Tips

Planning sessions is a key part of any coaches repertoire.  Knowing what you want to achieve by the end of a session will help your players on the path to achieving success.  A session plan will see you put the building blocks in place to help them progress. Over the years, the way that I […]

2019 is in the books.  During my end of year debrief I looked over how my coaching has changed.  The biggest differences have been when it comes to gamedays, especially with my grassroots teams.  Even after 15 years of doing this, I’m pleased to say that I’m still willing to adapt to the needs of

“In Futsal you need to think quick and play quick so its easier for you when you move to normal football.” – Pele The idea of Futsal being ideal development tool has been around for the past 15 years or so.  Ronaldinho was seen as the ideal proponent of the game due to his mesmerising

“I do extra training every day.  I’ve done that since I was a young boy.” – Wayne Rooney One of my favourite moments as a coach is when player see a situation in a game that has been worked on in practice and provide the solution to make it successful.  It’s a wonderful thing when

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think” – Margeret Mead Many a youth Football team has a player who gets easily distracted.  Just yesterday I had to say the same players’ name at least 10 times as she was looking elsewhere/lying on the floor/speaking to her mate…it’s not an isolated situation

“We can’t improve what we don’t asssess” – Michael Hyatt Self awareness is a skill that few people actively work to develop.  As foundation age coaches, it is a skill that we must possess in order to get the best out of the players we work with, the session we deliver and our own performance. 

“I don’t have time for hobbies. At the end of the day, I treat Football as a hobby. It’s something I love doing” – David Beckham Practice should be enjoyable.  One of our roles of coaching foundation age players is to make sure that players leave our sessions already looking forward to the next one. 

To look at the skills you must develop at U8, click here Receiving on the Back Foot/Half Turn By U10, players are becoming more naturally inclined to pass the ball as opposed to going alone.  This is down to both the social and cognitive natures of the age group.  Children also have increased foot-eye coordination

“The best decisions aren’t made with your mind, but with your instinct.  The more familiar with a situation you become, the quicker, the better your decision will be” – Lionel Messi Skill development takes a long time before it comes ‘instinct’.  As coaches, one of our roles is to ensure that players are learning the

“Sport is something that is very inspirational for young people.” – Pelé I recently saw a post on social media where a coach was asking for help in getting 2 of his U11 players to pass the ball.  Some of the ‘advice’ given was horrendous. “Everytime they don’t pass, put them on the bench, they’ll

“It’s not just about training players, it’s about educating players.” – Brendan Rodgers Most coaches can plan and deliver a session.  The level will be variable, but drawing up a training plan is achievable for most.  Educating our players on the other hand, is far more challenging.  I’m comfortable admitting that I have made a