Don't "Joystick" Your Team
Santa Clara University Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jerry Smith (@SCUJerrySmith), a PCA National Advisory Board Member, has established a standard of excellence few can match, ranking as one of the five winningest women’s soccer coaches in NCAA Division I history.
In this video, Smith warns of a common mistake that coaches make: joy-sticking. When coaches "joystick" their athletes, they are trying to make all the moves for the athletes. That also can be seen as an effort to exert too much control or an attempt to micro-manage players. Doing this denies growth opportunities in decision-making for the athletes as players and as people, and it can provide confusing information in contrast to what the athlete sees and knows from being in the midst of competition.