I’m involved in coaching every day, and I often find myself in situations where I have to think about how I, as a coach, should think and act.
In those moments, I’m often driven by a desire to know how other coaches think and act. I believe it’s important to relativize myself and grasp things objectively. Of course, I sometimes directly ask other coaches for their opinions, but that’s not always possible. In those times, my secret weapon is “keyword searching.”
I think the keywords this time were “coach job bench instructions.” Naturally, various articles come up, but I encountered one that really captivated me, and I’d like to share it. This article is written in Japanese.
元神戸監督リージョはペップをたしなめた…試合中の指示は有効なのか「ベンチで叫ぶのは自分の仕事不足の証明」 “Former Kobe manager Lillo reprimanded Pep… Are his instructions during the game effective? “Shouting on the bench is proof that you’re not doing your job well”
COACH, Juan Manuel Lillo
I became very interested in the coach mentioned in the article above, Juan Manuel Lillo.
About Juan Manuel Lillo
I’ll let Wikipedia explain his background, but I’d like to quote the part that first made me so attracted to him.
Here’s the English translation of the text you provided:
“Our job as coaches is on the training ground. There, we do everything in our power to send out the 11 players who will face the match. The results of the work done in training will naturally appear in the game.”
(Omission)
“Therefore, shouting from the bench is merely proof that I haven’t done enough work.“
That’s Lillo’s theory, and indeed, he mostly sits on the bench during matches.
Many coaches stand up from the bench during games, shouting themselves hoarse towards the pitch with such intensity that they almost cross the touchline. This is likely primarily to give instructions to the players. Given that coaching areas exist, it could be considered appropriate behavior. And surely, there are times when it feels necessary.
However, Lillo suggests that its effectiveness is limited. To what extent can players, who are in the middle of playing, receive a coach’s instructions? Anyone with playing experience can likely guess. While it might be different at halftime, instructions during play are mostly useless.
(Omission)
However, Lillo, who is revered by many coaches, believes that one should trust the 11 players sent out, and the work done in training. That’s why he isn’t even proactive with substitutions. As a result, he faced critical questions from the media during his time as Vissel Kobe’s manager.
Substitutions are certainly one of the jobs a coach can do during a match. Substituting players might change the flow of the game. Or, introducing a player in full physical condition could turn the tide in your favor. It might change the tactical system and become a breakthrough.
Nevertheless, these are all hypothetical scenarios. There’s also a significant possibility that substitutions could worsen the game. The balance maintained might be disrupted, allowing the opponent to gain momentum, or a marking error could lead to a goal, and a substitute might even become a hindrance.
In my opinion, the thoughts on his coaching that can be gleaned from this article are summarized as follows:
・The majority of a coach’s work takes place in the training leading up to the match.
・The responsibility for poor performance in a match falls on the coach.
・In the match, coaches must trust the players and the training they have done together, and basically leave everything to the players.
Answer from one coach
After reading the above article, I suddenly remembered a question I asked one of volleyball coaches I respect a few years ago. Because I thought, “He said the same thing as Lillo!” I would like to introduce my question and the coach’s answer below.
▶︎My question:
Beyond calling timeouts and making substitutions, I believe there’s a crucial role for coaches to communicate with players from the sideline. When I first stood courtside during a match, I felt that speaking too much to the players might actually just get in the way of their play. We thoroughly share the game plan before the match, so I felt like I was just repeating myself over and over.
This made me wonder: what’s the best thing I can do as the game progresses? I’m still unsure.
Also, I’ve observed that some coaches are very expressive during games, while others remain calm and show little emotion. I understand this is largely a matter of style, but I’m curious to hear your thoughts on it.
▶︎His answer:
I actually liked beach volleyball’s previous rule where it was a fault if the coach gave instructions to players during a match. Nowadays, giving instructions is technically allowed, but the players’ movements are so intense and busy that they can’t hear anything from the outside, nor do they want to listen.
Similar to rugby, volleyball now incorporates communication devices for interaction, and constant directives from the sideline are part of it. However, I belong to the school of thought that believes a coach’s ability should extend only to imparting everything to the players before the match, and then allowing them to compete and make their own decisions on the court.
Coaching is about believing
I cannot help but strongly feel a shared belief from these two coaches whom I deeply respect.
That belief is, unequivocally, to “trust the players.”
However, I believe we must be careful with how we interpret the word “trust.”
It does not mean simply failing to prepare adequately for a match, merely saying “I trust them,” and then doing “nothing” during the game.
The “trust” I refer to here means sincerely engaging with the players throughout all the time leading up to the match, being confident that you’ve completed all your coaching duties, and only then “trusting” and “entrusting” the players with the game.
Easier said than done.
I renew my resolve to live each moment to the fullest every day, striving to get even a little closer to these coaches I admire.
