In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Editor, Dave Wright is joined by PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright to go behind the scenes at Watford FC. Dave & Dan sit down for a fascinating discussion with Lead YDP Coach, Martin Prickett & Lead Foundation Phase Coach, Rob Morris to discuss the Watford FC way, age appropriate learning and much more as these two highly experienced youth developers give insights into their coaching careers so far. Image Source: depositphotos.com
Interviews
Interviews with experts from around the world of coaching and player development.
In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Editor, Dave Wright is joined by Strength & Conditioning Coach, Matt Depledge. Matt has spent the last four years working for a Premier League Academy in England and is now working in the world of youth development in Tennis. Matt gives us a brilliant insight into his own experience and offers his advice as to how coaches can integrate strength and conditioning strategies into their practice, load management and more importantly, the importance of applying sports science as part of…
In this excellent Masterclass Discussion, former New Zealand Football & Welsh FA Technical Director, Rob Sherman joins PDP Editor, Dave Wright for an in depth discussion on the player centred approach and talent development. Rob has a wealth of experience in coaching and coach education and shares his experience and his own model of player development. This is a must watch for coaches who want to learn from one of the best educators in the business. Image Source: depositphotos.com
PDP Editor, Dave Wright is joined by Dan Thomas, Lead Youth Development Phase Coach at Fulham FC. Dan has a vast amount of coaching experience and has been immersed in player development at Fulham FC for 10 years. Dan specialises in working with teenage players making the transition from academy to scholarships and discusses the non-linear journey that many players experience. He also gives candid insight into the Fulham FC philosophy and the world of academy football. Don’t miss another fantastic learning opportunity from one…
Jonas Bliksted is the Lead Foundation Phase Coach at FC Midtjyalland in Denmark, a club known for it’s innovation. In this conversation Jonas joins PDP host, Dave Wright for a candid discussion which outlines the FCM player development philosophy, some of the challenges the club faces through being geographically isolated and Jonas shares many of the innovative ways the club tries to ensure young players have the best possible chance of maximising their potential. An excellent insight into one of the top clubs in Denmark,…
In this fascinating conversation, PDP Editor Dave Wright sits down with Nick Levett, Talent ID Manager at The FA for a wide ranging discussion on Talent ID & Youth Development. Nick shares his experiences working in academy football and with some of the best young talent in England in his role at The FA. Nick and Dave discuss the importance of looking beyond football for inspiration, creating culture, the complexity of talent development and most importantly, how we can help develop better people through sport….
In this in depth discussion, PDP Editor Dave Wright speaks to Jeremy Sauer, Academy Manager at AFC Wimbledon. Jeremy is a coach and leader with a wealth of experience. He gives us background on the evolution of one of the fairy tale stories of English football. Known as the ‘Phoenix Club’, AFC Wimbledon rose from the ashes of Wimbledon after the club was relocated to Milton Keynes. Jeremy describes the journey the club has been on and how their player development pathway has gone from…
In this fantastic interview with England U18 Rugby Coach, Russell Earnshaw, PDP Editor, Dave Wright dives into a conversation with Russell on the types of environments England rugby is looking to create in order to develop sustainable success. Russell shares his own experiences both as a player and coach, talking about the importance of player ownership, decision making and chaos. This is a fantastic conversation in which coaches across all codes can tap into the knowledge of a man driving standards in England’s youth rugby…
Don’t miss this brilliant Masterclass Discussion with one of the UK’s top coach developers, Ben Bartlett from The FA. PDP Editor Dave Wright interviews Ben on his personal journey into coach education, his strong advocacy of a constraints led approach, discusses coaching methodology, communication styles and how to develop your environment. This is an absolute must watch for any coach. Image Source: depositphotos.com
In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Lead Researcher James Vaughan shares his PhD research after a 12 month stay in Barcelona where he immersed himself in Catalan culture and football. We go inside La Masia, examining the playing style of the world’s most famous academy and look at how it ties in to the history and culture of this great city. Some fantastic examples and footage are provided by James as he takes us on a virtual tour of FC Barcelona’s story. Image Source: depositphotos.com
Neel Shah is currently the CEO of DSK Shivajians FC and the Liverpool FC International Academy – DSK. Within this role, Neel oversees all business operations for the Pune based professional football club. Prior to joining DSK Shivajians FC, Shah served as the Business Director for Libero Sports, a Delhi based football consultancy and also previously worked for MLS as Director of Fan Development. We speak to Neel about the ever-growing football culture in India, the clubs partnership with Liverpool FC, their coaching approach, the…
Daniel Giansiracusa is a former professional AFL player who ran out for the Western Bulldogs 265 times over the course of a 16 year playing career. Daniel is now an Assistant Coach on the Bulldogs coaching staff and was part of a coaching team and playing roster that broke a 62 year drought at the club, claiming a long awaited AFL Premiership in 2016. PDP Editor Dave Wright speaks with Daniel on his transition from playing to coaching, the importance of empathy, the power of…
Josh Cullen is a young West Ham player on the rise. PDP Editor, Dave Wright spoke at length with Josh about his long journey through the West Ham Academy, the value of honesty and the challenge of being pushed outside of his comfort zone. Josh Cullen was born in Hackney in 1996. For the first few years of his life, he lived in Bow, East London – a stone’s throw away from the future home of West Ham United, the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. At…
Jon de Souza was appointed Academy Manager at Colchester United in July 2016, after a coaching career that has taken him from club he joined as a schoolboy, Luton Town, to a coach education role at the Football Association and Brentford FC. PDP spoke to Jon about his career, and discussed the importance of coaching the individual. Jon de Souza began his footballing journey at Luton Town, signing for the Hatters as an under-14 player. Despite their fairly lowly status, Luton Town are a…
Are you conscious of the language you use with your players? Do you understand the difference between praise and affirmation? Professor Stephen Rollnick is a world renowned motivational interviewer and psychologist. In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan hosts Professor Rollnick to discuss his pioneering research in motivational interviewing, the importance of two-way, empathetic communication between players and coach & more. Don’t miss this excellent discussion with one of the most progressive thinkers in coach and player development. Image Source: depositphotos.com
In this PDP Masterclass Discussion, our Lead Researcher, James Vaughan joins PDP Editor, Dave Wright to take us through his PhD research from 12 months spent immersed in Catalan culture and observing at La Masia. James shares insights into how the culture and history of Barcelona has shaped the clubs playing style. This is the first of a four part presentation which discusses the impact on playing style, creativity and aligns with the PDP model of player development which accounts for the importance of environmental…
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to hear from one of England’s most successful academy managers on player development. PDP Editor, Dave Wright interviews Fulham FC Academy Director, Huw Jennings. Dave speaks to Huw on his personal journey from grassroots to his role leading Southampton’s academy before he worked for the Premier League & his current role as Academy Director of Fulham FC’s highly regarded academy. Huw discusses the rise of Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana & many of the famous Southampton graduates as well as some…
Enjoy this inspirational insight from Adrian Bradbury, Founder & Director of Football For Good in Uganda. With a wide-ranging background in business, basketball and charitable work, Adrian has founded the only full-time player development programme in formerly war-torn Northern Uganda. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the program continues to grow and FFG offers young local players an opportunity to receive quality coaching and education through the FFG program. We speak to Adrian about some of the progress FFG is making, the cultural challenges that…