Carol S. Dweck and Ellen L. Leggett The Big Idea This paper is a continuation of the line of research by Carol Dweck and others on behaviours that are characterised as adaptive or maladaptive. In other words, there are patterns or tendencies in children that are identifiable by way of the choices made with regard to achievement opportunities. While sport is not mentioned in this paper, it is an easy pivot to see how it is that some players truly thrive on challenges and obstacles;…
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With England recently crashing out of the Euro 2016 tournament against Iceland in one of the biggest upsets in football history, Dave Wright attempts to take an objective look at just where it went wrong and how now is a time for reflection, not revolution. National Disaster Iceland 2 – England 1: It was a result that sent Twitter into meltdown. Social media memes emerged within minutes mocking the English football team. The nation, (already in turmoil after a weekend of political conflict) needed…
Join us for a video discussion with National Coach Education Manager from Football Federation Australia, Sean Douglas. PDP Editor Dave Wright is joined by Lead Researcher, James Vaughan in a wide ranging discussion. We cover topics including: Image Source: depositphotos.com
Nick Levett, former Talent ID Manager at The FA discusses the void in football that leaves foundation phase (age 5-11) coaches as the under-appreciated heroes in the world of player development, challenging why the top coaches are always seen to be involved in senior football. Whilst at St. George’s Park, (our national football centre) for a couple of days recently, an FA Advanced Youth Award was taking place. This course currently is the pinnacle coaching award for youth coaches in England, a Level 4 course,…
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
Part of the coaches role is to inspire. Children at all levels have a right to play and enjoy their sporting experience. Founder of Changing the Game Project & PDP contributor, John O’Sullivan discusses three ways to help inspire your athletes at all levels. Recently, I went to a graduation. Not a high school or a college graduation, but one far smaller, and far more personal. In fact, there were only seven kids, one of which was my 9-year-old son TJ. He and six others were…
Chelladurai and S. D. Saleh The Big Idea Leadership is a popular topic. In fact, if one Googles “leadership” you come in with 751,000,000 results. Not impressed? Well, think of it this way: “leadership” is only 180,000,000 behind the Google results for “sex.” So at least by this metric the general topic of this paper is remarkably popular indeed. Of course, when you gradually narrow down the specific concerns this research study addresses, it does take a bit of a drop—“leadership in sports” comes in…
Player Development Project Technical Advisor, Dan Wright discusses the importance of knowing your player, building relationships and coaching the person. Building trust between coach and player is vital for success at all levels. If your goal as the coach is to aid development of youth players or to win the Premier League it is impossible without the relationship between athlete and coach. The intangible bond between athlete and coach is very noticeable, at training sessions, in conversations and at games and yet at the same…
This is the second instalment of a two part interview with Dan Micciche, covering his early coaching career at Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur through to his position as Assistant Academy Manager at MK Dons, where he coached a young Dele Alli for 5 years. Dave Wright speaks with Dan about his role as England U16 national team’s Head Coach, building challenging learning environments, session/programme design, impact of playing styles and the challenge of nurturing creative footballers. After almost a decade in the academy system…
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
Momentum is a huge element in all sport. Dr. Martin Turner of the Smarter Thinking Project investigates how can players take charge of their own performance learning how to ‘control the controllables’ and implement the control triangle. Momentum is a huge element in all sport. Dr. Martin Turner of the Smarter Thinking Project investigates how can players take charge of their own performance learning how to ‘control the controllables’ and implement the control triangle. Sport is a dynamic, constantly changing, and unpredictable environment to work and perform…
Kenneth Aggerholm The Big Idea The author of this study on the nature and significance of the aesthetic aspects of soccer sees theatricality as a “dramatic movement phenomenon in soccer.” This means that common to both theatre and sport is human expression, pure and simple. Maybe at first glance the reader may think only of the historical negativity of connecting theatre to sport; namely the unfortunate remembering of athletes playing to the crowd or the referee, or preoccupation with the exaggerations, overdoing for effect, and…
PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan examines the simplicity vs. complexity debate using one of the great quotes from Johan Cruyff and asks if we have misinterpreted its true meaning. “Football is simple, but the hardest thing is to play simple football.” Consider how this famous quote influences your training session design when the emphasis is placed here: “Football is simple, but the hardest thing is to play simple football.” Or here: “Football is simple, but the hardest thing is to play simple football.” I think this…
Stewart A. Vella, Lindsay G. Oades, and Trevor P. Crowe The Big Idea This study continues the line of research by these authors into the stubborn problem of improving coach education programs. They believe that transformational leadership is a promising partial solution. Historically, transformational leadership and its modern extensions is an approach to create positive change in individuals and social systems. As a leadership concept it has been around since the late 1970s. Over time the approach has been used by government, the military, and…
Stewart A. Vella, Trevor P. Crowe, and Lindsay G. Oades The Big Idea One of the remarkable features of youth sport participation is its voluntary nature; another is how many youngsters actually participate—about two thirds of all youth according to both Australia and USA census records. But why is it then that formal coach education programs are largely unremarkable by comparison? The big idea of this paper is to offer one way to increase the effectiveness of formal and non-formal coach education. In order to help…
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.
How do you deal with parents in your environment? This can be one of the most challenging aspects of coaching at all levels. Parents are the stakeholders of your team, they have a vested interest in their child’s development and it’s your role as a coach to do your best by them. Joining us for a discussion on this at times difficult topic are Reed Maltbie & Skye Eddy Bruce. Reed is a TEDx Speaker, Founder of Raising Excellence & holds two Masters degrees, one…
The art of observation. What details should coaches be looking for? Todd Beane explains why it is important for a coach to ‘observe’ their players rather than just ‘watch’ them. Are you watching or observing your players? Many consider these two words synonymous. To watch is to observe and to observe is to watch. But, I find a distinction here that may help us become better at our craft. Let’s take a look at the definitions. Watch: to see what is done or happens. Observe: to regard with…