How to Deal With Criticism

Everyone can be a critic but sometimes that criticism can be detrimental to the way you coach.

It is very easy to criticise, not so easy to be on the receiving end of that criticism. When you're a coach you are a big target for the critics especially from parents when the team loses.

Sometimes you just have to turn away and let the criticism go without reacting to it -- easy to say but not easy to do.

When I first started coaching I got my fair share of criticism but I tried to take on board what was being said and to explain to the critics what it was I was trying to do with the players.

We had a fantastic first season and got promoted without losing a games, being put into the top group.It was a tough group of teams that we had to play -- but we drew our first four games 1-1 which I was very pleased about.

The players were representing a junior school rather that a football club and that made a difference to the amount of players I could pick from. However the dads got together and called a meeting.

They were not happy that we hadn't won a game since the start of the season and implied that I had taken my eye off the ball in training.

My training and tactics in games were the same but the learning curve had become much steeper. I was confident that by the end of the season we would be comfortably winning games.

So I had to ride the criticism which wasn't easy as I had no experience of doing that. I would go home and check through my notes and go over what we had worked on that evening looking for any flaws in my coaching.

The dads were wrong to put the pressure on me but they could only see one thing and that was their own child and a desparate need to win.

Talk to my players and they are happy to play well with their friends. So don't take criticism to heart! Remember you are doing a great job and one that most coaches find difficult at times.

Other coaches can also be critical but sometimes it is worth taking on board what another coach says. And if you have advice for other coaches try to give it in a way that.oesn't sound like criticism.

Criticism is easy to make, constructive criticism is useful to take but overall you know what it is you want to achieve with your players.