SA Footy

I was interested in other coaches thoughts on coaching in the finals compared to the minor rounds... Plus experiences in certain areas of the 'job'...

In my first year of coaching (B grade) things on the field have gone relatively well this year. Having only lost 1 game so far this year it'd be fair to say that I couldn't have asked for more from the 21 players each week or the club I am involved in. Keep in mind we have 5 senior teams and 23 junior teams so lack of numbers is never a problem with us, but squeezing 40 into 21 is... Each week however brings up different issues that need to be dealt with. In short some of these issues have been -
* - How to 'drop' players from a team that has played well and won by 20 goals
* - How to deal with players that have come down from the A's and look likely to be further dropped to the C's
* - Managing injured players who insist they are right to go (Been let down 4 times already and am now very cautious...)
* - Squeezing talented under 18's into the side
* - Forgetting to name players One who was the son of a club sponsor....
* - Personality clashes
* - Unwanted advice from people who don't know when to keep their thoughts to themselves
* - How to deal with players and their individual form/confidence issues

My dilemma come finals will be which 22 players to play, which I guess will come down to their playing positions as much as anything. There will possibly be a few guys coming back into the A's which will further test the selection process and possibly make me unpopular but that can't be helped by me.. The good thing is that all 4 of our sides are sitting either 1st or 2nd so in the end no-one will miss out but they may not play in the grade they want to and I will possibly have to drop guys who may have played the majority of the year in the B's. I hate the selection process at the best of times but I can see the finals making that task even worse...

Any advice out there ??

I wish I'd had to deal with some of those problems this year

Choccies wrote:I was interested in other coaches thoughts on coaching in the finals compared to the minor rounds... Plus experiences in certain areas of the 'job'...

In my first year of coaching (B grade) things on the field have gone relatively well this year. Having only lost 1 game so far this year it'd be fair to say that I couldn't have asked for more from the 21 players each week or the club I am involved in. Keep in mind we have 5 senior teams and 23 junior teams so lack of numbers is never a problem with us, but squeezing 40 into 21 is... Each week however brings up different issues that need to be dealt with. In short some of these issues have been -
* - How to 'drop' players from a team that has played well and won by 20 goals
* - How to deal with players that have come down from the A's and look likely to be further dropped to the C's
* - Managing injured players who insist they are right to go (Been let down 4 times already and am now very cautious...)
* - Squeezing talented under 18's into the side
* - Forgetting to name players One who was the son of a club sponsor....
* - Personality clashes
* - Unwanted advice from people who don't know when to keep their thoughts to themselves
* - How to deal with players and their individual form/confidence issues

My dilemma come finals will be which 22 players to play, which I guess will come down to their playing positions as much as anything. There will possibly be a few guys coming back into the A's which will further test the selection process and possibly make me unpopular but that can't be helped by me.. The good thing is that all 4 of our sides are sitting either 1st or 2nd so in the end no-one will miss out but they may not play in the grade they want to and I will possibly have to drop guys who may have played the majority of the year in the B's. I hate the selection process at the best of times but I can see the finals making that task even worse...

Any advice out there ??

If there's one thing I've learnt, it's not to let those sort of people get to you.
Listen to them and make them think you're taking on their advice, but you get those sort of people at every club.
If it gets to a point where they are over the top, just tell them to back off or go to your committee about them.
After all, you're the one who's paid to coach the side - not them.

Baron Greenback wrote:

Choccies wrote:I was interested in other coaches thoughts on coaching in the finals compared to the minor rounds... Plus experiences in certain areas of the 'job'...

In my first year of coaching (B grade) things on the field have gone relatively well this year. Having only lost 1 game so far this year it'd be fair to say that I couldn't have asked for more from the 21 players each week or the club I am involved in. Keep in mind we have 5 senior teams and 23 junior teams so lack of numbers is never a problem with us, but squeezing 40 into 21 is... Each week however brings up different issues that need to be dealt with. In short some of these issues have been -
* - How to 'drop' players from a team that has played well and won by 20 goals
* - How to deal with players that have come down from the A's and look likely to be further dropped to the C's
* - Managing injured players who insist they are right to go (Been let down 4 times already and am now very cautious...)
* - Squeezing talented under 18's into the side
* - Forgetting to name players One who was the son of a club sponsor....
* - Personality clashes
* - Unwanted advice from people who don't know when to keep their thoughts to themselves
* - How to deal with players and their individual form/confidence issues

My dilemma come finals will be which 22 players to play, which I guess will come down to their playing positions as much as anything. There will possibly be a few guys coming back into the A's which will further test the selection process and possibly make me unpopular but that can't be helped by me.. The good thing is that all 4 of our sides are sitting either 1st or 2nd so in the end no-one will miss out but they may not play in the grade they want to and I will possibly have to drop guys who may have played the majority of the year in the B's. I hate the selection process at the best of times but I can see the finals making that task even worse...

Any advice out there ??

If there's one thing I've learnt, it's not to let those sort of people get to you.
Listen to them and make them think you're taking on their advice, but you get those sort of people at every club.
If it gets to a point where they are over the top, just tell them to back off or go to your committee about them.
After all, you're the one who's paid to coach the side - not them.

coaching for the first time this season aswell
I got a few times that this happened, sometimes it was the right thing and I made a change and we benefited from it.
Other times I just listened to what they had to say but didnt do anything about it.
All depends who the feedback or ideas are coming from aswell
some blokes are just wasting ya time with some of the outrageous ideas they come up with.

