Soccer After Lockdown

“I cannot wait to get back to football, I’ve missed it & missed seeing all my teammates.”

“Sorry, but Beau will not be coming back to football as she has lost the love of it since being in lockdown.”

“Charlie will be coming to the session but is a little bit nervous & apprehensive having not played for so long.”

These are just some of the responses I have received from parents and players in the lead-up to lockdown ending and football returning. It made me think... What can I do as a coach to support players upon their return to football and what can we continue to do when they are back? 

Connecting Before

I encouraged coaches (& myself) to try and connect with players during lockdown & the weeks leading up to the return. This included fun zoom sessions, quizzes, questionnaires, which included questions like... how they are feeling about the first session back, what are they worried about (if anything) & what they are most looking forward to.
I even got some of the players to plan the first session! 

It was no surprise hearing “seeing my friends & playing games!” when asking the players what they were most looking forward to, considering the last 12 months they have been in lockdown unable to see friends & constantly being told what they can & can’t do.

Connecting During

So... It’s not hard to guess what my first few sessions looked like... Lots of GAMES & SOCIALISING! 

Having a connection with female players is important at the best of times but even more so at a time like this. During the first few sessions back, I allowed lots of ownership over the session, created an environment that was safe to make mistakes & ask questions. I also re-connected with them on a human level – asking how lockdown life has been, etc, and being mindful that the last 12 months have been very different for each individual. 

Connecting After

I’ve seen coaches come up with so many creative ways to connect with players during the lockdown, as well as trying some myself and it’s made me think... Can this continue now football is back? 

I believe it can!

I found out so much more about my players during the lockdown, what other interests they have, siblings, what they like about football & how engaged they are with the game.

Also, females like to feel valued, and when they do you get much more from them as players. 

A small conversation off the pitch can go a long way, we did this lots over lockdown and why stop now just because we can kick a ball about – keep engaging, talking, and having interactions on and off the pitch and watch how much the female player grows.