Send us a textIn this episode we discuss the different types of interventions, how they impact on a session and the difference between using them in training and matches. We also discuss the idea of `counter coaching` as well as the benefits of a 2-2 formation at 5 aside, England FA DNA and collaborative training games.

Send us a textIn this episode we chat with the super knowledgeable and wonderfully accommodating Kieran Smith about his time in Spain and his passion for Spanish football. We discuss how this influenced his coaching methodology and take a closer look as how to use `rondos` and the importance of `Positional Play`. Kieran also explains how he uses `layering`, the difference between difficulty and complexity and the importance of having an `end goal` as a coach. I hope you enjoy the episode and thanks so much to Kieran for giving us his time!!

Send us a textIn this episode we discuss a question sent in from Santi (who is coaching in the Philippines) around the difference between ball rolling time (BRT) and Active Learning Time (ALT). We then discuss the idea of Collaborative Training Matches (CTM`s) as a tool for supporting training and providing a bridge between training and matches.

Send us a textSo why is it not about `winning v’s development`….?Football (soccer) is a sport.And sport is by definition: “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”Compete: “strive to win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others.”This means that `wining` (and losing) are intrinsically built into sport and therefore are built in to football (soccer)…you can’t remove it or chose whether or not to have it! It’s not and it can’t be NON-COMPETITIVE! It’s a sport! It can be child/player centred competition!If we can accept that ‘wining` is part of the game, then we can stop the debate on if `wining` (especially at the foundation and developmental phase) is a good or bad thing. It’s neither, its simply part of the sport, just like the ball or the goals! So if it’s not a question of winning v’s development, what is the real question...All sports need a way to measure the success of the game, so in turn will conclude with a `Result`. Therefore the real question for us to ask ourselves is `how important is the `result` over player/team development`. This is because, often making choices that better enhance our chances of improving the result of the game will impact on developmental (and learning) opportunities of the players. This is because the two can often be mutually exclusive. `Result v Development`This means there are essentially two approaches we could choose to adopt when coaching players. One is `Results focused` or `Short-term’ and the other is `Development focused` or `Long-term’.  What’s the difference between the two approaches; RESULTS FOCUSED (short term)·         The result of the match is the priority·         Training is focused on how to achieve the best result·         Players only/often play in their `strongest` position and are played to their strengths·         The team plays rigid formations with limited decision making·         The coach gives the players lots of instructions during the game – Don’t, Do, Must, Never, Always·         Players are not encouraged to try things and mistakes are criticised·         Coach leads all team talks and tells the players what they must and must not do·         The Result is the measure of success·         Players are selected first on their physical strengths·         Players are told what they must do and how to do it  DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED (long term)·         The players learning is the priority·         Matches are there to support the training·         Players rotate and play all positions (when the game allows)·         The team plays formations that challenge the players to make more decisions·         The coach provides guidance and asks the players questions at appropriate times during the game·         Creativity and independent decision making is encouraged even if mistakes are made·         Coach encourages the players to lead team talks and share ideas about how they are playing and possible changes·         The players progress (individually and collectively) is the measure of success·         Playe

Send us a textEpisode 3 – What is the `coaching environment`… and how important is it?·         What do we mean by the environment? -          Not the weather or physical conditions.-          It is the combination of Culture, Philosophy, Values, Expectations and Habits.-          Its the intangibles (and tangibles) that impact on the practical and physical aspects of the session.·         Is it important to consider these elements and if so why?-          YES!!! – The environment is the engine that drives behaviour and behaviour drives development/performance and in turn development/performance drives outcomes!Understanding your environment allows you to…-          Clear idea of what the team/club is about.-          Clear idea of what the ambitions of the team/club are.-          Clear idea of how the team/club will try and meet these ambitions.-          Provides a clear message to players, parents, coaches and everyone involved or impacted (including the opposition).-          Help provide consistency.-          Help to maximise the effectiveness of the sessions. The more you get the environment right the more you amplify the positives in the session. ·         What makes up the environment?-          It is a combination of Culture, Philosophy, Values (expectations) and habits.·         What does each element actually mean and how does it impact on coaching?-          Culture – This is the ideas, beliefs, behaviours, attitudes and actions that combined together provide a tangible illustration of the group! – What does your culture look like? How would someone outside your team/club describe your culture? Is your culture giving you the best opportunity to be successful?For us….Player centred, long term development, focusing on the player and the person and working equally on the character of the person as well as the technical and physical abilities of the player. Its outlined by our philosophy as a club and a team and is underpinned by our values in the hope we create the best habits.-          Philosophy – This is the defined belief or attitude that SHOULD act as the guiding principle for the behaviour. Essentially its about setting your stall out as to what your overarching approach to what your trying to achieve will be. It should marry-up with your culture and be underpinned by your values. For us…Serious Fun - play with purpose, non-instructional and more to facilitate and questionMaximum touches of the ballRotationDecision Making/Problem solvingDominate 1v1 (with and without the ball)-          Values (expectations) – These are the things that you feel are the most important principles or standards of behaviour. More specific than the philosophy. These will underpin and support your philosophy and do the most to drive behaviour and good habits.-          Habits – These are routine behaviours that are regularly repeated and tend to occur subconsciously. They can be heavily affected by routine and environment.`We are what you repeatedly do` - AristotleFor us…Its about trying to create an environment where the culture, philosophy and values provide the best possible opportunity to create positive habits.Environment (culture, philosophy, values)      &

