A NOTE ON COACH EDUCATION FROM CHIEF TECHNICAL DIRECTOR ZAC CRAWFORDSince my arrival from U.S. Soccer in January, I have been serving as the Chief Technical Director charged with developing both our technical belief system that will help us create better player-centered environments as well as the educational system to help spread those beliefs across the entire club ecosystem of roughly 12,000 players and 2,000 coaches.After several months of collecting data through observing, discussing, assessing, and hosting staff workshops, we have begun the steps of co-creating key aspects of our technical identity with various staff across different club programs. I now have a better understanding of our players’ and coaches’ needs and we have formulated a plan for some exciting coach development opportunities this summer. I am thrilled to apply the skills and thought systems I’ve developed throughout my time at U.S. Soccer and as the Alabama state technical director to help achieve our club’s purpose of the “Heart Behind the Crest” and our niche to “Develop Remarkable Coaches.”I love to learn and help others learn. I am an educator and have been for over 20 years, with my main experiences coming in soccer coach education for players from 3 years old to national team players. I have also taught high school and college students at various points in my career, and I have also been a snowboard instructor and a yoga teacher. I believe that teaching is learning twice! It’s my desire to create environments and provide support to help others maximize their own potential so they can be the best for their players. Just as players go to practice to learn, coaches must also seek development opportunities. In learning and development, self-regulation can be described as the extent to which individuals are proactive participants in their learning process by determining goals and taking action to move toward them. This includes regulating both thoughts and emotions during the self-regulated learning process: to self-assess, create goals and a plan, implement the plan, self-monitor it, and then reflect and assess the implementation of the plan. Reflecting on one’s learning process is a critical ability in practicing self-regulation. With time and effort, one can use a cyclical process to plan a task, monitor performance, and reflect on the outcome to create more autonomous learning. Consistent practice of reflective skills will lead to consistent learning.This summer we will offer opportunities for coaches to have experiences they can reflect on to turn into learning. We believe in the power of a shared learning experience. We are in this together, and it truly takes a village to raise our children! I hope that you will be able to join us for the different offerings that we have prepared for you this summer, including both in-house workshops featuring Colorado Rapids First Team coaching staff as well as formal licensing through U.S. Soccer. Registration will be limited for some events, but we hope to provide several opportunities this summer that will meet the needs of the coaches who serve players all across our club. These summer offerings are just the beginning as we look to host more in-region workshops and courses later in the fall and winter.
