How do you talk to an U9 after they have made the same mistake three times?

Question

One of ours kept receiving square across our own goal and losing it. By the third time I could see the coach was desperate to tell him exactly what to do next. I am trying to get better at asking questions, but sometimes the player genuinely does not see the danger yet. When do you stop asking and just give them the information?

Verified Coach · Accepted Answer

Sometimes giving the information is the right thing to do.

Questions are useful when the player has enough understanding to search for the answer. If they genuinely do not see the danger, asking “what could you do differently?” three times can just make them guess what is in the coach’s head.

I’d keep it short and specific: “When you receive there, have a look at what is across our goal before your first touch.” Then let them try again.

You can still ask afterwards what they noticed.

The balance is avoiding a running commentary where every decision is supplied by the adult.

At U9, good coaching is not a competition to see who can ask the most questions. Sometimes the player needs a question, sometimes a clear piece of information, and sometimes they need us to leave the next mistake alone.

EmmaD · Answer

I think coaches sometimes hide behind questions. If the child genuinely doesnt know, give them one clear bit of information and let them try it. The skill is knowing when they need help, not refusing to ever tell them anything.

NeilJ · Answer

for me the third repeat is often when I stop asking. if they are still seeing the same picture the same way, another vague question probably isnt helping.

How do you talk to an U9 after they have made the same mistake three times?

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