Last season, I concluded my active coaching career at the Maastricht hockey club in The Netherlands. It became a great success, and I am very proud of this. I want to share this with you.
Wouldn’t you also like to know how to make your team successful?
First steps
I watched some of the team’s games after initial discussions with the technical people in charge of the trainer selection. The club wanted a new trainer, and I saw potential in this team. The talks went well, so I could start early in the preparation and let the team get used to me, thus laying a good foundation for the upcoming season. The team had many talents, and new ones would join in the summer. It soon became apparent that there was a strong motivation in the group. It was a good starting position, and it was essential to develop it further, maximize the team, and bring it to its full potential.
My first choices
So I made my first choice: start preparing for next season as soon as possible because the team needed to get fitter. We played some instructive practice matches before the summer vacation. And I could immediately demonstrate my method and vision. From the first practice, the intensity was high, and the players had a hard time. I clarified why this was necessary and could refer to their ambitions. The goal is to ensure players make the right choices under pressure to minimize ineffective behavior, which is only possible if you are mentally and physically fit.
I also started putting together a coaching team. Although I am the head responsible, I also have strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, I brought in specialists, whom I put in their strengths just like the players. All the trainers and coaching staff worked together to turn these girls into a super team. Furthermore, we kept playing practice matches to test systems and cohesion.
The next phase
The foundation was there, and the team is picking it up well; the first results are promising in practice games and fitness progress. Now, the task is to raise the bar for fitness and tactical cohesion (this also leads to better mental resilience) and to bring basic skills up to a higher level (this is necessary for the desired style of play). I also had to make some not-so-nice choices, as some players could not stay in the selection. This task is unpleasant, but it is part of the job and very important.
The building blocks for this success
Success has many fathers, they always say. Let me be clear: the extent to which talent and ambition are available does not happen yearly. By now, I had my coaching team, which I continued to expand throughout the season. And without telling the team this, I started working on the building blocks for team success. My theory includes four building blocks, namely:
BLUE: safety and structure: clear agreements within the team, apply to everyone (including me)
RED: learning and results: you are free to make your choices, hard work to keep winning
YELLOW: communication and behavior: positive, based on facts, no assumptions.
GREEN: balance and leadership: Everyone takes responsibility for their assignments, and the “we and I” need to be balanced.
For further explanation, see the Let go TEAM page.
How did I work with these building blocks?
BLUE: I accept and maintain responsibility as a process leader. So, sometimes, I have to act during games or practices to keep the process safe. Giving clarity. Taking responsibility. Leading by example.
RED: I used the team’s ambitions and developed intensive training and game plans, taking the players further than they expected themselves to go.
YELLOW: I press on the breaks when a player communicates in a way that goes against team interests. I also inverted, turning what others found negative into a positive assignment. Are there setbacks? Cool. What can we do about them? How can we use our strengths to challenge this?
GREEN: In consultation with the team, I adjust the game plan during games and teach players their ownership.
The season’s results:
In the first week, I made it clear that there could be no performance without fun. That may sound unbelievable, but this is a lesson I learned from Marc Lammers (the former national team coach of the Dutch field hockey ladies and field hockey innovator). During the week, we worked hard, and I prepared the team. On match day, the focus was on how the team would perform the tasks with confidence, relaxation, fun, and ease.
With success because:
– Champion of the field competition;
– The best offense and defense of all four pools;
– Runner-up Silver Cup;
– Runner-up in indoor competition.
Key lessons
This season was so successful partly because, in contrast to the previous seasons, I opted for and succeeded in maintaining the line—no slacking, a continued focus on the team, fun, and results. Again, this is proof that my theory of the building blocks works. It also proves that you must be willing to make hard choices, don’t procrastinate, and keep going.
I also chose to spend the winter thinking and training on new tactics necessary to surprise the opponents in the second round. I consciously showed this to the team: Let’s grow further and be ready for the second round.
What made the achievement impressive and significant?
All in all, it was an impressive season with significant learnings:
– The cooperation in the coaching team;
– The interaction with the team, both individually and as a group;
– The commitment during the training sessions;
– The presence and support of the parents.
As head coach, I was overwhelmed by how strongly the players developed individually and as a team. In addition to a surplus of technical and tactical qualities, they also knew how to show their mental resilience when necessary and how to win points based on willpower. And, most importantly, their enjoyment of playing together. As I now see in Slot’s FC Liverpool, the players maintained high motivation.
What are the lessons for teams and their leaders?
What can you learn from this now? First, there is more quality in your team than you think. That should be your essential attitude; moving them forward is up to you. The condition is that you dare to coach based on trust, use the team’s talents and strengths, and put people in the right place. Dare to enter into dialogue and cherish their insight, feedback, and creativity because never forget you are doing it together.
Furthermore, accept the consequences of your decisions, which is crucial! I will give an example: during a game, I put a player in a new position for her; unfortunately, at a certain point, she gave the ball very quickly to the opponent, from which they countered and scored. Instead of getting angry with her, I took responsibility and apologized for letting her play there without being prepared or getting proper instructions from me. A team doesn’t want you to be nice; they want you to provide clarity, reinforce trust, and establish and build a structure. Make the hard decisions yourself; being liked will come later. Furthermore, there is no haggling or manipulation, and keep a Wysiwyg’s attitude. Be as you are to everyone, and be aware that everyone is equally important!
The season in which everything came together
The players’ talents and ambitions, my assistants, who also gave them a specific assignment so they could excel in it, and the coaches who contributed to the process. I was the process facilitator, who was allowed to experience great success thanks to the talents of everyone involved.
The saying is that success has many fathers; in this case, I knew that everyone directly involved in this team did their very best and maximized their talents, so our dream became a reality. That was beautiful, very beautiful. It may have seemed easy what and how I did it, but it was all a result of my years of experience as a coach. The drills, the style of play, the fitness, the way of dealing with players, and all the lessons from the past I took with me and managed to implement with this team were my unique experiences.
Do you also want to achieve such a performance with your team? Order my Superteam magazine here. Read and learn how you can harness your team’s potential for success for your team.
Do you also want to achieve such a performance with your team?
Order the Superteams magazine here. Read and learn how you can harness your team’s potential for success for your team.
Price: €18,50
Beautiful adventure: proud and grateful
It was a wonderful experience, and I am glad I could experience it. I needed to maintain my discipline, will, and ability to deal with this team in this way, to choose the team’s interests every time, and, as Cor (Production Manager Euramax) said, to build on strengths. Put the right people in the right place and trust them to do well. I wish you good luck with your teams.
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