Football is a game of speed, whether it’s quick thinking, or quick movement. PDP Editor & UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright & Tottenham Hotspur first team analyst, Zaheer Shah examine some clips and stats from the 2018 World Cup, sharing thoughts on some of the trends to emerge at the tournament and whether they have implications in youth development. The 2018 World Cup has seen the importance of combination play, transition, quick counter attack, 1 v 1 attributes and game changing individual brilliance as key…
Talent Development
Uncovering the pathways which help players develop and continue to thrive in sport.
In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Editor Dave Wright hosts Brisbane Roar Academy Director, Drew Sherman for an insightful conversation on youth development. Drew shares his own personal experiences from England, to the Cook Islands and now Australia, discussing key lessons on the way. We discuss the development of the brand new Brisbane Roar academy and some of the challenges faced in bringing bringing youth development to A League. Drew Sherman is the Academy Director at Brisbane Roar. Drew is a holder of both his Pro…
This question comes from Craig via Twitter: “What role do statistics play in youth development?” Your Turn: Ask PDP Anything Do you have a coaching question that we might be able to help with? We would love to hear from you! Here’s what you can do: 1. Tweet your questions to us @playerdp, or contact us on our Facebook page.2. PDP Members can chat directly with the PDP team to ask questions, share ideas, and support each other on our exclusive Coaching Community. Start your membership today, and…
Technique in sport is a topic that often polarises opinion. How do we find the balance of developing players who are technically proficient with game intelligence? Founder of TOVO Academy, Todd Beane shares what he believes to be the most important factor in improving football ‘technique’. Now that I have your attention, let’s reveal the number one way to guarantee that your players improve their proficiency tonight. You are probably expecting some step-overs and crawl-unders, some pull-backs and push-forwards, and some get-down and rise-up…
Failure is crucial in human development. Whether as a coach, player, parent or another vocation, embracing failure as part of a journey towards improvement is crucial in the learning process. Reed Maltbie shares his views on the importance of understanding the role of failure in development. What is the other side of failure? Have you ever pondered what is on the other side? Most of us will fail. A lot. We will stumble through our entire lives like a baby learning to walk. Hopefully using…
Youth sport is often dominated by an adult lens. Founder of Changing the Game Project, John O’Sullivan shares his excellent article about his recent trip to Australia, his subsequent reflections and the importance of ensuring that sport serves the needs of young people above all else. In late February I was traveling and speaking in Sydney and Perth, Australia, working for a variety of sports organizations including the Football (Soccer) Federation of Australia, Football New South Wales, the Western Australia Department of Sports and Recreation,…
C. Ryan Dunn, Travis Dorsch, Michael Q. King, and Kevin Rothlisberger The Big Idea The estimates in the United States vary. But anywhere between 24 and 44 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 participate in organized youth sports. The measurement discrepancy is due to the wide-ranging framing of the demographics, geographies, and organizational structures. Let’s just say there is a glut of kids at play in the U.S. today, organizationally speaking. On the one hand, there is good reason for this popular…
Steve Kerr knows about basketball. He is a seven-time NBA champion, winning three with the Chicago Bulls and two with the San Antonio Spurs as a player, and a further two titles with the Golden State Warriors as head coach. Kerr’s depth of knowledge is obvious and unquestionable, but as coaches what can we learn from his coaching interactions and approaches? Let’s start off by watching a video featuring Steve Kerr. In this clip, Kerr is sharing some live statistical data with star player Steph…
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
Rest is not only important at the performance end of sport, but it is crucial in the development of young people. Founder of TOVO Academy, Todd Beane shares some insight as to the value of sleep. Don’t bother waking up to read this blog if you are sleeping peacefully. When parents ask what they may do to help their child improve performance, they are usually looking for technical tips or fitness secrets. I usually surprise them with one word: “Sleep.” Not a very stimulating response…
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…
In our very first Player Development Project Members webinar, the PDP team made up of UEFA A licensed coaches, Dan Wright & Dave Wright and Lead Researcher, James Vaughan go through the topic of Redefining Success in Player Development. Dave, Dan and James share some slides from a recent conference presentation and answer questions from the PDP community. Don’t miss a fantastic conversation which covers everything from individual learning plans and a constraints led approach. Image Source: depositphotos.com
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,…
If your youth football team are winning every week, are you really “winning”? UEFA A licensed coach, Dan Wright, unpacks the constant search for an appropriate challenge. Almost weekly online I see results that just don’t make sense. Teams winning 22-0 and promoting it, wearing it like a badge of honour, instead of reflecting on who is really benefiting in these one-sided games. I see Tweets about grassroots Under-10s teams going 60 games unbeaten and labelled “invincible”. But as talent developers, we should be looking instead…
UEFA A licensed coach & PDP Editor, Dave Wright discusses why an individual approach to player development is crucial after recently presenting at a conference in Australia. The presentation was based on his philosophy, PDP research and experience from his time at Fulham FC. Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Football Federation Victoria (the state governing body for football in Victoria) to present at their State Coaching Conference in Melbourne. I was given freedom to choose a topic, but encouraged to…
Keith Davids, Duarte Araújo, Luis Vilar, Ian Renshaw & Ross Pinder The Big Idea When asked to comment on what he found to be so special in playing the classical guitar, Andres Segovia spoke of his sitting position in playing it. He said he leans his body forward slightly to support the guitar against his chest, “for the poetry of the music should resound in our heart.” So why shouldn’t the poetry of the sports player resound in his or her heart? Which is what…
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….