Articles by Coach Frank
Reader, I’ve been reflecting more and more on the behaviour of adults on the sidelines of football fields. Whether it’s standing among supporters at youth football games hearing them instruct kids on every decision they make, being on the sideline hearing some of the rubbish that’s hurled at officials or players by ‘fans’, or adults verbally abusing each other in front of nine-year-old children, we just have to do better, and frankly, this kind of behaviour is damaging. We seem to forget that…
Reader, I am currently overseas with my team at a tournament in China – an amazing opportunity for our players to play against teams from different countries. There have been six months of preparation for the event and it got me thinking about the role of tours and tournaments in youth development. Many grassroots and community clubs in contemporary environments quite rightly work towards equal game time for players on game day. In the past, and certainly when I was growing up playing…
Reader, I am out on the grass 3-4 times a week at the moment. As we all know, for coaches this means a lot of planning. Whether it’s delivering sessions, planning match day or observing coaches, it takes preparation. Beyond the ‘on the grass’ work, there is often a video session with players and clipping video takes time. There can also be match previews or other presentations which can be demanding. Almost everyone in the modern “busy” world is time-poor, so keeping your planning process…
The team at PDP have been providing coach education content to a global community of coaches for a decade. In that time, we’ve spent a lot of time asking coaches what they want, how we can better serve them, and experimenting with various types of content including interviews, research reviews, guides, and more. This means that over the last ten years, we have tried dozens of new projects (some of which have failed), all with the goal of solving critical problems for coaches. In this…
Reader, Recently I was watching a webinar featuring Paul McGuinness, the ex-Manchester United coach who has been a strong influence in the player development space for a long time. His work around “the arrogance of timing” and the use of street football to encourage players to dribble 1v1 and flow through opposing teams with quick combinations has inspired me for a long time. Most coaches are “magpies” – we all take ideas, use other sessions and adapt them. I actually used a couple of Paul’s…
Reader, Over the weekend I watched several games of youth football. Young kids between 12 and 17 competing, playing with their friends and working on their game. Game day is usually the pinnacle of a young footballers’ week. I also watched some first-team action. What struck me was the difference between the crowds at the youth and senior fixtures. At the Senior Men’s game, beyond the usual excitement and crowd commentary towards refereeing decisions, I didn’t hear any of the crowd yelling…
Reader, There are 168 hours in a week. Put yourself in the shoes of a youth (13-18 year-old) football player in 2024. It’s highly likely that they spend their weekdays at high school where traditional educational settings mean they listen to teachers and are told where to be for 6-7 hours a day. They might also play football or other sports in their school environment, adding to their schedule. Their evenings likely consist of 2-3 club training sessions per week and a game on the weekend. At…
Reader, In my experience, there can often be a perception from those who haven’t worked in professional clubs or seen high-performance sport environments that there is a ‘secret sauce’ or some kind of really complex programming going on behind closed doors, when in fact it often tends to be quite the opposite. Over the last 12 months, I have spent time in two A-League clubs, two New Zealand Super Rugby franchises and an NRL club. The common thread is the clarity, purpose and simplicity with…
Reader, I believe the best coaches are always learning, pairing a culture of performance with a culture of constant curiosity. A critical component of coach development is the importance of mentors and role models. Finding someone with whom you can share ideas, who can provide feedback, and potentially offer opportunities in new environments, is a key part of progressing with your coaching. I have been so fortunate to learn from world-class coaches like Tony Readings, Stuart English, Arthur…
Reader, In modern football, the use of video analysis has become more and more common whether it’s at the highest level with a team of expert analysts and software, or whether it’s in amateur or grassroots environments where platforms like HUDL, VEO and even the ‘old fashioned’ iPhone mean we can film with ease.Whether it’s for players or coaches, reflection is a critical part of our development. I remember taking my first course with The FA in 2012 at St George’s Park, and for the first…
Reader, When we consider our session design, there are so many variables. Whether it’s the number of players, the stage of the season, the topic or theme, or the weather conditions, there is a lot to plan for. When I was first made aware of the concept of ‘ball-rolling time’ I had just coached a defensive session where players were encouraged to work on pressure, cover and balance. For those who haven’t heard the term, ball-rolling time is the time in the session where the ball rolls and the…
Reader, Futsal is a game that has grown massively over the last couple of decades and many football clubs, both professional and amateur, use Futsal in their programmes. Of course, like anything in coaching, it can often be subjective and some believe that given the ball is different, the game is different and the environment is different it doesn’t translate.However, my perspective is that Futsal is a brilliant tool to develop footballers. This year, I have added Futsal to the programme I am…