Leaders are made, not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.
– Vince Lombardi

It’s March 20, 8 o’clock in the evening and a light rain is falling on a cold Nickerson Field at Boston University. A typical college student would be hunkered down with a textbook – in the library or in an overheated dorm room – prepping for an upcoming midterm. But that is not happening for 18 members of the Boston University women’s soccer team. They are just completing a series of soggy wind sprints at the end of a two-hour practice. It is five months until the 2003 season begins and already the coaching staff is preparing the team.

The 2002 season was a disappointment. Coming off two consecutive America East championships and two NCAA tournament appearances, the team finished with a 7-10-2 record. The Terriers find themselves in an unusual position. Rather than beginning preparation for the new season from a position of achievement, as they have over the past few years, the task is to begin to reestablish the psyche and character of a team that fully expected to compete to win its third consecutive conference crown and make its third appearance in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament.

From end-of-season assessments with her staff, coach Nancy Feldman identified what was important for the following season: to refocus on leadership principles that would re-create a successful team. If, as coach Lombardi said, leaders are made and not born, then how are they made?

“I thought of the situations that we had to play through this year,” says Feldman, “and I also thought of what I have learned as a coach and as a player that could apply. I think that these points are important to keep me grounded as a coach. I also thought that they might be helpful to other coaches, especially those who are in the process of developing their ideas and philosophies.”

Drawing on years of experience, first as a Division I player at the University of Massachusetts and then in a coaching career that spanned 15 years at the college level – as well as involvement with several national team programs – Feldman prepared the following list of leadership principles to reinforce for the coming season.

Be you
Coaches and team leaders need to be able to adapt the strengths of their personalities to their role on the field and in the locker room. There is no one coaching or leadership style that fits all. Coaches by nature are controlling, but they have a responsibility to provide both learning, and – dare we say – a fun environment for their players. Passion is endemic to any sport. Players often draw their will to succeed from their coach. It is the role of the coach to capture and retain that passion and encourage and develop it throughout the season.

Therefore, sincerity is the key. Although we can all look to role models to emulate, a leader’s own personality and style are the only ones that will work. Be yourself. If you are knowledgeable about the game and prepared for the season, your passion and commitment will translate to the team.

Have (and express) a philosophy and vision
Often, a coach will begin a season without a clearly defined set of objectives and goals for the team. It is not enough to just have a daily practice plan and a stance that communicates “we’ll just see how things go” as the season develops. A coach should have a season-long plan, realistic but aggressive. It is vital that the coach encourage a two-way dialogue with the team so that the team shares and has ownership of the objectives and goals for the coming season.

This stage can provide an opportunity to identify leaders within the team. While some may receive the formal title of captain, it takes more players than the captains to help promote a team vision. Senior members of the group must feel an integral responsibility for the success of the team and must be able to communicate that, particularly to the new members.

A coach should use and develop the leaders within the group and delegate responsibilities to a number of team members, enhancing the leadership pyramid, thus strengthening the power of the plan and the vision. Senior members of the group must feel an integral responsibility for the success of the team and must be able to communicate that, particularly to the new members.

A coach should use and develop the leaders within the group and delegate responsibilities to a number of team members, enhancing the leadership pyramid and thus strengthening the power of the plan and vision.

Establish a culture
The Montreal Canadians of the National Hockey League are one of the most tradition-rich teams in all of sport. Established in 1918, the Canadians management has on display a collection of photos of former players in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Under the photos are these words in French and English: “To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high!”

Every organization and every team, professional or amateur, needs to instill standards and values in their team culture. Most often a culture is reflected in the behavior and actions of the leaders. But that example must be based upon the standards set by the coach. Consistency in action and behavior is critical to this being a successful component of a team. Standards cannot be set for the team, then bent for individuals. The core team leaders must buy into the standards and make clear to their peers what is valued. Coaches must nurture and support this core group, because those players will be the role models for behaviors and actions of the team.

Provide evidence that the culture established is expected to be in place not just on the field, but in every aspect of the team members’ actions.

Build a foundation
A culture, a philosophy, is not established overnight. A coach must lay a foundation that incorporates both enthusiasm and passion for team success, as well as standards of action and behavior. How best to do that?

Develop a set of formal traditions and expectations that the team members can count on. In addition, a strong foundation can best be established by making every individual player accountable for how they go about their business, both off and on the field. Find creative methods to do this as a way of involving the team and coaches so all members of the team organization take pride in their affiliation.

Keep things on track
No season proceeds exactly as planned. Inevitably, even in the most successful seasons, difficulties arise, injuries happen and not everything can be controlled. Always be prepared to implement alternative action plans.

