The Seven Words

Recently while reading a coaching book I came across the comments of a youth academy coach for a high-profile professional English soccer team. He uses seven words to describe the attributes of a successful soccer player. I thought they were excellent so I thought I would share them on the blog.

Commitment – players must be self-motivated and committed to playing soccer

Conditioning - players must have the appropriate levels of fitness, strength and speed

Communication – players should communicate with their team mates at all times; communication can help raise morale and always makes keeping and moving the ball easier

Cohesion – players must sense they belong to a team and know exactly what is expected of them in each situation they face

Concentration – players should not find themselves distracted and must stay focused at all times; concentrate on doing the simple things at the right time

Control – players must always control their emotions

Confidence – players must believe in themselves and their teammates and express that confidence at all times – players must always control their emotions