I agree, some of these issues are good problems to have around a club. To have a choice of players is great but I definitly am not looking forward to having to pick finals teams.

The advice I get weekly is generally individual opinion and I can't take most of it on board because it's loaded with bias, but if I get some advice from someone I dont usually hear from then I listen because they obviously feel confident enough in what they have to say to tell me so I take it on board if I can.

I guess in the end too, most of these blokes are guys I have played with and consider good mates (except Johno) and it hurts to drop them from the side because I know how much it hurts them. But I just gotta learn to toughen up with stuff like that. Thats one lesson I have learnt this year.... the other is (try) not to worry about the umpires because it's not something that I can control.

Choccies wrote:I agree, some of these issues are good problems to have around a club. To have a choice of players is great but I definitly am not looking forward to having to pick finals teams.

The advice I get weekly is generally individual opinion and I can't take most of it on board because it's loaded with bias, but if I get some advice from someone I dont usually hear from then I listen because they obviously feel confident enough in what they have to say to tell me so I take it on board if I can.

I guess in the end too, most of these blokes are guys I have played with and consider good mates (except Johno) and it hurts to drop them from the side because I know how much it hurts them. But I just gotta learn to toughen up with stuff like that. Thats one lesson I have learnt this year.... the other is (try) not to worry about the umpires because it's not something that I can control.

I think that would be the hardest part of it, I guess in the end if they consider you a good mate too they will eventually accept your call. I am no coach but I would say that if you are a player that was close to being dropped you would know if your honest with yourself. Like you said mate, at least they will be able to play C grade finals. I dont envy your job.

Quichey wrote:I wish I'd had to deal with some of those problems this year

So too would many other "coaches"

Choccies wrote:I was interested in other coaches thoughts....

* - Unwanted advice from people who don't know when to keep their thoughts to themselves

Any advice out there ??

Make up ya mind will ya!!!

Choccies wrote:The good thing is that all 4 of our sides are sitting either 1st or 2nd so in the end no-one will miss out

Except for those guys in the D's, but they don't really count anyway, do they.

As others have said, you're the one who the club gave the nod to at the start of the year, they put you in charge so don't be afraid to take charge. Ultimately if anyone has a problem with ya just tell em 17 and 1.

I've got one for ya Choccies,

When does a player's poor conduct and attitude outweight his possible on-field benefit?

Quichey wrote:I've got one for ya Choccies,

When does a player's poor conduct and attitude outweight his possible on-field benefit?

Are you coaching Andrew Lovett?

Choccies wrote:I agree, some of these issues are good problems to have around a club. To have a choice of players is great but I definitly am not looking forward to having to pick finals teams.

The advice I get weekly is generally individual opinion and I can't take most of it on board because it's loaded with bias, but if I get some advice from someone I dont usually hear from then I listen because they obviously feel confident enough in what they have to say to tell me so I take it on board if I can.

I guess in the end too, most of these blokes are guys I have played with and consider good mates (except Johno) and it hurts to drop them from the side because I know how much it hurts them. But I just gotta learn to toughen up with stuff like that. Thats one lesson I have learnt this year.... the other is (try) not to worry about the umpires because it's not something that I can control.

i dont blame ya... i dont even like myself!
thats why i learnt to suck a mean.....
i mean thats why im trying to play good footy to stay in the side.
all i can say is i dont wanna be in ur shoes in 2 weeks time.....(only ya pants if im a chance of being dropped)

Quichey wrote:I've got one for ya Choccies,

When does a player's poor conduct and attitude outweight his possible on-field benefit?

Good one Quichey. That's always a tough one, which can also cause unrest in the playing group.

i am going to have the same sort of dilema. i coach a junior side who has gone through the season undefeated. we have 29 players on the list who have played the minimum of 6 games to qualify for finals. now over the next couple of weeks i have to choose the best 22 for the second semi-final, not an easy task.

Quichey wrote:I've got one for ya Choccies,

When does a player's poor conduct and attitude outweight his possible on-field benefit?

Thats difficult Q. Especially in the confines of a small club. I guess having the numbers we do every can be replaced to an extent...

Baron Greenback wrote:

Quichey wrote:I've got one for ya Choccies,

When does a player's poor conduct and attitude outweight his possible on-field benefit?

Good one Quichey. That's always a tough one, which can also cause unrest in the playing group.

It is a tough one. To be fair you don't want to blanket all bad seeds with the assumption that a "leopard doesn't change it's spots", but unfortunately that saying rings true most of the time.

At the end of the day, these kinds of blokes tend to be a bit poisonous in a club and can cause unrest like you said Baron. I guess that if you cut your losses, these blokes move on and become another club's and coach's problem.

kookas wrote:i am going to have the same sort of dilema. i coach a junior side who has gone through the season undefeated. we have 29 players on the list who have played the minimum of 6 games to qualify for finals. now over the next couple of weeks i have to choose the best 22 for the second semi-final, not an easy task.

go with what you want- if your gonna lose a game, lose it on your terms, because if you cop grief, cop it for something you believed in.