Tips

Grassroots coaches are heroes. YOU are a hero. Planning sessions, communicating with parents, taking time to complete courses and CPD, washing uniform and taking time out of your weekends to allow children to play the greatest game in the world is an act of extreme selflessness. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. In England […]

Parents want to be a part of their child’s development in ALL walks of life. You only have to see the excitement when a child takes their first step or says their first word. Photo albums upon photo albums of children doing the most random things are commonplace. It’s easy to empathise with parents wanting

When teams progress to 9 v 9 and 11 v 11, it is an exciting time for coaches, players and parents alike. Players especially are chomping at the bit to emulate the version of soccer that their idols in the pro game play. For coaches, the chance to test themselves with 22 players on the

Coaching team shape to 7 v 7 teams is a debate that will never go away. For some, it is an aberration to even consider it. While I understand the mindset behind this, a trip to one of the most prestigious Academies in the world means I beg to differ. Done in moderation, shape training

Any youth soccer coach will tell you that if there was a guaranteed way to get at least 1% more out of their players in every session, they would use it. After all, regardless of our motivations, we all want our players to improve. A lot us look for new drills and or/games, and while

“How do I improve the communication in my players?” “I can’t shut my players up away from the pitch, yet they say nothing when they start playing.  How do I make them do it?” “What tips have you got to get my players talking more?” It’s a safe assumption to make that most coaches have

New year, new you.  At least that’s what resolutions suggest… The reality is new year, evolved you.  This is especially true when it comes to coaching. Think back to first session you ran and compare that to now.  I’m willing to say there’s a huge difference.  I know there is in my own experience. We

“A lot of the time I see kids that don’t enjoy being out there and that’s a shame” – Tiger Woods Imagine being out on a football pitch. You’re up against people you’ve never seen before. There’s lot of shouting coming from the 50+ crowd who are there watching you.  You don’t know what they’re

For may of us, pre-season has already began.  I remember my first pre-season as a young player – plenty of running and bodyweight exercises without a ball in sight. Ugh.  Well, being built for long distance, I didn’t mind the running.  Still, nothing compared to having a ball at my feet. Thankfully, coach education has

“I always put the emphasis on learning. When a player with talent couldn’t defend, I put him in defence so he could learn, but that could cost a point. I didn’t care, I was busy developing the player.” – Johan Cryuff A young coach recently told me that he was going to work on passing

“Before kids can play like a pro, they must enjoy playing the game like a kid.” – Steve Locker Grassroots Football is scheduled to return in the UK and the first order of business for the teams that I coach will be 3 weeks of Small Sided Games. Children have had enough going on for

“Watch the best players in the world, the ones you love to see play, and you will see how well they turn. The best players all have this quality of turning better than the players who are just a level below them.” – Andre Merelle, Former Head of Clairfontaine The best players in the world