We need to go Deeper Than the Four Corner Model

We always talk about the Four Corner Model when we speak of player development.  To give more to our players and get more out of them, we need to go deeper.

This weekend at the 2015 Ontario Soccer Association’s Soccer Development Conference, the Four Corner Model came up many times.  It’s great , it gives you targets to move your program towards and reminds you of the fact that you are dealing with a developing human being, not just a soccer player.   


But is it enough?

What if everything the child is involved in uses the Four Corner Model properly, but they are all doing it independently? Are we maximizing what the child can experience and their development?  We need to tap into what's going on elsewhere in their life to help the soccer, and vice verse. 

For the purpose of this article, I will use the world “sport” but please take it to mean any activity where your child engages in some form of recreation, including but not limited to music, art. Outdoor exploration, etc.

Let me ask you…

• Do you know your players' parents?
• Do you know your players’ teachers? 
• Do you know their coaches from other sports? 
• Do you know their guitar teacher, Church Youth Ministry leader or Kumon teacher? 
• Do all of those people know you coach the children they work with?

No? Why not?

What about your players who are under the guidance of the Special Education department at their school? If they require modified instruction to achieve success and success is what you're trying to offer, shouldn't you be in the loop?  This is a touchy area as some parents like to think sports is a break from their child's IEP, but their coach needs that knowledge to properly serve the child. (The young player is with their coach 4-10 hours/week, why wouldn't we want them to know?  If you need some advice on how to approach this, you can email me or talk to any friends you have that are teachers.)

If we want to see the most well rounded person emerge from elementary and high school, a connected holistic approach gives them their best chance.  If we want to see the best possible player who is psychologically and socially ready to attack the bigger challenges, the same thought applies.  Think of how much more effective the Four Corner Model would be if it was interacting with the other areas of the player's life.

But it’s a lot of work.

Your player is ONE person, not five.  Whatever
affects them affects the one person that exists in
all areas of their life.

Most descriptions of the Four Corner Model say that you need to be aware or conscious of the issues impacting a child's development.  I'm saying you have to go deeper and work with the other areas impacting their life.  Active interaction and passing along information to their other coaches and expecting it back.

If we think holistically, it doesn’t matter what successes a child has, it will build confidence, however much doesn’t matter.  As coaches, if we look at the meaning of success on a player-centric level rather than team, then our rewards come through in moments, not trophies.  Successful moments in a player-centric environment will affect that child in other areas of their life, and vice-verse.

Holistic is a word can never escape you as a coach.  And you can never think of your particular sport as a silo in their life.  And you can’t make the specific sport the only activity that your program engages in.  Like it or not, you are part of the team of people raising that child.

For our players, we need to develop them socially, psychologically, tactically/technically and physically.   The famous Four Corner Model.  But it can’t be flat and isolated.  When you think holistic, think of the whole child, not just the soccer player.  Where are they coming from before you see then and where are they going afterwards?

Take the Four Corner Model and make it a cube, extending the approach to soccer, other sports, school and social settings.  Sports can only influence the whole child if it’s allowed to infiltrate the areas of their life.  And, vice-verse, that child will find it more difficult to become a well-rounded high-performance athlete if other areas of their life aren’t positive and do not infiltrate sports.

If you dig a little and are a bit nosey, you will find consistencies with your players in how they are with your team and how they are elsewhere.  But if you take a holistic approach with your players, there is no need to be nosey.

If you think this is a lot of bunk, think about how often troubles from an off-season sport or classroom setting negatively affect a player and your team.  Your player is ONE person, not five.  Whatever affects them affects the one person that exists in all areas of their life.

How much easier is it to coach your player if they arrive after a good night sleep or three good meals that day?  What if they had a positive day at school then come to training?  Negative day? What if they just received a compliment on their guitar playing then arrived at training?  One person.

 

Too often, we hand the kids off from one area to another with no consideration of our role in that other activity.

Successes from all parts of life contribute to confidence in all parts of life.  This would take an effort from each stakeholder to share successes with the other but it pays off.  We’ve done it, it works. 

• “Dear Miss Jones, Nine of your students were part of our clean up crew after the 10km race this weekend.  Please mention that during your morning exercises.”  
•  “Coach Lenny, please let Robert know that you heard he scored 9/10 on his spelling quiz yesterday.” 
• “Mr Peabody, the Smith family doesn’t like to brag, but Sarah worked with her parents all weekend putting up their marvelous Christmas display and you should encourage the class to go check it out.” 
• In your team communications, mention non-soccer news pertaining to your players.

A holistic approach to every child’s development would take an effort from every child’s adult influences to be focused on that child as the primary focus of their program.  Every child needs at least one thing they are successful at to build confidence that can spill over into other areas of their life.  It’s everybody’s job to support that child’s search for success.

The above is why I believe that children should choose their own sports. 

This is why parents should be flexible enough to let a child experiment with sports until they feel comfortable with one. (That's why Play-it-Again Sports exists)

This is why I applaud parents who recognize their child is struggling and open the door for them to move down a level.

This is why I believe that there must be multiple co-curricular opportunities for students to experience some level of success within their school environment and why co-curricular involvement must be a formal part of every school board employee’s job. Literally, something for everybody.

My experiences:

• Teacher do want to hear from you.
• Young players love to see you in attendance at their other sports.
• Other coaches do want to know what's going on and are willing to share back.
• Young players light up when they know you are aware of other areas of their life, and they will start to share their successes with you, as well as not so successful moments.
• It doesn't always have to be peachy.  ex Young players appreciate knowing you are sincerely sorry they were not selected for another sport.

Don’t tell your peers that you would like to know what’s going on elsewhere, tell them you EXPECT to know what’s going on and pay them the same respect.  Start today.  Send your league schedule to their other sport coaches and their teachers.  

P.S.  If you missed the 2015 OSA's Soccer Development Conference you missed a lot of good information.  See you there next year.