MIKA LÖNNSTRÖM: MY THOUGHTS ON FOOTBALL COACHING
Every football coach has their own perception of coaching. This includes training, matches, press conference, etc.
The reality of football coaching, however, is often surprisingly different than the way it is portrayed by the media.
A coach’s job is also about analysis, preparation, and the elimination of obstacles and fears. But above all it is about solving problems and helping players on and off the pitch.
All countries and continents have their differences as everyone knows, but the goals are more often the same.
But if we think about the different ways to achieve those goals, there are probably just as many ways to do that as the number of people involved.
Coaching in different countries and clubs, however, is always an experience that enhances your skills and your level of adaptability.
A coach is always more prepared and more professional when they have been coached in a variety of environments and encountered different players of different levels.
In every coaching job encountering people as they are and developing the dynamics of the team are crucial. Sometimes it works out but sometimes nothing comes of it.
This will of course have an impact on achieving your goals. But when coaching in different environments we coaches should always:
Follow our intuition and be honest and open minded
Dare to try and eliminate fears and constraints while respecting the local culture
Be cooperative and ready to give 100% and accept help from others
Following these basic but fundamental phrases will take any coach that much closer to achieving their goals. These words have served MnM Coaching well during our time working in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Mika Lönnström