Been There, Done That by Mark Grody           

When trying to inspire our players, coaches will stay very energetically say:
You can do it, keep going, great job, almost, try again, etc. These energetic ruminations help keep players moving toward their goals by providing a positive and consistent emotional base from which players can work from. Yet, another technique that I find effective is giving personal examples for my players.  And, these do not have to just be positive memories of glories and successes past like, "I worked toward a goal and ran sprints every day for three months and made the team!" These are good, but often inspiration can come from set backs as well, and personal stories to our players that are not just about all the things that went well for us as players gives a more comprehensive view of the soccer playing experience as well as making us as coaches seem more real and approachable.

As a GK coach, I will often talk to my GK's about how the GK is one of the few players that often really can win or lose games directly fairly often. So on seemingly long odds, one standard approach is to remind them of their opportunity to be a hero. For example, if a team on paper is seemingly overmatched, great GK play might be the difference! Inspiration here comes from the saying that "crisis is opportunity." But, what about after a tough loss, or a bad performance? Whenever I see one of our GK's distraught from a bad goal, I might talk about the time I let a ball go through my legs or hands and cost my team a game (or about the time I talked my coach into letting me take a PK and then had to sprint 100 yards back to my goal after kicking it right to the other teams GK). Or, when a team gets hammered, I will talk to the distraught GK about the (not one) but two times, I gave up nine goals in high school games. (For some reason this usually really cheers them up!)

"Been there done that, and this is how to move on and excel."

In a sporting world full of the needed false bravado, inflated ego, and pollyannaish rose colored glasses, adding a little bit of reality through less than perfect examples is important for helping create well rounded players and even more importantly well rounded individuals. I think relating mistakes and failures and how one can and does grow from these travails is a fine compliment to the base of positive encouragement and cheerleading we all do. And remember, I think it is also a great opportunity to forge an even closer tie to our players.

Mark Grody is an Assistant Director and GKer Trainer at Bay Oaks