Obtaining a coaching license is a great way to learn and progress on your coaching journey. But do we place too much emphasis on formal coaching qualifications? And how important are informal learning opportunities? In this Q+A, we consider the role of formal soccer coaching courses, explain how to get the most from them, and discuss the value of informal learning experiences. In This Article Do Coaching License Levels Matter? What are the different soccer coaching licenses, and is there much difference between them? “I…
Dave Wright
In this PDP webinar replay, we host Ben Bartlett, a truly world-class coach developer who currently works as Fulham FC Head of Coaching and spent over a decade at The FA as a National Youth Coach Developer. Ben is an expert in the area of session design, specifically a constraints led approach – a methodology which ensures your players use information from within the game to develop. Ben is hosted by PDP Co-founder Dave Wright and PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright. Both Dave & Dan…
Understanding the Practice The fast finishing practice is designed to assist players with close range, fast finishing inside the penalty box. The practice utilises realistic pitch geography and overloads in favour of the attacking team to create high repetition of goal scoring opportunities in a small sided game structure. The practice can be used with players of almost any age but is particularly valuable for those age 10+. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations &…
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.
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, the PDP team host top academy coaches, Mark Lyons and Tom Mallinson for an in depth discussion on academy football in England. Mark Lyons is the Pre-Academy Co-ordinator & Lead Coach at Leicester City FC and Tom Mallinson is a Professional Development Phase Coach at Nottingham Forest FC. Experienced Academy Coaches, Dan Wright and Dave Wright will host Tom and Mark for a round table discussion on professional academy football in the UK. All four of our expert panel met…
The question this week comes from Percy via Facebook: “Would you ever use isolated technique training?” 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,…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, we connect with the highly experienced, Kelly Cross & Drew Sherman to discuss youth development in Australia. Kelly Cross is the Technical Director – Youth at Sydney FC, whilst Drew is the General Manager of Football at Melbourne Victory. Since the turn of the century these two clubs have been the most successful in the A League and now lead the way around youth development pathways. In this discussion, PDP Editor, Dave Wright hosts Kelly and Drew for an in…
Coaching across age groups requires subtle skills and in depth understanding. In this Masterclass Webinar replay, PDP Co-hosts Dave Wright and Dan Wright host Assistant Academy Manager at Birmingham City FC, Stuart Engish for an in depth discussion on age appropriate coaching. Stuart shares some brilliant insights into the academy at Birmingham City FC and his former club, Brentford FC where he held a similar role. The conversation focusses on the differences of coaching delivery and player development across all of the age phases from…
Transition is a moment of the game which requires practice. In this session you’ll see a small sided game which encourages a high level of repetition of quick attack, forward runs, forward passing and recovering runs. The game is designed to create overloads in different areas of the pitch which creates a high number of attacking opportunities for the team in possession and challenges the defending team to recover and often defend outnumbered. UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright will talk you through the set…
The question this week comes from Gav through the PDP Members Community: Gav asks, “Should I have a theme for my sessions?” 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. …
Coaching kids soccer can be challenging, in order to help the majority of coaches (and therefore, the majority of players), we need to arm volunteer coaches with everything they need to get started putting on great sessions for 6-12 year old players. So we put together an introduction to soccer coaching course which we believe is missing from the world of coach education. We know that the majority of coaches out there are volunteers – first time coaches, who may not have a background in…
Warren Grieve is an AFC Pro License holder and Technical Director at Football NSW in Australia. In this interview, PDP Editor, Dave Wright sits down with Warren to talk coach education, learning environments and more. This conversation covers a range of topics including: This is an insightful discussion for developing coaches, particularly those who have an interest in pursuing formal courses and qualifications. Image Credits: Unsplash
Player Development Project sits down with Andrew Watt, Youth Development Phase Manager at Fulham FC, to discuss how the Premier League club supports players across the U9-U16 age groups. Below, Andrew provides insights into the Fulham Academy’s principles, his views on talent identification, the different approaches to coaching kids from U9s all the way through to U16s, and how to manage the transitions to different game formats. He also offers practical advice on session design, the merits of isolated and opposed practices, and how to…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, we host Psychologist and Motivational Interviewing Pioneer, Prof. Stephen Rollnick. Stephen is a world leader in psychology and recently co-authored the book, Coaching Athletes to be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sport. Alongside him is UEFA Pro Licensed Coach and Assistant Coach at Crawley Town, Edu Rubio. Stephen and Edu will be hosted by the PDP Team, Dave Wright and Dan Wright for a wide ranging discussion on effective coach communication. We dive into a number of topics including: This…
PDP Co-Founder Dave Wright & Positive Psychology expert Lara Mossman discussing how to control emotions in sports. We can’t expect youth soccer players to show great emotional control all of the time. It’s sometimes easy to forget, but they’re not mini-adults — they don’t have the same capacity to control their emotions as we do, and we shouldn’t expect them to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help. We can still teach our young players how to understand and manage their emotions. And this education…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, we host Director of Coach Education at the Royal Belgian FA, Kris Van Der Haegen for an energetic and in depth conversation on the Belgian model of player and coach development. In this discussion, PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright & PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright co-host Kris for a wide ranging conversation on how the Belgian model was dramatically changed following the Euro 2000 tournament. Kris was a key driver of this change, addressing game formats, shifting coaches to a player-centric…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, PDP Coaching Advisor, Dan Cooke joins PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright for an in depth discussion on how to support players physical development through football. Dan and Dave will discuss some key considerations for coaches, take a deep dive on the topic of speed, share practical examples and discuss how to use small sided games for physical outcomes. Image Source: Unsplash Would you like to learn more about physical performance in football? View our online course on Physical Performance through Soccer….
This practice is designed to work on high speed attack, defensive recovery runs and has a physical and psychological focus. Physically, the practice demands high speed runs in attack and defence. Mentally, players are tasked with demonstrating real desire and an attitude to compete. This is a valuable session for helping players physical conditioning through football. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dave will talk you…