Coaching For People, Not Points

An incredibly profound talk from the late American basketball player and coach John Wooden who talks of finding true success within yourself rather than on material achievements.

An incredible philosophy that I try to aspire to every day. When involved with training or match days it's our job as teachers and coaches to plan for the people, not the points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MM-psvqiG8

Knowing Your Players... As People

Yesterday evening I attended an English/Surrey FA In-service Event where a FA National Youth Coach presents a session on a particular method of coaching children.

The session topic was 'Setting up attacks to score' and was really well coached with the U11's really responding well to the game and challenge.

While watching the boys play, I was reminded of the importance of knowing your players. Not just as footballers on a field and how they understand and play the game but as people, as individuals.

How often do we consider their lives outside of training and match days?

While we can be focused on planning a well structured training session and getting tactics right for the crunch match at the weekend, we can very often forget about the boys and girls who are actually playing the game.

This is where the FA Youth Award becomes important. So important that I believe it should be mandatory for every coach to take. I took the course in April 2010 and as a new coach it's what has become the cornerstone for my philosophy. This is the way all players should be coached and if they are then in 25-30 years time I can see Semi-Finals and Finals of major international competitions every time for England.

To quote the FA's website…

The course is split into three modules and an introductory module…and focuses on the following -

• What motivates them to play football? 
• How can we build their self esteem? 
• How can we manage differences in age, experience, ability and attitude? 
• Can we create the right environment for young people to learn? 
• Teach them strategies for managing mistakes? 
• Tailor practice sessions according to age, ability, experience and maturity? 

If there is one course you take this year then let it be this one.

http://www.thefa.com/~/link.aspx?_id=FDB2E1489B144E1BBC78D4069379506B&_z=z

Lessons From Geese by Bill Beswick

1. As each goose flaps its wings it creates an 'uplift' for the bird that follow. By flying in a 'V' formation the whole flock adds 71% extra flying range.

Lesson - People who share a sense of community can help eachother get where they are going more easily... because they are travelling on the trust of one another.

2. When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the 'drag' and resistance of flying alone, it quickly moves back to take advantage of THE LIFTING POWER of the birds in front.

Lesson - If we have as much sense as geese we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

3. When the lead goose tires it drops back in to the formation, and another goose flies to the point position.

Lesson - It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks. We should respect and protect each others unique arrangement of skills, capabilities, talents and resources.

4. The Geese flying in formation HONK to encourage those up front to keep up with their speed.

Lesson - We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In games where there is encouragement production is much greater. Individual empowerment results from quality HONKING.

5. When a goose gets sick two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it.

Lesson - If we have as much sense as geese we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

The Answer To The Future

"Life (Learning) is not linear, it's organic"
- Sir Ken Robinson

Following on from yesterdays daily comment, I wanted to continue the theme of learning and education and point you in the direction of Sir Ken Robinson whose talk 'Bring on the learning revolution' looks at making schools less linear and more organic.

His thoughts on changing an "industrial model of education... to a model of principles based on agriculture" and "customising and personalising education to the people you're actually teaching" really struck a cord with me.

The kids who we coach every week love their football. The passion they have for it feeds their spirit and soul. If we take a industrial, linear and conformity approach of teaching, then it's this method that they loose their passion and their interest in the game starts to diminish.

But if we take as what Sir Ken Robinson calls an "an approach based more on principles of agriculture" then I believe children can flourish.

When preparing a session, my aim is to create an environment in which my players are challenged but also an environment where they can meet and move with those ever changing challenges so to develop and improve as footballers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I

The Boy Problem

When planning a training session or learning activity, do you think that "Right, this is what I want my boys to do and I want them to do it in this way"? "This is the only way to do it because it works"?

If you do then this 13 minute video must be watched.

In her brilliant talk, Ali Carr-Chellman gives 3 main reasons why boys are being turned-off in school classrooms by their thousands, and introduces her plan to re-captivate their minds and imaginations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Uuehgmd14&feature=related

There are so many things to pick-up on in her talk. The 100 girls project, fewer male teachers and a compression of the education curriculum at infants school to mention just a few, and I'd like to get some discussions and communication flowing.

Follow El Col·lectiu on Twitter

You can now follow and and stay informed of news, comment and opinion from the New Official Twitter page of El Col·lectiu.

twitter.com/el_collectiu

Nike Football Academy

The Nike Football Academy began in 2009 to give the opportunity to 23 unsigned U20 players to help them find a professional club.

These are young men who come from a diverse footballing background, some of who have been involved in professional football academies and played in youth internationals and others who have had no involvement with pro clubs and who have just played local or semi-professionally.

From what I've seen and understand, the academy gives a real insight into the workings of how club academies work and what's required from a player to become a professional footballer.

The commitment to the program that these 'boys' give is quite amazing. The passions and effort for which they strive to be the best is highly commendable.

There is one thought though that sticks in my head... What if they don't make it as a pro footballer? What then?

Does the Nike Academy deal with those players who don't make it. Do they provide help on alternative career options or is it just thanks but no thanks? These players are giving their all to be the best but not everyone can make it. Who then deals with those who's only way of life is football?

Remember when we coach, we're not just dealing with young footballers but young people...

If you're interested to find out more about the Nike Football Academy, the new 2011/12 campaign is just getting started and more information can be found on the official website below.

http://www.nike.com/nikefootball/academy/about?locale=en_GB

South Bronx United Soccer Club

Last month when in New York City I met up with Andrew So, Executive Director of South Bronx United, a nonprofit youth development organisation that "uses soccer as a vehicle for social change".

