Two Key Ways Players Can Work With A Coach To Elevate Their Game
Brian Roberts is the former Chicago Fire Academy Director of Performance, Advisory, and Support Services. Roberts has served as the Chicago Fire’s Senior Manager of Youth Development since 2012, during which his operational and technical programs have impacted over 4,000 players and 350 coaching staff in 10 Fire Juniors youth soccer clubs on an annual basis. Since joining the Fire in 2010, Roberts has also held down roles as an interim director of coaching as well as player development manager.
Roberts shares two pieces of advice for young players wanting to take their game to the next level. The first is to listen to coaches and be receptive to their comments—coaches see things from a different perspective and provide a lot of productive information, although sometimes those are comments players don’t want to hear. The second is to continually ask questions, pushing coaches to give you more information. There is never a wrong question to ask a coach, and good coaches will spend time with players explaining various concepts to increase their understanding of different situations.
