How to Ask Your Coach About Trying New Positions
Often, a coach comes to a player to ask them to try a new position. It can be because the team has a glaring need, or it can be because the coach sees the player’s attributes and can tell they’d thrive in the new position. But what about when the player wants to try a new position? Here’s how to approach your coach about trying a new position.
Use Small Sided Games First
Before you approach your coach about it, start on your own. When you play pickup or indoor, try the new position to get a feel for it.
If you play small sided games in practice (with freedom of what position to play), try out that position every now and then. It will give you an opportunity to showcase your skills and boost your IQ on the position.
Show Your Coach You Have Thought It Through
Learning a new position is a great idea to grow as a player – especially if you are looking to play college soccer. But just because it’s good for you doesn’t mean it’s good for your team.
Being able to show your coach why it’s good for the team needs to be a priority. Look at your strengths and – assuming your strengths are good for that position – voicing them will lend credence to your argument.
To further prove you have thought it through, be conscious of when you approach your coach with the idea – find a time when they are not busy instead of broaching the topic before practice.
Show That You’re Willing to Learn
Be prepared to talk about how you have been preparing to learn a new position on your own – watching professionals that play that position with a tool like BGTV, for example.
Don’t put it on your coach to teach you everything. Show them that you are asking for an opportunity, not to be adding another task to their to-do list. They should be able to give you the roles and responsibilities for that position and maybe some pros you can check out on YouTube as well.
Be Cautious In How You Ask
Asking to play a new position can be taken the wrong way if you aren’t careful. For example, saying something like, ‘Coach, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’d like to try out playing Center Attacking Mid,’ isn’t going to go very far. If you instead say something like, ‘Coach: what can I do, that I’m not doing now, to help make the team better?’ and then listen to what they say.
In the end, the best approach is always going to be different on a case-by-case basis. But we’re here for you – schedule a time to talk and we can go over your specific situation.
