Just the other day I saw a video of Norwich City Football Club of the EFL Championship league. The video was of the team in training working on a crossing and finishing drill. Unlike some videos of drills and games, this one was not very complicated. It consisted of two attacking players playing a quick combo around the training mannequins into a shooting chance. Then, immediately a ball is served in from the side for the two attackers to finish in the air. Once completed, a new set of players begin the process again. The reason why this video stood out to me was how the players were acting during the drill. Their body language when waiting was casual but the second the drill began, it was pure competition. The goalkeepers had a similar stance and once everything started, they did everything in their power to win the moment. I just kept thinking of words like passion, creativity, urgency, and competition.
The question this article brings up in my head is how to get youth players to train with that level of intensity at all times. The players in this video wanted to win every chance they had. There was never a moment something wasn’t earned. This level of competitiveness is something I don’t see in enough youth soccer players. I completely understand that playing professionally makes competing and loving the game a lot easier. But imagine sixteen U14 players with that same mindset? There is no way you can’t get better. All you have to do is be a part of it. Creating this culture of competition is something coaches need to develop in their players.
Every player is different. Some are self-motivated. Some are incentive-based. Some are there because their parents push them to do it. If a player wants to play at a high level, there has to be some form of self-motivation. Personally, I believe something clicks in a player when they know they want to put the time in to do what it takes to make it to the next level. There is nothing wrong with players knowing their limitations but their response to those limitations will be what defines them as players and people. The players in the video are older than youth players but they joy they have while competing separates them from the rest. Even in defeat, you can see players loving the process. This is the definition of what it means to be competitive. There is nothing wrong with failing at young ages. Players will make mistakes. They are human. Coaches should use those mistakes as points in training so players can learn then apply. Not one player in that video woke up one morning performing bicycle kicks, bending shots, or diving saves. They all failed at some point while trying to learn those techniques. But their drive to constantly get better, the same drive you can see in the video, took them to another level most players can only dream about.
See the video below —>
