Championship, trophy or medal. I also believe by focusing on developing the whole person, our performance on the pitch will improve!

So as we approach our seasons, let's think about what our goals are in  developing our athletes. And let's also remember that development is a marathon and not a sprint!

So...what does player development mean to you? Is it possible as soccer coaches to concentrate on developing the person or should we just be concerned with the X's and O's of the game? I am interested to know what you think. Feel free to leave your comments below!