Mental Strength: The Secret To Being Successful on The Field? Be Coachable
This is important for soccer parents as well as players! Desirable traits that youth soccer coaches look for in a player do not always involve the technical aspect of the game.
The necessity for an aspiring youth soccer player to listen and be coachable is sometimes a key point for player development. The ability for coaches to communicate with their players on and off the pitch requires multiple characteristics, ultimately helping them get the most out of training.
I recently spoke with a well-known English soccer coach about some of the best players he’s ever coached. Several names were mentioned – very famous names indeed. During the chat, we discussed what he felt was a player’s most important quality. You may be surprised by his answer. 
He didn’t say ball control or running with the ball. He didn’t say tackling, shooting or heading. He didn’t mention vision, awareness or game intelligence.
But the answer he gave me cleverly relates to all of those components of the game.
He told me that …
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET OR QUALITY A SOCCER PLAYER NEEDS TO POSSESS IS THE ABILITY TO BE COACHABLE.
That’s right! This very famous coach – a man who has delivered training sessions to some of the best soccer players in the world, told me that openness to being coached was, for him, the most critical essential in the playbook of any aspiring footballer.
The Importance of A Soccer Player Being Coachable
It doesn’t matter if you are introverted or extroverted.
It doesn’t matter where you come from, what religion you are, what race or nationality you are. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how tall, athletic or talented you are. What’s important is that you must be coachable.
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHATEVER YOUR COACHES ARE TELLING YOU.
You must be an expert learner. You must be coachable. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO LISTEN.
The skill you naturally possess will only get you so far. It won’t automatically bring you to the table of champions. If you’re one of the best on your team, then well done. Now, how can you improve? What have you got to do to get better? You must be coachable.
Be a great listener. Pride yourself in hearing the small details that your coaches tell you. Listen closely – lying within their advice are the tips that can help you improve – and they’re gold-dust. They offer the keys to being the very best you can be. You must be a great listener – you must be coachable.
ENJOY BEING CORRECTED. IT MAY BE HARD, BUT TRY.
I’ve met many players, young and seasoned, who don’t like being told what they need to improve. They tell me it’s negative.
Instead enjoy being criticized.
Soccer players tell me that being corrected—or receiving this kind of negative feedback—can damage their confidence. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
You must enjoy being corrected – you must be coachable.
Ask questions! Ask questions to unpick what your coaches are telling you. It’s your responsibility to get that picture of improvement right in your mind. It’s your job to understand what’s being asked of you. It’s your job to become acquainted with the tactics your coaches want you to employ. It’s your job to ‘get it’. Ask questions, be inquisitive – you must be coachable.
Practice—Coachable youth soccer players love to practice. They are passionate about taking the time to work on their limitations and can be seen on the training pitch long after everyone else has retired to the changing room.
Coachable soccer players try and fail, try and fail, try and fail. They are creative—they invent games and fun exercises that help them focus and enjoy the learning process.
Coachable players they love to learn. They love to improve. They love to develop and get better. You must be coachable.
Set goals. Coachable players break their games into smaller components and set targets in each area. They aim to get better mentally, physically, technically, and tactically. They have a vision of better and set their sights on working towards this end in mind. They have no limits – they believe their job is to think, train and play like there is no limit to their ability. You must be like this also – you must be coachable.
Great soccer players are, in part, great because they accept the rough with the smooth.
A global sports psychologist and author specializing in soccer, Dan Abrahams is based in England and works with professional soccer players in the English Premier League (EPL). Abrahams has worked with hundreds of soccer players – many who play in the English Premier League (EPL). From working with players at Crystal Palace, QPR, Fulham, and West Ham among others, Abrahams counsels players on how to play at peak performance. Abrahams has authored several books and has a Soccer Academy as well.
