Comparison Analysis Of Training Activities And Coaching Behaviors Between U10-U12 Youth Football Coaches

Youth football training and coach education have become two major issues to revitalize the Chinese football.Youth coaches have vital influences on youth players’ development.In order to figure out the differences and gaps between coaches from China and Spain,explore the motivations and reasons,and provide references for Chinese youth football coaches,this study has chosen each three youth coaches from Rayo Vallecano and the Elementary School affiliated to Renmin University of China to record and make comparisons on their coaching behaviors and training activities by systematic observations.Afterwards all the 6 coaches and 16 selected players participated in a semi-structured interview.Systematic observations revealed significant differences in part of coaching behaviors between youth coaches in Rayo Vallecano and the Elementary School affiliated to Renmin University of China.The most obvious difference is that youth coaches from the Elementary School affiliated to Renmin University of China have more negative factors in training sessions,such as “negative feedback”,“punishment”and “scold”.Youth coaches from Rayo Vallecano have more positive factors in training sessions,such as “positive feedback” and almost no negative factors.And youth coaches from the Elementary School affiliated to Renmin University of China use more “training form” instead of “playing form” in their training sessions.In contrast,youth coaches from Rayo Vallecano use more “playing form".The "other"state in domestic youth coaches’ training sessions is an unconsidered part.Youth coaches from the Elementary School affiliated to Renmin University of China have weaker emotional management skills and lower self-awareness,and they are greatly affected by culture and traditional teaching practices.The motivation of domestic coaches is to provide a better environment for youth players to develop,but the behaviors and methods sometimes are not consistent with their motivations and other previous researches related to coaching behaviors.The study also found that the current domestic coach education needs to be further promoted and improved,and the number of youth coaches and the level of coaching cannot meet the current rapid development of youth training.Therefore,this study suggests that domestic youth coaches should strive to create a positive training environment,add more positive factors,and reduce negative factors;adjust the training mode,increase the "play form" practice activities,and enrich the practice methods in the "play form";cultivate players’ ability to make independent decisions,dare to use hands-off approach,more silent attention,less remote control instructions;strengthen critical thinking;strengthen self-control and emotional management capabilities;better combine coach education with sports science research.