Send us a textIn our last episode we spoke about the key ingredients that can make for a fun and effective coaching session. We came up with 10 elements that we felt should be considered and tried to explain why we believed they were important. If you haven’t already done so please do listen to episode one and let us know what you think.As equally important as what goes into the training, is what goes into the match days. So for this episode Mark and I are delighted to have the super talented and experienced Mr Chris Fraser joining us to share his thoughts on this key topic! Chris has been preparing players and teams for match days for over 10 years and we know he feels passionately about the rights and wrong ways of going about it. I’ve had the privilege of seeing Chris coach and manage teams on numerous occasions and am always blown-away by his technical understanding and the manner and style in which he communicates and delivers this with players, parents, coaches and all those he’s impacting. I also know that Chris is in his element on the training pitch or in a muddy field surrounded by players… so sat here with a mic in his face and a list of questions from Mark and I is very much out of his comfort zone….so we are extremely grateful he’s willing to do this for us and we know its because of how passionate you are about football, coaching and this topic especially!Q) How important do you see matches and how should they `fit` alongside the training plan?Q) What preparation and considerations should there be before match day?- Squad selection for the season. Too many subs?Q) What about match day itself, how would this look and what’s the objective?- warm ups being as important as the matches- Using cones to show formation (micro pitch)- ball Mastery importance in a warm up- competitive 1v1’s key in warm ups- game related SSG in your warm up over a rondo- team challenges - individual challenges - coaching with the players on sidelines- appropriate language and code words for your players- discipline of your players- performance over resultsQ) How important are formations?Q) What about immediate after the match?Q) What role do parents have to play in match days and how can we as coaches influence and support their involvement?- Honesty with parents and players preseason regarding a match day philosophy

Send us a textIn this episode we discuss the ingredients that help make for a fun and effective soccer coaching training session. We explore the ten things to consider for your sessions that may help maximise the learning and development potential of the session, and ensure your players are challenged, enjoy and get the most out of the training. 1) PLANNING – Session plans / Structure / Challenges / STEP / Progression / The Unexpected2) A CLEAR THEME - Coaching points / Curriculum / The Why / LTDP3) FREE-PLAY – SSG’s / Ownership / Warm-up / Coach Observation4) TECHNICAL WORK – Having strong fundamental skills / Opposed v’s Unopposed5) PHYSICAL LITERACY – ABC’s / Embed or Separate6) GAME BASED PRACTICES – SSG’s / Whole-Part-Whole / Constraints / Challenges7) BALL ROLLING TIME – Why / How much (80%?) / How 8) DECISION MAKING – Problems (not solutions) / Guided Discovery / Trial & Error9) THE ENVIRONMENT – Culture / Philosophy / Values / Communication / Habits10) REFLECT & REVIEW – Feedback / WWW / EBI / Repeat?Here we have just discussed the ingredients, but in future episodes we will look closely at each element and discuss in more detail its importance and how it can form part of a soccer coaching session. If you have any thoughts or feedback on this topic, or if you have any ideas for future topics that you would like us to cover we would love to hear from you, info@thesoccercoachingpodcast.com or @SoccerCoachCast.  Thanks for listening!