Half way through season, still haven't won.

Janet Coach, Australia

Although it is disappointing to be graded above your team's capabilities set out to achieve goals other than winning during each game such as increasing numbers of intercepts, reducing number of footwork infringements, using space more efficiently, using a preliminary move before leading and so on.  Keep upbeat yourself and focus on encouraging your players to work well as a team within their capabilities as players can still enjoy their games even if they are not winning them.  Reward every little improvement made so your players can feel good about their abilities and involve your players in analysing the strategies used by the opposition so they can learn how to respond the next time around.    Use this season as a learning tool to prepare for the next one.

Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

Yeah i agree with what Janet has suggest, by changing the focus from winning as an indication that you are improving, to a true indicator of progression as pointed out above.  

The teams i coach we generally play in the summer comp, and we end up playing a number of teams from higher divisions and tend to lose every week too.  we normally play half the game to practise what we did at training, but if we are getting flogged, then we have some fun, and play in random or unusal positions.  youd be surprised at the outcome, and how some diverse some of your players didnt know they could be.  it is also good for you to see that maybe some of the girls could be more suited to other positions that they would not normally be given the opportunity to play.

take the focus off winning, and go out and have fun instead.

Volda FotballCoach, England

Hi,

I had a similar issue with the football team I was coaching. They were young and were not winning games, in fact just 3 games were won over a 20 game period. We finished the league second from bottom. However we kept the focus on progression and development as players. Its hard to keep the boys motivated but it worked. A season later we went on a tour and it clicked, finishing 17th in a world youth tournament. This season we won the league. However I feel this was only achievable through mainting a focus on development.

It works! And i hope it works for you too! This is defintely the way forward for youth coaching. Focusing on development and the results will come through with the strong performances eventually.

Tommy.