Personal Narrative: The Sport Of Football

The sport of soccer is actually one of the world’s most popular sports, especially in other countries around the world it is more likely to be called football. Soccer at its highest level is known to be beautiful and is nearly an art form in some countries. Great teams work the ball with some exceptionally skilled players building flow while working the soccer ball up the field in an attempt to strategically score. Individually, what makes a great soccer player is their understanding and commitment to the game, one’s quick decision making and speed of play, along with a positive attitude and typically some sort of technical skill. On one fall Thursday afternoon I visited University Park to observe Dave Lombardo, the head coach of the women’s …show more content…
This assignment enabled me to observe a very subtle coach. Dave Lombardo exemplified his style of coaching in a nonchalant way by walking around the perimeters of field, and only stepping in when he felt there needed to be a necessary change in the team or one’s performance. Before practice was started, he and his assistant coaches talk to the team in preparation for the upcoming weekend games. They compile a short game report on the strengths and a few weaknesses for how their opponent plays. This can set an athletes direction and intensity of motivation before a practice. I noticed this especially when the team moved from their dynamic warm-up to technical touches and passing. Almost every player looked like they could be in their optimal experience because of how easy it seemed. More then three-fourths of the team was performing quickly, but with control, they had ideal energy, and each player was aware of each pass or touch that was taken. This reminded me of a key concept most players would not realize they are in at the moment, which is …show more content…
He was an informative and directional coach, stepping in whenever he could whether it was positive or negative feedback. According to Burton and Raedeke (2008), the effect of Scott’s messages were beneficial because of his “positive feedback after a good performance [and] corrective instructions and encouragement after a performance mistake” (p. 17). His descriptive feedback caught my eye because he not only would compliment the athlete, but he would also focus on future orientated feedback, like “Next time, start your run 10 steps earlier.” This encourages the athlete to focus on what they are told without decimating their motivation. Also, an athlete will more likely keep it in the back of their mind, making them aware of the