To gain the proper perspective, be sensitive to your players and others involved with the team. Listen. Don’t always be the one to carry the message. Be open to your staff, as well as to team members, and hear their feedback and concerns. Be prepared to motivate your team, particularly when things are moving off track. Surprise them. Seasons are long, and training – as well as emotion – often gets stale. Have some fun.

Inspire
What is it that drew you to the sport in the first place? What is the passion and fire that keeps you motivated? Can you identify those traits and apply them within your personality? It’s important that each coach be able to inspire and motivate players to do their best.

No one can be expected to emulate the personality style of another coach. What each coach has to work with is his or her own personality and charisma. Be comfortable in the role that you adopt, but continue to improve on your teaching and motivational techniques. Inspiration comes from showing that you believe in and are about your players. Make players feel a part of the process, not just dutiful soldiers.

Reexamine
As the season begins, every coach has a set of expectations. Coaches are not seers. Nothing ever goes precisely as planned throughout a season. What happens when a team just cannot put the ball in the net? How does a coach hold together a team that is not reaching expectations? When or how does a coach begin to question whether the principles implemented so positively in September begin to fall apart in November?

A coach has to monitor each member of the team, not to mention the peripheral influences that intrude on a fragile team’s psyche. It is no longer enough to confine a relationship with players to soccer, ignoring everything else. Players can be influenced by anything from cataclysmic world events to pressures from school, family and friends. Keep checking the pulse of the group and how your athletes are being affected by the many external variables.

Reflect, renovate and reapply
In our harried society we often move from one stage of life to another, with little time – or desire – to look back. A season ends and a coach moves on to other responsibilities, then picks up the thread of the next season. Reflection is not a skill taught in school, but it is a trait that should be applied by a coach during the season. Coaches also should elicit opinions from players, assistants and those close to the organization to gain a broader perspective on the actions of the team and the season. “How can we improve?” should be the focus, not “What did we do wrong?”

Find ways to reenergize your team during and after the season. It’s easy for a coach to push the same buttons in practice and during a game, week in and week out. Gradually, players begin to tune out the message. It’s like seeing the same commercial on television many times. Eventually it’s just white noise. Nothing penetrates the players and turning up the volume only makes it worse.

Find fresh ways to restate goals, objectives and philosophies. Keep your team off balance by introducing new ideas, new situations. Be open to new developments in sport and life, not just in soccer. A coach who can draw on disparate sources often can cobble together a system or philosophy that stands out for its unique flavor and can make a significant and lasting impression on the players.

Wrapping it up
Often individuals who gravitate to coaching are former players who by mission – or by accident – end up coaching a team. It would be unusual for an athlete not to have been influenced by experiences with former coaches. Experience is a great teacher, if it is the right kind of experience. An understanding of the game is clearly a necessity when one chooses to go into coaching. Wins, at every level, tend to validate the skills of a coach. However, it takes more than just the W’s for a team to be successful.

As any experienced soccer participant knows, a coach can’t just roll out the ball and develop a team by running a few drills and setting up an offensive and defensive system of play. Intrusions from a plethora of situations influence the dynamic of any team situation. When a situation, a game or a season begins to unravel, it’s the coach who becomes the focal point and it is the coach who ultimately is responsible for maintaining team cohesion. Having the ability to lead in both good times and bad is a crucial skill. Preparation is critical; adaptability is instrumental.

Good leadership comes down to working hard to look beyond the playing field and locker room. Coaches should ask themselves before, during and after the season: “How can I be a better leader?” “What can I do today to influence my team to be better as a unit?” and “How can I influence each individual to perform to their best ability?”

It is a big responsibility, and not one that comes easily. Stephen Covey concludes an early edition of his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with the following words: “By centering our lives on correct principles and creating a balanced focus between doing and increasing our ability to do, we become empowered in the task of creating effective, useful and peaceful lives.”

Okay, so soccer coaching may not lead to a peaceful life, but applying sound leadership principles can help each coach to be more effective and ultimately create a more successful team environment.

Editor’s note: Nancy Feldman has been coach of the Boston University women’s soccer team since 1995. At the time this article was published in March 2004, she had led the Terriers to a 109-59-13 record, three America East Conference titles and as many NCAA Division I tournament appearances. A four-time conference Coach of the Year, she was a 2001 NSCAA/adidas Regional Coach of the Year. She holds a USSF "B" License and NSCAA Advanced Diploma. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and master’s from Smith College. Chris Cakebread is an assistant professor in the College of Communication at Boston University where he teaches advertising. Cakebread has an Ed.D. in human movement from the School of Education at BU. His area of research was on coaching methods, and he wrote his dissertation on the motivations of youth sport coaches.