A Failure to Communicate.

The Great Communicators

Jamie Carragher never shuts up. Of course not many people understand his words, so he often uses hand gestures as well. Dirk Kuyt, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing are relatively quiet. Stevie G, Luis Saurez and Craig Bellamy never ever ever appear to shut up. Why is that? And does anybody else listen?

Players need to communicate, they need to tell each other what is going on, and help each other on the field of play. Ask yourself this question. How many eyes does a soccer player have? The answer is twenty four. His own eyes, plus his team mates, and his coach. This is a lot of territory that can be seen by this player, without actually seeing himself. The challenge?
He has to learn to trust his team mates and what information and intelligence they are providing him. so how do we develop this "trust"

The Team Builder


I sometimes use the following exercise to train both trust and communication skills in my squads.

BLINDFIELD


Set up 2 20 x 20 grids. Put two gates on opposite sides of the grids, anywhere on the edges.

Now have the players scatter kit bags, sneakers, cones, balls, whatever you have on hand, into each grid so there is a similar uncoordinated amount of debris in each grid. This is the minefield.

Divide the team into two equal squads, give each team a blindfold (hence "BLINDFIELD"). Place the blindfold on one player from each team. This player then enters the "minefield" through one gate, and must pass through the minefield and exit at the other gate, The blindfolded player must listen to instructions given by a team mate on the sideline to safely pass through the "BLINDFIELD". If they step on a "mine", they must do a forfeit (time, press-ups etc), before they can continue. The first team to get all of its players across wins (yes wins, because sometimes people lose).

The game encourages a couple of very important techniques;

1. Communication. The "communicator" must use simple, concise and direct language to help the player in the minefield.

2. Listening. Players must learn to listen and to hear what their team mates are saying when under pressure.

3. Both players must learn to trust each other.

No communication in the minefield, then your team mate blows up.

A simple exercise, but a very effective technique to get players to communicate, listen and trust.

Hal White

YNWA

And a little SCTV of "blowin' up real good".

We miss you John Candy!!