The Blog

In a time when self promotion and self celebration seem to be the focus of an entire generation, Lara Mossman explains why teamwork is still the most effective game plan of all. Nick Levett, FA National Development Manager, says that first and foremost we should be building good character in young people. It is sound advice for players developing their dream style of play because character plays an important role in goal achievement. The field of positive psychology has identified 24 character strengths that can enable…

The life of a modern, top flight football manager can be short lived. With club and supporter expectations bordering on perfection, for a manager to successfully negotiate the gauntlet of public pressure requires skill, knowledge and perhaps above all, luck. Sean Douglas, Football Federation Australia’s Advanced Coaching Manager, explores the criteria most often used to judge coach success, and offers a new context with which to assess performance.   “Half the season gone, half the coaches gone; forget the Tasmanian devil – the A-League coach is…

FC Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez is seen by many as the Einstein of Football. His vision and awareness provide the perfect example for young players who aspire to develop a deep understanding of the game. These skills, combined with a level of technical ability rarely surpassed, have led to Xavi engineering some of the most unique, creative and exciting goals in world football. “When you arrive at Barcelona the first thing they teach you is: think. Think, think, and think quickly. Lift your head up, move your head, see, and think. Look…

Many players battle with the idea of acceptance by those closest to them, and approval from those who can define their next footballing move. But at what cost does this approval come? Many of these young players sacrifice creativity, problem solving skills, and even their own identity, in search of praise which is often misinformed. The cultural ‘noise’ surrounding player development environments is killing players’ creativity. In football (and other sports) this ‘noise’ – be it comments from the sideline, praise/ criticism from coaches or parents, or constant instruction…

US-based coach, John O’Sullivan, founder of Changing the Game Project and best selling author, provides a perspective on the potential pitfalls of the US development model. As our ability to accurately measure players’ tangible development statistics improves, are we losing sight of the intangible factors which can’t always be measured? The cost of focussing exclusively on the numbers may be greater than we imagined. In 2005, the coaches at one of the top English Premier League Youth Football Academies held one of their semi-annual meetings to…

Manager of the New Zealand National Women’s Team, the Football Ferns, Tony Readings has come up against some giants of the women’s world game. Taking on the likes of the USA (#1) , China (#14) and Brazil (#6), the Ferns have performed well beyond expectations. Tony and his team have created a truely unique team culture, which seems to be the key ingredient in the Ferns’ ability to consistently produce world class results.   PDP: How would you describe the culture of the Football Ferns? TR:…

TOVO Institute Founder, Todd Beane, discusses the need for a holistic view of player development. One indicator of a footballer’s chance for success beyond sport competition is the way in which they’re trained as a youth player. Experts in the field of child development point out the importance of holistic development. That is, children are multi-dimensional by nature and need to be nurtured physically, mentally and emotionally. It is critical to offer the youngster a safe environment in which to explore and learn. Applying this knowledge to…

Born in Evergreen Park, Chicago, Illinois, Brad Guzan has gone from running around the various sporting fields of the suburbs of his home town to being a star performer for one of England’s most famous clubs, Aston Villa FC. Not only is Brad a top performer in the cauldron of the English Premier League, but he has also been a part of the USA squad for the last eight years and attended two World Cups. We talk to Brad about his player development journey.  …

There is a wave rising, about to crest, and the best in the world are already riding it. This wave is mindfulness – a simple, but by no means easy, mental practice. The practice of mindfulness is not new; in fact, it has been around for centuries and is most commonly associated with Buddhism. What is new, however, is the attention it is garnering from science, business, education and sport.   AC Milan were football’s trailblazers in this area, creating a mysterious ‘Mind Room’ in the mid-2000s. They…

Many world-class performers tell stories of discomfort, rejection and failure at some point in their past. Is this coincidence? Or do these uncomfortable experiences lay the foundation for long-term development and, ultimately, success. PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan discusses the importance of discomfort on the learning journey.   American scholars such as Brene Brown and Robert Horner (researchers into education, development and vulnerability) have led us to the following question: if curiosity marks the start of the learning process and vulnerability is the birthplace of creative connection, is…

After working in futsal development in New Zealand for three years, Matt Fejos attended the English FA’s ‘Catalyst for Change Futsal Conference’ in November, 2014. Following on from this event, Matt was able to draw parallels between the goals of both New Zealand Football and the English FA, both in terms of their development strategies, and how they would incorperate futsal. Matt shares his predictions and thoughts around the growth of Futsal as a sport, and some possible similarities with the World Game.   One question…

Learning is a highly individual process. It is a natural process that when respected can lead to amazing results. TOVO Institute Founder, Todd Beane, discusses the importance of eliminating ‘one-size-fits-all’ coaching.   When Coaches Get it Right What happens if we actually revolutionised coaching at youth academies? What happens if we rid ourselves of the “this is the way it has always been done” attitude? What happens if we actually coached players to their full potential – one skill at a time? Too often, we…

The difference between a good player and a great player can often come down their ability to consistently show creativity under pressure – to be able to move beyond tricks and flicks, to a new level of control which makes them truly illusive. James Vaughan, expert in the area of creativity in football, breaks down the subtle, instinctive characteristics that separate the legends from the rest. Imagine a player has just received the ball from their goalkeeper and is attempting to play forward (task) against a high press…

Many believe football is a sport in which early specialisation is important, but is it actually early specialisation or early engagement that players really need? There is little doubt playing with a ball from an early age is beneficial, but should organised football be a child’s only sporting experience? The following image first came to my attention through Twitter, from Ohio University. It is amazing because the image portrays something that is widely known among experts, is widely discussed in coaching circles, and has certainly been written about…

Skill acquisition specialist, Mark Upton, helps us navigate the complex mix of variables that every young player experiences throughout their development. The way in which each player perceives these events can lead to very different results – some will be stifled by the experience, while others will go on to become the future superstars of our game.   In the backyard of an Australian home, a young boy tries to chip a football over a small pond and into his mini- goal on the other side….