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Result orientated football and emphasis on a passing game strips away ingenuity, whilst pressure from adults promotes the player to make the safe option. “None of that silly stuff”. How many times have you heard an adult shout that? There are very few coaches and adults that promote and prioritise ball mastery and tricks in […]
Read More… from Are British players being stifled of creative ingenuity
Ok, I’m not having a go, well I suppose I am kind of. Why is it when I send out a text, even a quite simple text I never seem to get replies and always end up chasing responses?? Last week things came to a head, I was contacted by another coach last monday from […]
Read More… from Why can’t you reply to my texts??? A coaches frustration.
Like many other coaches at grassroots junior football I was looking forward to the end of the season in May, a chance to put my feet up for a couple of months, spend some time with the rest of my family i.e. not just the one that I happen to coach and generally recharge my […]
Read More… from Its the end of the season, why am I busier now than ever?
Standing in work and all I can think of is, what can I arrange for the kids? how can I help them? what sessions can I do? … gets to my lunch break and I still have a million ideas running through my head. . Biting into my sarnie with phone in other hand searching […]
Gavin Step, FA talent technical coach, outlines the dangers of copycat coaching and offers examples of how to tailor coaching sessions to individual players. Never before have football coaches had access to as many ‘off the shelf’ coaching sessions. Through social media and the internet a huge volume of ideas exist to inform practice design. The […]
Read More… from The Dangers of Copycat Coaching by FA talent technical coach Gavin Step
FA Regional PE Coordinators, Chris Welburn and Chris Brammall, outline 10 top tips to help you reflect on your coaching. 1) Why reflect? Effective reflection allows you to examine and explore your experience of being a coach and all that it entails. This can help lead to a new understanding and appreciation of your role […]
Read More… from 10 Top tips to reflect on your Coaching by FA Regional PE Coordinator
The idea of delivering the ‘perfect’ coaching session can prove restrictive for coaches who want to learn and get better, explains FA Coach Mentor, Graeme Carrick. Asking players to step out of their comfort zone, try new things and experiment, are common coaching requests. However, how many coaches can honestly say they are willing to […]
Managing player behaviour Understanding what young players want from their grassroots football experience can help prevent poor behaviour, writes FA county coach developer, Mike Antrobus. Poor player behaviour at training or matchday is often caused by boredom, the desire for attention, or the practice activity being pitched too hard or easy. […]
Read More… from DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PLAYERS WANT FROM TRAINING?
This season has been my first proper season of coaching my own team and I can say it’s honestly been fantastic. I’ve loved every moment, and I’m sure the players and parents have done also. I’ve been ever so excited looking forward to next season, making all sorts of plans. However, life doesn’t always go […]
Read More… from From a dream of a season, one training session has left me absolutely heartbroken.
There’s no doubt that football academies are harsh environments. The FA’s official website even describes the process of getting released by one as ‘heart-breaking’, which, considering they’re trying to increase participation levels, is hardly encouraging… It’s entirely truthful though and not particularly surprising; when the stakes are so high, the consequences of being rejected become […]
