Reflection Is Vital
The holidays can be chaotic, busy, and stressful. But at least they provide a time away from the stresses of competitive youth sports. Coaches and parents alike can appreciate that.
The end of the season is also when trainings begin to pick back up. Players and parents who are not happy with the evaluations in front of them are often eager to get 2-3 private trainings per week. However, in the spirit of what the holidays should be, I am going to ask you and your young athletes to prioritize one thing - REFLECTION.
Utilize private trainings, group trainings, or a camp. But even if your child is obsessed with the beautiful game as we are, attending every camp, training opportunity, and fitness regimen isn't going to improve their game if they are left without the time to reflect on the things they learn. We usually limit ECNL, GA, and MLS Next Players to training every other week during the season for this reason. If there isn't time to reflect on lessons learned, the lessons don't hold their value. To put it bluntly, they aren't worth what you pay for them.
If you are an athlete, reflect on your development over the season
- Did you implement things you were taught?
- Did these implementations make the game easier to understand?
- Can you pinpoint new information? How about when that information was translated kinetically into a match?
If you are the parent of an athlete, help these players reflect
- Did they recognize coaching themes at practice?
- Do they understand their roles and responsibilites on the field?
- Are their goals realistic and applicable every week?
Reflection is vital.
The beauty of sport is that with action involved, reflection rarely spirals into rumination. The next practice, game, or training is only a few days away. Reflecting and resetting is a mental practice that the best athletes master.