Tristan J. Coulter, Clifford J. Mallett, Jefferson A. Singer, Daniel F. Gucciardi The Big Idea There is nothing easy about the study of personality. Over the years, psychologists who do so have generated an incredible number of ways to describe and depict who or what a person is. One of the oldest and maybe the clearest ways of looking at what personality psychologists do is this: they study how a person is like all other persons; like some other persons; and like no other persons. …
Sports Science
How the human body responds to exercise, training, recovery and different environments during sport.
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.
N. Balague, C. Torrents, R. Hristovski, and J. A. S. Kelso The Big Idea As scientific disciplines go, sport science is but a babe in the historical woods of science proper. In spite of the fact that the recent evolution of sport science is essentially interdisciplinary, many believe it has already become a victim of its own success. That is, instead of achieving its promise of successfully integrating the disciplines and sub-disciplines it is composed of (such as anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, psychology, sociology, and the…
Edu Rubio is a UEFA PRO License holder and the Technical Consultant at Crystal Palace F.C. He has previously worked for MK Dons FC, Chelsea FC, Nike Academy and The FA among others. Edu also has a degree in Sports Science and studies in Sports Psychology. His mantra is work with passion, stay committed and be consistent with both; and he truly believes in Team work and a holistic & multidisciplinary day to day environment. MK Dons are developing a reputation for nurturing thinking football…
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.
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.
The psychological corner of player development can be seen as the most complex. It is dynamic and very much has to be catered towards the individual. In a coaching context it is a fundamental part of our roles but often one of the most overlooked. Join PDP Editor Dave Wright as he engages in an informative discussion with John Haime, President of New Edge Performance in Canada. John and Dave discuss a range of key points and practical advice including: Don’t miss this wide ranging…
Fundamental movement is crucial to well being and player development. PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan discusses some of the myths around specialisation and the advantages to looking outside of conventional sport to ensure your players get educated in fundamental movements. On June 18th, 2016, Nick Levett (FA Talent Identification Manager & regular PDP contributor) highlighted some of the myths that still dominate football development: The myths of specialisation. These myths can lead to some pretty harmful consequences, particularly physical and psychological burn out. I’ve experienced both: I played football…
Many players are dubbed the next ‘wonderkid’, but few back it up. Renato Sanches’ exciting performances at Euro 16 showed why the biggest clubs in the world were prepared to gamble €63 million on an 18-year-old with just 24 first team appearances to his name. PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright reviews Sanches’ tournament and looks ahead to his time in Germany. Born in Lisbon to a father from São Tomé and Príncipe and a mother from Cape Verde, Renato Sanches grew up in the impoverished neighbourhood of Musgueira. Here in…
Steve Lawrence is a consultant to Cruyff Football and Ajax in the Netherlands. With a Masters in International Sports Management, Steve founded the Football Analytics Lab and is at the forefront of research into the topic of Relative Age Effects. In this article, Steve looks at the age profiles of the teams involved in Euro 2016 and how these may have impacted the competition. In Issue #10 of Player Development Project Magazine I wrote an article on Relative Age Effect, which introduced the idea…
Joseph Baker, Jean Cote, and Bruce Abernathy The Big Idea When asked about his early years, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, said: “I played everything. I played lacrosse, baseball, hockey, soccer, track and field. I was a big believer that you played hockey in the winter and when the season was over you hung up your skates and you played something else.” This paper is one of the early research warning signs that Gretzky may have been right about the value of playing multiple sports when…
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.
Sean Reed is a coach who epitomizes a lot of people working in professional football in England. Sean is a man who has quietly gone about his work over the last 16 years in two of London’s top clubs from academy to first team level resulting in a wealth of knowledge and experience. We caught up with Sean to discuss his experiences in football fitness, cognitive development and coaching in the Championship. Sean grew up playing locally and at the school of excellence of Wimbledon…
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…
Nick Levett, former FA Talent Identification Manager & regular PDP contributor doesn’t sit on the fence. In this blog, Nick discusses the disconnect between academic research and actual coaching. This idea is one of the key motivations behind the establishment of Player Development Project and more recently, our research review section. Are academics isolating themselves and their research and if you do get access can coaches comprehend it? So I had a short moment of ranting earlier on Twitter, as I often tend to do,…
Bio-banding. Is it the answer or just another challenge in youth player development? In Player Development Project Magazine Issue #10, Cruyff Football and Ajax consultant Steve Lawrence gave some background to relative age effects, explaining why they occur and identifying the use of cut-off date rules as the causal culprit. Steve is at the forefront of research in this area, and in this follow-up article he explains the concept of bio banding and suggests how to solve the issue of relative age effects. Concerns about…
Founder of TOVO Institute, Todd Beane examines how young players soccer brains process and filter information via ‘RAS’. Are you focused on the right stuff? Believe me I know very little about the brain so if you have a P.H.D. in brainy stuff just humor me. Apparently, we all have a RAS (Reticular Activating System), which is a part of the brain that filters information collected from our senses. Actually most data to which we are exposed does not make it through this filter, which is…
PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright provides an in depth analysis of how Leicester City have managed to defy the statistics and implement a ruthlessly efficient counter attacking game plan which sees them sitting on top of the Premier League table heading into Spring, 2016. Leicester City have shown during the 2015/16 season there is more than one way to win a football match. Throughout the top European leagues the teams with superior possession dominate the standings, all except the Premier League. In fact, Leicester are ranked poorly…