How to Decrease Friction in Soccer

Soccer is a fast-paced, high-energy game that can easily lend itself to friction between teams and within a team. Such intra-team friction can be detrimental to a team that achieves success largely through its ability to work together. For this reason, it is very important for a soccer coach to be able to decrease friction on his team.

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the sources of conflict. Many coaches assume the source of team friction will be obvious; however, there may be many underlying areas of conflict that are not obvious to a casual observer. It is important for a coach to know his team well enough to sense friction, but finding the true root cause of animosity on a team might involve bringing in team members one-on-one or in a group setting to talk to them directly about any ongoing friction.

    • 2

      Work with the team members to allow them to resolve the conflict on their own, rather than having a solution forced on them. As a coach, it is important to maintain discipline, but this does not mean solutions should be forced on those in conflict. Forced solution are rarely effective, and the team members in conflict may become even more resentful toward one another or even toward the coach. The coach should work with the players to help them find a realistic solution to their own problem.

    • 3

      Monitor the conflict post-resolution. Given the many responsibilities of a coach, it can be easy to assume friction has been eliminated once a solution has been put in place; however, it is often the case that some animosity will linger, and a good coach should be cognizant of this possibility in order to quickly readdress conflict before it has a chance to redevelop to its former level or become even more detrimental to the team than before it was initially addressed.