Lay the foundation for a love of soccer

Connor McGinn is a 21-year-old coach based in the UK, FA Level 2 qualified and a third-year student in a football coaching degree programme.

He has spent time coaching at grassroots level, in development centres and at academies. Most of his coaching experiences have been with children from under-6 to under-10, and through that he has found a passion for coaching in the foundation phase (ages 5-11).

SCW caught up with Connor to talk about how we create the right environment at the foundation phase, the technical skills we should be coaching, how we can help our players shape their sessions, and what to bear in mind on matchdays when it comes to selecting a formation…

SCW: What is it about the foundation phase that appeals to you so much? What is it you think is so important about the phase?

CM: “The key is the word ’foundation’. You are laying the foundations for these children’s journeys so I think you need to ensure they are learning the key skills

"It’s [also a] love of the game. Certain coaches will coach kids at this age like they’re not kids, forgetting that they’re seven- and eight-year-olds, and their love of the game is shot for the rest of their lives.

"Ensuring they just keep loving football is so important at that age. It’s that love of football and that desire to learn that I love at this age, there’s no pleasure like it.”

SCW: How can we create an environment that is right for kids at that stage, and that fosters that love of the game?

CM: "I think it’s important to always remember they’re that age. Even within academy setups, remember these are seven and eight-year-olds. Their operating capacity is that of a seven or eight-year-old.

“It’s important to adjust your language and your coaching. If you’re trying to get across key technical detail, you need to do it in a way they will understand.

"I’ve seen coaches who will just shout ’movement’ and ’press’ at six-year-olds, who’ve never heard these terms before.

"You introduce press as ’chase’ or ’hunt’. Those are words children understand. It’s the same with ’space’ and ’movement’ - those terms need to almost be explained.

"That love of football, that desire to learn at that age, there’s no pleasure like it..."

‘Euphemism is big. For instance, when I’ve coached shielding and using your body, I’ve coached it to them as if they’re actually using a shield, like a knight. That’s something they can put in their heads and they love that.

"I think it’s so important to remember they’re children, and then think, ’okay, what did I understand as a child?’. If you’ve got kids yourself, what do they respond to?

"Always remember they’re children first, even before they’re footballers. You need to operate on that level."

SCW: What are the key things in this phase from a technical point of view?

CM: "I think it’s always important to have some kind of programme or thought in mind. 

"It doesn’t have to be a very fancy periodised programme or syllabus, but having in mind six or seven key things you think children at this age need to learn in order to progress to the next phase. 

“With my lads, it’s scanning, defending - which would include pressing - dribbling, passing, finishing, and receiving.

"Having those key elements stops a concept called firefighting. This is where you have a match, [and] the kids will do poorly in one area - let’s say their passing is poor. 

"In the next training session, you’ll work on passing, and then their passing will be good but they’ll lack something else, then you go on to that. You’re just fighting what’s in front of you, and forgetting anything long term.

"Have a key plan that you stick to. It doesn’t have to be formal, it can even be notes on your phone where you say, ’I’ve got these six key areas, I’ll do them in two three week blocks’.

"So you do two three-week blocks on passing, on dribbling, on receiving - it helps keep it in a continuous way of development, so you’re not just fighting against how kids react on matchdays, you’re continuing their proper development.”