Question 1

What do you want every player you work with to feel when they leave your session?

Accepted Answer

I want them to feel inspired, excited and motivated to do more, to explore more and to grow more. I want them to feel like they really can dream as big as they want in terms of what kind of player and person they want to become. More than anything, I want them to feel that their experience is full of fun and enjoyment in the moment that is now.

Question 2

What’s one concept or habit you teach that most youth players overlook, but it makes a huge difference?

Accepted Answer

Presence! Athletes need to be able to get out of their head and into the present moment in order to be able to access the best of their abilities. Too often players are stuck in their head thinking about making sure they don’t make a mistake, what coaches or other players may think etc instead of just doing it for the sake of doing it, to express themself and to help the team win. Repetition based training with a focus on kinetics and body mechanics i.e how things feel in the moment gives a player something to focus on that keeps them out of the mental space that can impede them, and the more a player has built up feel and muscle memory from repetition, the more they can just let go and drop in when it’s time to actually perform.

Question 3

Favorite soccer player growing up? Favorite now?

Accepted Answer

Zinedine Zidane when I was growing up. Favorite now, Lionel Messi

Question 4

What kind of player thrives most under your coaching style?

Accepted Answer

Players who are driven, ambitious and curious. Players who are willing to put themselves out there and really go for it, make mistakes in order to learn and develop. Players who have the courage to give themselves permission to step into who they want to be.

Question 5

When you were younger, who was a coach or mentor that impacted your life, and how do you try to pay that forward today?

Accepted Answer

Jim Davidson, head coach of Broomfield High School for the past 30 or so years (just retired) and Erik Bushey, former Rush Academy coach and current Rapids 2 head coach. Both coached with such passion and depth that it made us players feel like what they were doing was important, that it mattered and that elicited passion in ourselves, which I believe has to be our driving force and is why I coach with the same passion every time I step out there, for the players and for myself.

Question 6

What do you believe separates a good player from a great one, beyond skill?

Accepted Answer

Passion and presence. A player that really cares about what he or she is doing and is taking things moment by moment with a sense of trust and let-go can do great things.

Question 7

Describe your training environment in a few words.

Accepted Answer

Focused, detailed, intentional

Question 8

What do you think most coaches overlook when it comes to player development in youth sports?

Accepted Answer

The small, subtle details that make more and more of a difference the higher the level gets. This can apply to technique, mentality, etc. Or remembering that players need to have a sense of freedom when they step out there.

Question 9

Favorite coaching phrase or catchphrase you probably say too often?

Accepted Answer

“Bravo!” or “Good effort!”

Question 10

If your coaching personality were a movie character, who would it be?

Accepted Answer

Jim Carey in one of his serious roles

Question 11

What does it mean to you to be Farm Certified?

Accepted Answer

I wear it as a badge of honor because of what the Farm FC stands for, its ethos and the core values that it;’s built upon. I have a great deal of respect and reverence for the Farm and what they’re trying to accomplish in the local soccer community, and to be trusted to help contribute and push it forward makes me feel like I am an extension of what they are trying to do, and that means a lot to me.

Question 12

Quick Facts about Cole:

Accepted Answer

Playing Career: Colorado Rush, Broomfield High School, University of Denver
Coaching Career: Colorado Rapids, Colorado Rush, Metro State University
Awards: State Champion, NSCAA All-American, Gatorade Player of the Year, All-Summit League

COLE CHAPLESKI Q&A