Welcome to Laying the Foundation, your go-to source for all things football coaching in the foundation phase. Each month, we'll explore some of the hottest topics in the game and age-old challenges faced by coaches at all levels. We'll provide practice ideas and videos of practices we've conducted, sharing what we've learned and how we would improve them in the future.

We're also interested in hearing from you. What challenges are you currently facing? What aspects of coaching do you need support with to take your coaching and players to the next level? Please don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll answer your questions in future newsletters. This newsletter is for you, and we welcome your input as we move forward.

TRAINING TIPS

SPOTLIGHT COACHING

In this edition, we look at how coaches can support the individual player within a group session, also known as spotlight coaching.

As coaches, we must always remember to recognise the importance of tailoring our coaching methods to meet the individual needs of players. One such approach that has gained prominence is spotlight coaching, which emphasises the development of an individual player within a group setting while simultaneously nurturing the team's collective growth. This approach not only acknowledges the uniqueness of each player but also creates a more dynamic and holistic learning environment.

Spotlight coaching is a method that involves crafting a player's development plan or journey alongside the team's development. This approach recognises that individual growth ultimately benefits the entire team. Here are some reasons why it's such a powerful tool in youth soccer coaching:

1. Personalised Development: Every player has unique strengths and areas for development. Spotlight coaching allows coaches to identify these individual needs and create tailored interventions, ensuring that each player's skills and abilities are enhanced effectively.

2. Nurturing Confidence: When players feel their personal development is a priority, it boosts their confidence. As a result, they are more likely to take initiative and be proactive during games, helping the team succeed.

3. Stretching Comfort Zones: Coaches can push players out of their comfort zones by placing them in situations where they need to adapt and develop new skills. This challenge fosters personal growth and helps players become more versatile assets to the team.

4. Promoting Accountability: Through spotlight coaching, players become more accountable for their progress. They are encouraged to set goals, track their development, and take ownership of their improvement.

5. Team Success: While spotlight coaching focuses on individual players, it ultimately serves the team's success. Players with improved skills, adaptability, and confidence contribute positively to the collective effort.

6. Lifelong Learning: Spotlight coaching instils the idea of continuous improvement and learning, which players can carry with them throughout their football journey and beyond.

Spotlight coaching in foundation phase coaching is a game-changer. It recognises the unique needs of individual players, promotes personal development within the team, and prepares players for success both on and off the pitch. Coaches who embrace this approach find themselves nurturing well-rounded athletes, building strong rapport with their players and supporting the development of essential life skills. With spotlight coaching, training sessions and matches go beyond simply the result or team performances, but focuses on each individual’s developmental journey, as no player’s journey is the same.

THE ELEPHANT IN THE CHANGING ROOM

CONSOLE COACHING

Each week, we will discuss a contentious issue within the world of foundation phase coaching, offering perspective on both sides of the argument and ways to navigate the minefield that can be youth football. This week, we look at how coaches can treat their players like they’re playing a video game.

In the world of grassroots football coaching, some coaches adopt a paradoxical approach, treating their role as if it were a video game where they have full control over every player's decision. While it's natural for coaches to desire success, this controlling approach can be detrimental to players' development and hinder their ability to make independent decisions on the pitch.

These coaches often dictate players' every move, like a puppeteer pulling strings, with little room for players to exercise their judgment. Much like a video game character under the player's complete control, the outcome is predetermined, and players are left with little room for creativity and decision-making. While this approach may yield short-term success, it stunts the long-term growth of young footballers in several ways.

Firstly, players are denied the opportunity to develop their decision-making skills, a critical aspect of football and life in general. Football is a dynamic sport that requires split-second judgments on the pitch. By taking away these opportunities for independent thinking, coaches inhibit the growth of football IQ in their players.

Furthermore, players who are conditioned to follow instructions blindly are often ill-prepared to adapt to unpredictable situations on the pitch. Football, like life, is filled with unexpected challenges, and players need the ability to think for themselves to succeed.

A more significant irony lies in the fact that coaches who treat coaching like a video game, controlling every aspect of play, are often the same ones who criticise their players for lacking decision-making abilities. This criticism is a direct result of the stifling environment created by such coaching methods. As coaches, we must in the first instance look at ourselves and ask “Are we doing the best thing by our players, or are we allowing ego to dominate and cloud our judgement?” If not, can we be self-aware enough to recognise that we are making the game about us, and not about those who we give our time up for? Reframing this can have a profound impact on our decisions and actions on the sidelines on matchday.

To foster genuine player development, grassroots football coaches must strike a balance. Encouraging players to think, make choices, and learn from their mistakes is key to their growth. Coaches should become facilitators, guiding players rather than dictating every move. Yes, this may impact results in the short, possibly even medium term, however, over the long term, players will develop confidence and belief in their judgement. They will no longer look straight to the side when unsure as they will have built the resilience to try and solve it themselves, standing them in good stead for the challenges that life, not just football, will undoubtedly throw at them. By allowing players to make their own decisions, even if they lead to failure, coaches can nurture players who possess both technical skills and the ability to think and react independently.

