Soccer set pieces are a crucial part of the game; from grassroots level to professional clubs, an increasing amount of value is being placed on set plays. But how important are they in youth soccer? In this Q+A, we consider the benefits of working on set pieces with young players, explore the growing role of set piece coaching, and discuss how we can incorporate it in our sessions. In This Article Should I Coach Set Pieces In the Foundation Phase? During the Foundation Phase (ages…
Tony Readings
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…
PDP Co-Founder Dave Wright & Former New Zealand Women’s Head Coach Tony Readings, discussing the positives and potential pitfalls for girls in mixed soccer. Is it better for female soccer players to play in boys’ teams? Playing mixed soccer can provide both technical benefits and social challenges. As coaches, we must strike a balance that pushes our players without hindering their development or enjoyment of the game. Whether it’s best for a girl to play on boys’ teams depends upon a variety of factors that…
Tony Readings is an International Coach who has attended two Olympics and three FIFA Women’s World Cups with the New Zealand Women’s team. He is the holder of the AFC Pro License and the UEFA A license and has been coaching at international level for almost a decade. Tony joins us for an in-depth discussion, covering the following topics: Join PDP Editor & UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright & PDP Lead Researcher, James Vaughan as they discuss these topics and a whole lot more….
Manager of the New Zealand National Women’s Team, the Football Ferns, Tony Readings has come up against some giants of the women’s world game. Taking on the likes of the USA (#1) , China (#14) and Brazil (#6), the Ferns have performed well beyond expectations. Tony and his team have created a truely unique team culture, which seems to be the key ingredient in the Ferns’ ability to consistently produce world class results. PDP: How would you describe the culture of the Football Ferns? TR:…
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…