Football Coaches: Team manager responsibilities and role

There are many figures within a sports club, physical trainers, technicians, managers, field support staff among others.

Today we’ll delve into one of the main ones, the football coach.

We will analyze the profile of the ideal coach and the most relevant competencies that should be put into practice within his team, whether it’s  a first-division team or a lower-division team.

What is a football manager?

A football coach, or trainer, is a multitasking and versatile person since he/she is in charge of carrying out different strategies within the club.

The most relevant ones are management, organization, motivation, and planning to get the most out of all the players in the team and achieve an evolution individually and collectively.

These would be the points where all efforts are focused; however, their tasks are much broader and more complex achieve. 

In terms of profile, not everyone can dedicate themselves to this profession, as it is not enough just to have a passion for this sport. It’s necessary to have specific training or knowledge before leaping over the field as a coach.

These are some of the characteristics they must posses:

  • Motivational
  • Intuitive
  • Self-critical
  • Strategist
  • Responsible and disciplined
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Main Responsibilities

As we have already mentioned, the figure of a coach is a fundamental piece of a football team.

His range of responsibilities is very wide since he is the one who is in daily contact with the players and is ultimately responsible for the performance and results of the team. 

Let’s break down the ones we considered the most important.

Team management

Before the start of the season, it’s important to set the objectives for the season at an individual and collective level.

To do this, it is vital to be realistic with the conditions of each of your players, their level of performance, and their ability to evolve. Although it is necessary to be optimistic, above all it is imperative to be realistic and to plan with achievable goals to avoid feelings of frustration for the players.

The manager role should be supported by other team staff for smooth functioning and to help during the analysis and monitoring of speed, intensity, and plays made, among other things.

In addition, he must be concerned with issues such as the club’s management model, knowing the profiles that would fit with the rest of the team, or dealing with sports agents, players transfers, and budgeting.

Task and training planning

Planning a training session involves many hours of work behind the scenes, which requires long days of concentration, evaluation, and analysis.

To do this somethings should be taken into account:

– The period in which the club finds itself: preseason, competition, holiday period, etc.

– The type of team and the category in which it is going to play

– The time available, both in terms of schedule and months.

– The economic, technical, and human resources that the club possesses.

Once we have the starting point defined, how is this planning carried out?

  1. Establish individual and collective objectives.
  2. Create the calendar for the season and preseason.
  3. Define the pattern of play: attacks, defense…
  4. Structuring the training sessions together with the coaching staff:
  • Initial talks.
  • Warm-ups.
  • Joint mobility and jogging.
  • Specific individual and collective plays.
  • Recovery

Performance management

Knowing the state of each of the players at all times is a must for the soccer coach.

We are not only talking about physical performance but also their mental health since their mindset will be an essential factor for their development on the field.

The coach will be in charge of carrying out physical performance controls from time to time in which aerobic work will be carried out to enhance long-duration low-intensity work to improve oxygen consumption.

By analyzing performance, we can determine the evolution of each player and identify their strong points and weaknesses. 

Emotional support

The head coach is also in charge of preparing the team both physically and mentally.

It is vital that he knows how to motivate the team both on and off the field, before and after training and matches.

This is a practice that needs to be implemented in both large and small clubs, as encouraging personal growth is one of the most powerful tools available to anyone. 

All that is needed is a good coach who knows how to enhance the best and mitigate the negative aspects of the players by providing them with tools to put into practice in the situations in which they experience the most stress or anxiety. 

Encouraging the players to work on their mental health helps with:

  • Concentration.
  • Motivation.
  • Leadership.
  • Respect.
  • Communication skills.
  • Enhancing individual strengths and teamwork.
  • Minimizing insecurities and blockages.
  • Search for solutions to problems in the short-medium term.

As we have seen throughout the article, the figure of the soccer coach is that of a multitasking person, so not just anyone can do it.

We must bear in mind that it entails a great responsibility that has to be backed by a good professional career, adequate training, and always with the support of technical material that will help to move forward the management of the team.

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