In conclusion, the video game-like approach seen in some grassroots coaching, characterised by excessive control over players' decisions, hampers player development. As challenging as it undoubtedly is, embracing a more balanced, player-centric approach will pave the way for well-rounded, independent young players capable of thriving in the dynamic world of the sport.

PRACTICE OF THE MONTH

This month’s edition features a practice that focuses on counter-attacking in the style of a rep circuit. This practice is an amazing introduction to counter-attacking and can easily be broken down into bite-sized information for your players.

Below is the practice layout, an explanation of the rules of the game, tips for coaches to use to make the practice as engaging as possible for players, the STEP principle to change elements of the practice to gain different returns, challenges to either support or stretch your players and finally, questions you can ask as a coach to ensure that the players get the most learning as possible from the practice to support their development.

GAME DAY GOLD

USE OF A TACTICS BOARD

One tool that has become indispensable for coaches on their coaching journey is the tactics board. The tactics board serves as a visual aid that offers a plethora of benefits in enhancing players' understanding, developing tactical knowledge, and fostering problem-solving skills.

First and foremost, the tactics board provides a visual representation of game plans and strategies, making it easier for young players to grasp complex ideas. In the world of youth football, where players are still developing their cognitive abilities, visual aids are paramount. Coaches can illustrate formations, positioning, and movement patterns more effectively, allowing players to visualise their roles within the team. This aids in creating a deeper understanding of the game, which is crucial for players' development.

Furthermore, the tactics board serves as a valuable tool for developing players' tactical understanding. By breaking down various aspects of the game – such as attacking and defending strategies and transition play – coaches can impart essential knowledge to their players. This knowledge, when conveyed visually, tends to be more accessible and memorable for players, therefore aiding in their tactical development.

Additionally, the tactics board plays a pivotal role in nurturing players' tactical problem-solving skills. Football is a dynamic sport where players must make split-second decisions in response to changing situations. By presenting players with tactical dilemmas on the board and encouraging them to find solutions, coaches promote critical thinking. This practice helps players adapt to in-game scenarios, fostering their ability to assess, analyse, and react appropriately during matches.

When used effectively, the tactics board is an invaluable asset in youth football coaching. Its ability to visually convey ideas, develop tactical understanding, and enhance problem-solving skills makes it an essential tool for nurturing the next generation of footballers. With a better understanding of the game and improved tactical clarity, these young players will be better equipped to face the challenges of modern football and grow into successful, tactically aware footballers.

CREATING CULTURE

INCORPORATING VALUES

As foundation phase coaches we play a pivotal role in shaping not only the skills of young players but also their character. The most successful coaches understand that football is more than just a game; it's an opportunity to instil values that can guide players on and off the pitch. Values like honesty, integrity, resilience, confidence and determination are crucial to a player's development, and the best coaches are masters at weaving these values into their work.

One of the key ways in which successful coaches develop these values is by framing their training sessions and match situations to remind their players to focus on these values. For example, being 3-0 down after the first period of a game presents an opportunity for players to develop resilience. Coaches emphasise that the game is not lost but rather a chance to fight back, teaching players not to give up when the going gets tough.

A "golden thread" of values underpins a strong team philosophy, helping to create a sense of unity and purpose among players. Honesty, for instance, is fundamental, encouraging players to take responsibility for their actions on and off the field. When players know that their coach values honesty, they are more likely to admit their mistakes, learn from them and grow as individuals. Furthermore, coaches must remain aware of when their players demonstrate these values and reinforce these behaviours with praise, a challenge for coaches to stay more detached from the result of a game and focus as much on their players’ choices as the result.

Coaches who are successful at underpinning their work with values stress the importance of playing with integrity and show that winning at any cost is not the ultimate goal. This not only helps create better sportsmen but also sets the foundation for stronger moral character, something that will be of benefit in all areas of life.

Coaches encourage players to believe in themselves and their abilities, reinforcing the notion that hard work and dedication lead to success. Linking this to our earlier piece on spotlight coaching, by setting challenging but achievable goals, coaches help players build self-confidence in their skills and foster determination to reach their full potential.

In the end, the values instilled by good youth football coaches set children up for success in life as well as on the football pitch. These values become a part of their character, helping them navigate challenges and make sound decisions throughout their lives. While the scoreboard may display wins and losses, the true measure of success for these coaches lies in the values they impart to their players, moulding them into better players and, more importantly, better people.

COACHES POLL

We want your views on what future Elephant in the Changing Room topics we dissect. If there are any topics you would like us to discuss, please contact us via our email: [email protected]

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Thank you for subscribing and taking the time to read through edition #2 of Laying the Foundation.