Being Coachable: A Parent + Player Standard (Non-Negotiables)
Parents, please have all GK's ready and learn. This is the bare minimum at sessions.
Being coachable isn’t just “taking feedback.” It’s showing up with the "non-negotiables" already handled—so coaching can focus on development, not reminders.
Parents: these are great standards to reinforce at home.
Players: these are the habits that earn trust fast.
The Truth: Some Things Shouldn’t Have to Be Coached
1) Attitude
Players: You don’t have to love every drill. You *do* have to bring a positive, solution-focused mindset. Mistakes happen—how you respond matters.
Parents: Praise the response, not just the result. “I loved how you reset after that mistake.”
2) Effort
Players: Effort is a choice on every rep—especially the boring ones. Jogging through details is telling everyone you’re okay staying the same.
Parents: Effort is controllable. It’s the easiest thing to measure and the hardest thing to fake.
3) Intensity (Train harder than you play)
Players: If you want games to feel “easy,” practice has to be harder.
Train with purpose: game-speed footwork, sharp decisions, and full commitment to each rep. Don’t save your best for Saturday—(build it Monday through Friday.)
Parents: Intensity isn’t yelling or being dramatic—it’s focus, urgency, and intent.
4) Energy
Players: Energy is contagious. Bring the kind that lifts the session—stay engaged, encourage teammates, and bounce back fast.
Parents: Help them understand: body language speaks before they do.
5) Respect
Players: Respect the coach, teammates, and the work. Listen the first time. Own your role. Be on time. Be ready.
Parents: Respect shows up in the small things—how they respond to correction, how they treat teammates, how they carry themselves when it’s not going their way.
6) Communication
Players: Great players talk. Great goalkeepers lead. Call the ball. Organize the line. Ask questions. Confirm instructions. Silence creates confusion—and confusion costs goals.
Parents: Encourage them to be a communicator, not a passenger.
Bottom Line
Coaching is for technique, decision-making, and growth.
(These non-negotiables are your job.) Handle them consistently and you’ll stand out—because coaches don’t just coach talent… they trust it.