Adversity
There are countless life skills that soccer can help build for players and coaches ­ communication, accepting criticism, working with others, and accepting a role for a common goal to name four. But dealing with adversity is perhaps the biggest. It's also the "thorniest" as players (not to mention the coaches and parents) take the games to such passionate and emotional levels.
With the term adversity, the common interpretation is a negative one of misfortune, bad luck, undoing, even disaster. Of course that would be the "half empty" approach as adversity is a difficult, and sometimes unsuccessfully completed, challenge that must be absorbed and learned from.
Three Examples of Adversity to Consider:
Injuries
Players and teams will encounter more and more injuries as age, level of play, and urgency to win increases ­ it's part of the game. The adversity part will face the injured player himself plus his teammates. Will he think selfishly and obsessively about his plight? And will they allow the injured player to bring their level down or instigate elevated play to make up for the loss? View injuries as surmountable and strengthening hurdles.
Close Losses
In a competitive, low-scoring sport there will be many close losses. A 1-0 loss in a "big" game can hurt far more deeply than a blow-out or even consecutive losses. After allowing some of the initial pain to sink in, the coach needs to set a positive example to see what was valuable about the game other than the final score. The gift to uplift and motivate a group after a stirring setback is an essential and evolving ability of a leader.
Losing Seasons
For every Championship team, there is the rest of the pack that unfortunately inherits a "losing season" mentality, especially those teams at the bottom of the race. For these teams, it's crucial to take a different course, as Head Women's Coach at Duke University Bill Hempen explains, "You don't want to make it a drudgery or to make them run harder, but rather to make it an enjoyable experience for them. So we took the approach that we didn't take winning or losing as the measuring stick. It's more of 'Did you play hard?' and 'Did you enjoy yourself?'"
Keep these three elements in mind in considering adversity:
1. Winning/Losing vs. Enjoyment/Effort/Improvement - Where does the balance lean in your environment?
2. Overzealous or Overextended Expectations - Create mini-goals, hopes, and aspirations rather than a do-or-die end.
3. Pressures from Outside the Team - The only person that should exert influence on the group is the coach. Parents, administrators, etc., can contribute to the individuals, but only if it's in a positive, constructive fashion.
Remember to react to all occasions, especially the toughest ones, with a smile. These are just kids. As Coach Hempen points out, "You can try to expect a lot more from them, but as much as they really want to give it to you, they just can't."

Article contributed by Direct Kick, a monthly coach's newsletter.

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