Winning vs Development

Is winning important?

Winning is a key part of all sporting competition and is the player’s motivator in competitive play. We at Bloomsbury therefore expect players to demonstrate the right attitude when approaching training and match day - we expect players to bring with them a winning mentality. This entails that players have a desire to beat their opponent in a 1 v 1, to score as many goals as possible, or to keep a clean sheet. Ultimately, this boils down to scoring more than the opposition.

The coaching group at Bloomsbury will promote this attitude in the teams and players. Importantly, this does not mean we neglect the fact that sometimes too much success can lead to a reliance on that attribute. As players grow both physically and mentally, they will have to develop a skill set that can find them success in the multiple situations that will occur on match days; for example, a wide player will need to know how to, and be able to, both attack and defend 1 v 1 over the course of a game. Therefore, the coaches will look to expose players to the situations and scenarios wherein their areas of potential improvement will be exposed; this is done to encourage players to be brave when practising aspects of the game that have previously been alien to them and to recognise that mistakes are, most importantly, an opportunity to learn and therefore improve.

Winning is of obvious importance to us at Bloomsbury; winning is an outcome of player development, as players who excel through harnessing their abilities and learning from coaches will develop to win more games. Winning is an indicator of success, and allows us to attract the best players, players who will work hard to be part of what is a successful club, while also driving existing players on in their development. Pernicious, however, is a belief in winning at all costs, where player development is sacrificed within this mentality. 

How can winning hinder development?

Sam Snow, the US Youth Soccer Coaching Director wrote an article on the topic of balancing player development with winning where he bemoaned the ‘“peak by Friday” mentality that focuses solely on short-term results’ that is rife within American youth football. The outcome of a match is of importance, but this is when it is viewed within the context of player development; sacrificing this development for short term results is dangerous for players. A winning formula can drive coaches to not push their players’ boundaries; for example, a winger who is excellent at taking a player on could neglect their defensive duties, with this deficit in ability swept under the rug due to consistent good results. The player will suffer from this in the long term as at older ages and higher levels, skill deficits will be revealed and punished. 

Re-defining a winning mentality among coaches and players to become a mentality that values hard work, a mentality whereby, as Sam Snow states ‘a player can walk off the field saying that he or she gave it their very best… and be proud of the effort - win, lose or draw.’. This can enhance the player’s ownership of their own development, as they motivate themselves to improve by focusing on their overall performance rather than solely the result, and lead to greater player development.

How do we define development as winning?

The long term target for development is for our players to have adaptable skill sets that are effective in a number of different areas of the game. We want to have players who can take ownership of their own technical development and drive themselves in realising their potential. This will equip the player with the appropriate tools as they approach the senior side of football, where winning is overwhelmingly the priority.

How do you prioritise development, and does it take a back seat to winning at all costs?