It’s often hard to tell how much we’re affecting our players. Judging our level of impact can be subjective, and the extent to which we positively influence our players may not be apparent until further along in their sporting journey. Player retention can be a helpful indicator; if the kids come back happy every week, we’re off to a good start. But there are additional ways we can consider our impact and strive to give our players the best possible experience while playing youth soccer….
ego
Ego. Why does it dominate coaching? Player Development Project Editor & academy coach, Dave Wright challenges the place of ego in coaching questioning where it comes from, the difficulty of removing it and accepting that as a coach, you may not have all the answers. “The kumara (sweet potato) does not need to say how sweet he is.” It’s game day. A cold winter’s morning, you look outside, it’s gloomy, but there’s no rain. Game on. You’ve planned and prepared for weeks through a gruelling pre-season….
In this PDP webinar replay, the PDP team host Russell Earnshaw for an interactive conversation on a range of topics around coaching and youth development. Russell is a coach developer who has consulted with The FA, GB Hockey, Google, the Rugby Football League and British Swimming among others. He is the Co-founder of The Magic Academy, a platform that supports coaches. Russell is also a former coach of the England U18 rugby team and a former professional player. In this discussion, PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright…
At Player Development Project we have always encouraged a growth mindset: coaches always learning and seeking out quality content to improve the environment for players. In this blog, PDP Co-founder and UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright shares some of his favourite books for coaches. Legacy, James Kerr In 2016 I wrote a review for this book for Player Development Project. This book provides a first-class insight into the innovative and constantly changing culture of the All Blacks. The book focusses particularly on leadership and…
What is coaching? PDP Editor & UEFA A licensed coach Dave Wright talks about the ups and downs of his career as a football coach. From technical and tactical lessons to the spoils of victory on the field, the real rewards come from shaping the lives of young players in whose reflection we often see ourselves. Since 2002, I have only gone one season without coaching a football team. Throughout that time, I can remember nearly all of the players I have coached, many of…