11/10/07

This session was my first alone with the squad this season, without the guidance from the manager. Therefore, the main object was to gain and maintain control of the situation, and ensure the team were aware of the outcome of the task in hand, and were able to implement the learned skill into their game. As their technical ability, in terms of ball work, positional play, spacial awareness, and general reading of the game was at a level the manager and I were pleased with progression-wise, I felt that certain elements noted from the previous match were a cause of immediate concern. Although the team won the game without being forced to play to their full potential, the commitment of many players to the cause was questioned. On several occasions when the opposition were in possession of the ball, the players seemed content with allowing the opposing player to gain control and assess his options regarding ball distribution. This remained a problem throughout the game and, although an uncharacteristic trait in the children’s behaviour was still an area which required attention. When quizzed about the reasons behind this trait change, general consensus concluded that the players felt the competition were beaten after 20 minutes, due to the score being 5-0 at that point. It appeared that subconsciously, many of the players whom were representing other teams the week ahead, were aware that a committed tackle may result in an injury to themselves, therefore were cautious in their approach. I attributed this problem to a lack of confidence, stemming from low intrinsic motivation. In a study by Smith et al (1979), they found that extrinsic motivation in sport, in this case playing for a more prestigious honour (county level), may damage intrinsic motivation levels and lead to a decrease in performance. As a reaction, it was made clear by myself and the manager to the whole squad, that such behaviour was unacceptable, and a repeat in the future could lead to certain personnel being replaced in the team by those showing more commitment. As commitment was the issue, I decided the players may respond well to an exercise which involved them competing with one another for ball possession. This would hopefully result in an increased effort load by the team and instil a new confidence when competing in future games. As Baker et al (2003) noted, sports-specific practice is important for the development of decision making. This decision making would be key to assisting the performers in how they approach certain problems in a match.
The drill, ‘4 corners of aggression’, required two players to compete against each other for possession of a static ball. Attributes such as speed, concentration, ball control and aggression were important factors in order to succeed at the drill. The basis was that the players would confront each other following a short burst of pace. The objective was to use all legal means to gain possession of the ball. That included fair tackling and the use of upper body strength to gain an advantage over the opponent. Once the ball was under control, the player with the ball was then required to maintain possession for 5 seconds by means of dribbling, turning and again, using the upper body as a shield. Following the timed possession, the player was then required to return the ball to his team. During the drill, it was made clear that the increased competition environment which training created, sparked a positive response to the aggressive nature in question. This was attributed to the fact that pride amongst team mates often results in effort boost by athletes. The session debriefing reiterated the mandatory requirement by all squad members to maximally exert themselves in all competitions.
The players responded well to the drill and verbal direction given by myself, as a level of commitment was evident throughout the session by all athletes. I summarised that this skill, approached with the mentality held by the players during the sessions, should integrate well into their game, as most teams Redheugh compete with contain several individuals the players associate with from school and home life.
I see this element in the short-term not having a detrimental effect on the development of the players aggressive nature, however, the long-term effects could be catastrophic, as the individuals may feel overwhelmed by the opposition due to their unknown attributes, and therefore revert back to the level of commitment experienced previously.
My aim in future sessions will be to revisit this drill, and ensure players are implementing the skills learned into their game.

Bibliography;

Baker, J. & Cote, J. (2003) Sport-Specific Practice and the Development
of Expert Decision-Making in Team Ball Sports, Journal of applied psychology,
1041-3200/03

Smith, R.E. et al (1979) Coach effectiveness training: A cognitive behavioural approach to enhancing relationship skills in youth sports coaches. Journal of Sport Psychology, 1, 59-75.