Speaking with Andrew, he told me of South Bronx diverse community. That the South Bronx is one of the poorest districts in the entire USA. That it has the highest hunger rates and the highest obesity rates in the country and as a whole, the local schools perform the lowest in the New York State.

South Bronx United (SBU) deal not only with young footballers but more importantly young people in a community. Along side their football program they also run programs for education, health and wellness and character development.

I was really inspired to hear Andrew talk about all the work that he and the SBU Staff put into serving their community.

In many ways, this is what I want to set out and achieve... Good Footballers but more importantly Good People.

The young people we work with are not just members of a football club but members of a community and society. The street that they live in, the school that they go to, the people they meet. I believe that having respect, responsibility, commitment, discipline make not only a good footballer but a good person.

Please visit the SBU website to see in more detail the great work they do.

http://www.southbronxunited.org/

The non "I want you to do it like this" philosophy

It's important that when coaching on the training ground or on a match day, you're able to create an environment for young players to think for themselves, to use their brains.

I have been witness to coaching sessions where the coach has said "I want you to do it like this". By this way, the coach determines the outcome of the practice thus creating a player formed in the coaches image.

Coaching and developing a footballer is not 'A + B =' but more like 'B + C ÷ A – B × A ÷ C ='

No exact two things happen in a football match so when we coach our players we shouldn't expect the same outcomes every time.

The English FA have recently released a brilliant coaching manual entitled 'The Future Game - Grassroots' which hopes to educate coaches who..."are looking to develop an experience for players that captures their imagination and ignites their enthusiasm".

Part of the manual has a section totally devoted to philosophy which outlines the FA's vision on coaching. Having bought the manual it has given me a greater insight into how our new generation of footballers can be coached.

We need to allow our players to be their own decision makers, to make mistakes and learn from them without fear of criticism. I believe this is the way forward if we are to produce players with world class technique, skill, creativity and vision.

http://www.falearningshop.com/p-878-falearningshopcom-the-future-game-grassroots.aspx

Why Kids Love Football

Kids aged 8-11 respond to the question "Why do you love football?"

The next time you plan for a coaching session or match day, think about the responses in this video. Do they match up to what you aim to give your players?

Your homework for this week... ask your players why they love football?

"Professional coaches measure success in medals. College coaches measure success in championships. High School coaches measure success in titles. Youth coaches measure success in smiles" - Unknown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJpKoOaeOxI&playnext=1&list=PLC06553B779CB7CEA

Bill Beswick - Sports Psychologist

I was first introduced to Bill Beswick when I attended the Grassroots Football Roadshow in June 2011.

He was part of 'The FA Theatre In Association With FourFourTwo Performance' and he spoke for 40 minutes on the subject of ‘Tough love’ coaching - getting the best from your players.

It was possibly the best 40 minutes I have ever spent in the company of somebody talking about youth development and player/coach relation, I was hooked from start to finish. To hear and see his passion was truly inspirational. His book, Tough-Love Coaching, which his talk was based on, looks at "meeting the needs of young players for a committed, controlled and unwavering learning environment from their coach but also provides the empathy, care and support they need as young people facing a difficult challenge"

Bill's website http://billbeswick.com/ is currently under construction but I'm reliably informed when it's up and running, Tough-Love Coaching will be available to buy from it.

I also just came across this link http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/experts/bill-beswick which has 8 brief videos from Bill on topics such as 'How to bounce back from a mistake' and 'How to deal with a mouthy player'.

Teacher - "You Can."... Student - "I Can."

Kiran Bir Sethi infects her students with the "I Can" bug. We see her students go out into the streets of India to tackle local and personal issues which produce 'contagious' results.

If we as teachers and coaches can create an environment where children's ideas can be listened to and their abilities encouraged then we also can infect our students with the belief that "WE CAN" achieve anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y2sj_G4Njg

                 What 

teachers make?

Poet Taylor Mali delivers a stirring and powerful 3 minute observation on the impact of teachers.

I believe that as coaches or parents, we frequently forget the power and influence we have over children in our care. We are accountable to our players, to our sons and daughters, to our community and society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xuFnP5N2uA&feature=player_embedded

l'equip petit - “the little team”

"We don't care if we don't score because we have fun" 

- Pol, Margatania F.C Player.

This is the beautiful story of a spanish youth football team called Margatania F.C. – A team that can’t score a goal with none of the players or their parents bothered by this in the slightest.

A wonderful message to all youth coaches and parents in this country that may have a different perspective on what children might think and feel when playing football.

http://vimeo.com/25397042

Keep Footy Beautiful

Imagine the setting... last day of the season, the two top teams in the league are facing each other with the victors being crowned champions. It's 0-0, 90 minutes have just ticked over and with the referee about to blow for full-time Team A win a dubious penalty. The referee is then suddenly surrounded by Team B players and coaches with a barrage of foul and abusive language flung at him from all angles...

Was that describing a top flight Premier League game or a Sunday afternoon U12's grassroots football match?

I think at the highest level of the game this is something that, wrongly in my opinion, we as football fans and members of society accept far too frequently. Children are highly impressionable by what they see around them and in this case what they see their football hero's doing on the field. What then, do we do, when we come to watch youth football on a Saturday and Sunday? Would we accept that sort of behaviour from 11 year olds?

Below is an example of that sort of behaviour spilling over into life off the pitch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PgjVoAPyNhE

Parents: Mind Your Language!

The Link below is an article from the guardian website on how clichés are stifling and confusing young players at grassroots football.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mind-your-language/2011/jan/31/mind-your-language-football-dads

El Col·lectiu - 'The Collective One'

El Col·lectiu aims to encourage, educate and inspire coaches, teachers and parents who are involved in grassroots football. Its challenge is to place emphasis on positive collective goals that are needed today in youth football and education.