Holistic Hands by Essie

Finish en klaa

The goal of youth coaching isn't to make children depend on the coach.
It's to prepare them for the moment when the coach can't help them anymore.
During a match, there are no time-outs every thirty seconds.
There is no coach making every decision.
There is only the player...
their perception,
their understanding,
and their courage to act.

That's why the best youth coaches don't try to control every pass, every movement or every decision.
Instead, they create an environment where players learn to observe, think and solve problems on their own.
An independent player isn't one who ignores the coach.
It understands the game well enough to make good decisions without waiting for instructions.
The greatest compliment a coach can receive isn't:
"My players always listen to me."
It's:
"My players know what to do even when I say nothing."
Because football is unpredictable.
Every situation is different.
And the players who succeed are rarely those who remember every instruction.
They are the ones who understand the game well enough to create their own solutions.
As Vicente del Bosque reminds us, our job is not to create players who need us forever.
Our job is to create players who no longer need us to think for them.
One question for every coach:
If you weren't allowed to speak during the entire match... would your players still know what to do?

👇 At what age should coaches start giving players the freedom to make their own decisions?

In youth football, we often assume that when a child struggles, the answer is to give more instructions.
"Pass earlier."
"Take fewer touches."
"Look up."
"Move faster."
But sometimes the child already knows what to do.
What they lack isn't information—it's the confidence to try.
A child who is afraid of making a mistake rarely expresses their creativity. They choose the safest option, avoid taking risks, and gradually stop trusting their own decisions. Over time, fear becomes a bigger obstacle than any opponent on the field.
As coaches, our role is not only to teach the game. It is to create an environment where children feel safe enough to experiment, fail, learn, and try again.
Because every confident player was once a child who was given permission to be brave.
Sometimes, the greatest coaching tool isn't another instruction.
It's the courage we help a child discover within themselves.

What do you think builds more confident players: more coaching points or a safer environment to make mistakes? ⚽👇

Menopause is not “just hot flashes.”

Sometimes it’s crying over something small.
Sometimes it’s waking up tired after barely sleeping.
Sometimes it’s dry skin, headaches, hair loss, anxiety, mood swings, low energy, or feeling like your body is changing overnight.

And no, you’re not being dramatic.

Your hormones are shifting, your body is adjusting, and you deserve support through it — not shame, jokes, or people telling you to “just deal with it.”

Menopause is real.
The symptoms are real.
And women deserve to be believed. 🤍

As simple as that.

Elke kee 😶

Asseblief tog

🤫

I tried