As the weeks go by it is getting harder to accept there is no coaching or games to go to – but we all know that this is only going to get better if we all try not to go out – unless it’s an emergency.
The fitness gurus are telling us to get into the garden and do star jumps – but our brains also need feeding and being kept active because that is one very useful way of passing the time.
So this week I have focused on things to read and listen to that will get your football brain ticking over and add to your coaching knowledge ready for when the lockdown is lifted and sporting occasions are back on the agenda.
Listen to my podcast with Rick Meana about his coaching education programme that covers philosophy, methodology and how the youth players are educated with fun, a sense of belonging, development and the best way to discipline out of line players.
Also another interesting podcast features Steven Drinkell, a goalkeeper coach at the Westminister School in Atlanta, Georgia. I spoke with Steve to gain an insight into the secrets of coaching what is probably the most difficult position in the team.
The mental side of things comes into play at the moment as it can be easy to just give up when facing another day locked in the house. Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong people don’t do.
Learning is something I try to do as often as possible. One course I really enjoyed was how to get coaching points across without bombarding players with instructions. Coach using actions not words is a great way to keep player concentration throughout training sessions.
in Email newsletters, Small Sided Games
Over the next few weeks I hope to make it easy for you to plan your route back to full training with sessions that you can use within the constraints of the numbers you can use at training. MORE
in Email newsletters, Midfield, Shooting
With youth soccer tentatively heading back to the playing fields now is the time to think about how and where your goals are going to come from next season. MORE
in Attacking, Email newsletters
For a possession-based game players need to be competent with ball control and decision making. Poor first touch or taking the wrong decision to dribble or pass will result in losing the ball. MORE
in Email newsletters, Midfield
When you construct your team often the missing player is the midfielder orchestrator; the one player who pulls the strings, who has great vision, who works between the lines and who can unlock the most stubborn of defences. MORE
in Email newsletters, Set pieces, Tactics
Everyone is asking for individual skills that their players can work on in the back garden while we are all in this lockdown. One thing no one thinks about is trying to get them to perfect their throw ins so they can throw short or long. MORE
in Email newsletters, Shooting
During the pandemic break I've been watching a lot of replays of games, finals, tournaments and what is clear to me is that the scorers of important goals are not always strikers. The goals in these games come from all over the pitch – apart from the goalkeeper! MORE
