An excellent two part 12,000 word blog post by Jonathan Wilson recently circulating on social media called The Devils Party examined the factors that led to Jose Mourinho’s downfall at Chelsea. This fantastic article inspired The Player Development Project’s James Vaughan and Dave Wright to discuss how a managerial legend like Mourinho could fail so catastrophically at the club that reveres him most. By looking a little deeper, beyond just tactics, to examine the experiences that shaped his character, drivers, attributes and flaws, can we…
Psychology
The science of behaviour and mind. A collection of content focused on better understanding our players.
Talent: a dangerous word for players and a highly infectious idea for coaches. This article by PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan explores the possibility that talent is a ‘meme’. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term meme to explain an infectious idea that spreads from person to person: the cultural equivalent of a gene. Incorporating theories from motor learning and psychology, this article discusses talent as a meme and highlights its potential influence as a socio-cultural constraint – inhibiting the development of skill and creativity….
Todd Beane, Founder of Tovo Institute discusses his views on Long Term Athlete Development and whether due to the nature of today’s desire for instant gratification, if the concept is in fact doomed. One child. One marshmallow. One room. A child sits in front of a sweet treat while knowing that if he refrains from eating it for fifteen minutes, he will get two to enjoy. How many children delay their gratification? Not that many it turns out. Psychologist Walter Mischel and his colleagues from…
US based Coach, Gary Curneen takes us through 9 key factors in successfully coaching the modern player in order to maximise their potential. Ask any coach today what their toughest coaching challenge is and they will most likely not respond with questions about false nines or gegenpressing. Instead they will probably tell you that working with, engaging, and attempting to get the best out of today’s generation is the biggest challenge in the coaching game. Armed with more tactical, training, and sports science information than…
Believe it or not, but every interaction and communication you have had today happened to more than 70% non-verbally. In a multicultural team, with players from different backgrounds coming together, how can you ensure that everyone receives the same message you are trying to communicate? Can non-verbal communication in international sports teams work seamlessly? As humans, we rely on our eyes and visual sense when decoding any message we receive (83% seeing, compared to 11% hearing, 3% smelling, 2% touch, 1% tasting). As an athlete…
Mindset is a hot topic in youth development and education. Founder of Changing the Game Project, John O’Sullivan discusses the work of Carol Dweck citing the importance of developing a growth mindset in our players. “I lost my starting spot on the soccer team. I’m just not good at soccer.” “I failed my math test. I’m just not good at math.” Ever heard such a statement form one of your kids? From one of your players? If so, it is very likely that the single…
Critically acclaimed and widely accepted as the most effective performance enhancing mental skill by high-performance athletes, CEOs, actors, public speakers and authors, ‘visualisation’ is often undeveloped and largely under-used in player development settings, as well as other educational environments. But why is this the case? PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan discusses. Similarly, while ‘vision’ is regarded as the cornerstone of organisational, leadership, or long-term development structures, minimal emphasis is placed on players’ vision for their own future. American author Stephen Covey sees vision as an…
I have quit jobs, moved countries and become – to use my friend’s words – an ‘intellectual hobo’ in search of these seven words. Those seven words have consumed my life for 18 months. They are seven words that I believe hold the key to understanding creativity in football players. ‘Who we are is how we play’ These seven words are the conclusion to my thesis; 35,661 words deftly reinterpreted by my ‘old man’ as: ‘You can take the boy out of Liverpool,…
Old school player development tells us, ‘winning is everything.’ The problem with focusing on performance outcomes though, is where does that leave us when we fail? What happens when we lose a match, a tournament or face rejection from a squad? How can we bounce back? Professor Carol Dweck from Stanford University has extensively researched success and discovered that our mindset matters. Players with a growth mindset are more likely to achieve in the long run because they embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, believe they…
Creativity involves putting ideas together in new and useful ways. Lara Mossman, Positive Psychology Researcher, football player, and mother of three, offers a refreshing and practical view on creativity. What is it, and how can we prime our young players to become more creative? Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, inventor of the ‘Cruyff Turn’ and the man behind the ‘phantom goal’, epitomised the creative footballer in the 1970s, as does today’s global superstar Lionel Messi. Cruyff was a king of improvisation, throwing out the rulebook on positioning and producing…
Throughout his tenure as head coach of FC Barcelona, Pep Guardiola prioritised one message above all others, a message that built a dynasty, defined a generation and changed a game. PDP Lead Researcher James Vaughan discusses the value of a style of play and how Pep Guardiola has influenced a generation of coaches and players. The message was simple: ‘The target is not to win titles; the target is to achieve a unique style of play.’ The simplicity and eloquence of this message are as profound…
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…
People who know their values are often happier; they’re more focused, and live a more meaningful life. This month Lara Mossman met with AHPRA endorsed sports psychologist Michael Inglis to discuss values and the important role they play in youth development. Inglis, who has a Masters in sports and exercise psychology, supports a holistic approach to sports medicine and is an advocate of values in sport. LM: Can you a tell me a bit about your experience working with athletes? MI: I work with a range of…
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…
Mindset. Is it just another buzzword or could it be the final frontier of player development? Do different mindsets affect player development in different ways? Research certainly suggests so. James Vaughan explores the latest research around mindset and imagination, and explains how this can make all the difference in high pressure situations. Research suggests that we need to change the influences that affect a player’s mindset, to unlock the possibilities and harness their full potential. In this article we will explore how mindsets come about, why we…
Interest in women’s football is at an all-time high and on the surface it appears to be flourishing. Coverage of the Women’s World Canada 2015 is a testament to this. However, as a parent of both male and female youth players, it is evident that the gap between the women’s and men’s game is huge; a gap that exists from grassroots right through to the top level. At youth level, I see coaches with higher qualifications assigned to boys’ teams and parent coaches allocated…
How do groups shape our identity? Founder of Fit Across Cultures and Cultural Intelligence expert, Susan Salzbrenner discusses the impact of groups on social identity. Do you mock people that are showing up in their favourite team jersey the day after a victory? Or those with a bunch of bumper stickers telling you all you need to know about their life? Think twice next time! Did you know that cheering publicly for a team is a great boost for your self-esteem? …Well, given the fact…