My complaint is not with the players who try but do not win the ball. My complaint is with the players who don't even bother to try. My team has a practice tonight. I will review the games from our tournament last Sunday and what we need to do to improve. One item will be "attacking the ball." My approach will be something like, "If I don't see you making an effort to win the ball, I must assume you're either hurt or tired. If you're hurt or tired I will take you out of the game."
And I have no intentions of not allowing a player to go back in who's been pulled out. I'll explain (privately) why she was taken off the field. In a few minutes I'll put her back in and see if there is any improvement in her play. I know I'm walking a tightrope as far as motiviating but not alienating the player to try harder. Most of these girls will be eligible to play on their middle school soccer team next September. I know if they don't hustle they won't play at the school level.
Part of the fault is obviously mine. During indoor soccer, I give all the players pretty much equal playing time regardless of their ability. If they know they'll be getting a decent amount of playing time, what's the motivation for the "non-aggressive" (lazy) players? And when I say lazy, I do not mean non-talented. All the girls have good to excellent athletic ability. Its just a matter of getting them to use it.
I consider indoor soccer a way to prepare the players for the next travel season. Indoor ends mid-March. I'd like to have them remember the "play hard and you'll play more" rule from now into the beginning of travel practice in May/June.
