Hi coaches,
In the first blog I asked you to think clearly about what coaching in the Foundation Phase means for both the players (who are in a magical period of development) and for you as the coach who is tasked with maximising the development during this important phase.
I cannot stress enough the important role you can play in shaping what the young people who come to your sessions and play in your teams might turn out to become, both as young people and of course, young footballers.
I know that most of you will be desperate to get into session design, games and other activities because that is most people’s perception of a coach. Ideas for these things are part of our website so we hope you are trying them out but I urge you to do some thinking, reading and reflection of your own in preparation for the practical activities so that they will be truly engaging, age appropriate and most of all enjoyable.
So, what might you need to familiarise yourself with? The phrase;
“They are children NOT mini adults”
is used so often that you might wonder why some coaches still treat their training sessions and matches like games in the Premier League. Yet on pitches the length and breadth of the country we have coaches adopting this outdated approach. I have a certain sympathy if the coach is a parent who has taken on the role to prevent the team from folding and to provide their son or daughter with an opportunity to play in a team. However, if we are to make all of the time and effort we give to the team, productive, we cannot adopt an approach that would be better suited for adults.
From the very beginning try to become a coach that is comfortable using small-sided games to help the players improve. Small-sided games can be any numbers from 1v1 right through to larger numbers and any combination in between (2v1, 2v2 and 3v2 are great numbers to introduce as they can provide lots of opportunities to challenge players and to help deal with difference). This immediately meets the young players desire to play and be involved in a game. If you adopt this approach you will then need to sharpen your observation skills so that you can quickly build up a picture of each player’s capabilities so that the help and advice you offer is really going to help them improve.
Observing more and saying less is a great place to start but you will need to let the parents of your players know why you are taking this stance. If their idea of a coach is one that “directs all the traffic” and shouts instructions continually to the players then they may question you about this. This is where you will need to have your answer and where these blogs will help. Please share our website details with the parents so they become your allies in creating a great environment for the players.
Children come to football to play and to have fun. Playing games (games that are carefully planned and include certain challenges and constraints for the players) is a great way to let the players begin to make their own decisions and solve the problems that the games present. Using smaller number games increases ball contacts, types of movement and decision making – perfect for our young players. You have to know about and believe in this approach otherwise you will not be sending out clear and consistent messages to either the players or their parents.
If you are already using small number games and improving your observation skills as a result, then you have made a very positive start as a Foundation Phase coach. Next time, we will look at why PLAY is a very important thing for us all but particularly for young children. Pete
I believe very much in this, Although I do not always know how to do this in the most effective way (creating drills that are suitable and enjoyable for kids). I have meetings and I write my parents often to explain why I do not believe in telling kids what to do. many parents think that the coach that talks the most is the best coach and parents often feel that if there is not enough instruction then they want to instruct the players on their own from the sideline. But it is so common place where I coach, in Dallas, Texas, USA, that i hear coaches teach as if they are coaching mini professionals. I see 6 and 7 year olds, positioning themselves in only one area of the field in a 4v4. I once heard a comment like "We look like Machester City" with 6 and 7 year olds. And the worst thing is that parents believe this is good because they think their kids are one step closer to making it at the highest level by playing how pros play at 6-7 years old. In addition, in the US we go to 11v11 when players are 11 years old! It's ridiculous. I'm 34 and a semi-pro player and you have 11 year olds playing on the same field as me. How do people not see this as an issue? How can the supposedly most educated people in the US Youth Soccer system not change this? When I was 10 years old we played 11v11 and the best they've done in 20 years is delay it to when kids are at 11? Now we have coaches focused on tactics and formations and set-pieces and neglecting the time needed to spend on other things. So when I as a coach fight against these things and take a different path, I am questioned about my competence. But I am determined to do what is right and will not do wrong because other people do the wrong thing. USA has no proven method of developing top players. The only top US players spent much of their development in Europe practicing good behaviors. It's a mess here