We know that youth development is complex and this is particularly relevant for young people who are experiencing massive change through their teenage years. Ensuring the physical development of young players is one of many coaching challenges we face when working with young people. In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Co-founder Dave Wright hosts two top experts in athlete development and human movement. Dan Cooke is an A Licensed coach with experience at all levels and is currently completing his PhD through the Sport Research Institute…
youth coaching
Ball mastery is a fundamental part of skill acquisition and football development. The skills and attributes children learn and hone during this part of their footballing journey lay the foundations for more complex team-based and tactical learnings later on. A ball mastery session gives players the confidence to experiment with the ball and enjoy playing — hopefully providing the basis for a lifetime of participation in the sport. Below, we explain the meaning of ball mastery, examine why it’s so important, and look at some…
7v7 Soccer is another crucial step on the way from small-sided games to 11v11. But as players get slightly closer to the adult game, how much should coaches think about shapes and systems? Below, we discuss what makes a good formation, explain how to use team shape to facilitate player development, and consider some of the best 7v7 soccer formations. In This Article Choosing the Best 7v7 Soccer Formations What is the best soccer formation for 7v7? It’s different for every team, and will depend…
As coaches, we can use different formations to provide our players with a variety of experiences and learning opportunities. The 4-3-3 formation is one of the most common. But why is it so popular? In this Q&A, we discuss why certain formations are used more often than others, look at how they can aid our players’ development, and assess the benefits of the 4-3-3 formation. In This Article Why Are Some Formations More Popular than Others? “Formations have historically gone in trends,” says PDP Coaching…
In this Masterclass webinar replay, the PDP team host Western United FC Academy Director, Anthony Frost for an in depth discussion on considerations around session design and delivery. PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright is joined by PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts to host Anthony and they cover a range of topics: Become a master of session design. Click here to learn more. Image Source: Unsplash
In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Editor, Dave Wright is joined by highly experienced Academy Coach, Arthur Brammer for a wide ranging conversation on player development. Arthur is a holder of the FA Advanced Youth Award and the UEFA A license. With over 10 years Academy experience in England at Watford FC and Fulham FC. At the time of recording, Arthur was working at New York City FC and since this interview has taken up a new role as Lead U15 Coach at Brighton & Hove…
Tactics are an important part of football. But how prominent should they be in our coaching when we’re working with younger players? As coaches, it’s sometimes easy to focus too heavily on tactics, perhaps at the expense of other crucial areas of development for the kids we’re working with. In this article, we consider when to include a tactical focus in our coaching, the importance of not overloading our players, and how to encourage tactical awareness while developing independent decision-makers. In This Article What do…
Self-organisation was a key process discussed at the Complex Systems in Sports Congress at Camp Nou in Barcelona. PDP co-founder James Vaughan discusses the importance of understanding and observing self-organisation with video and reflections from Barcelona and Sweden. It was the end of the day and that meant free play. However, this freedom felt very restricted, very one-directional, very narrow. It was almost as if the players had blinkers on; constrained to only see forwards. Dribble forward, tackle, loose ball, transition! Dribble forward, tackle, loose ball, transition! Dribble…
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…
In this article rugby coach and researcher, Jonny McMurtry discusses the importance of connection between athlete and coach taking a deep dive into an approach that is needs based and not just athlete-centred. Firstly, I hope this blog post finds you, your family and friends in good health; this is strange times and new territory for us all and I hope we can follow the advice of health professionals and leaders of our countries to “flatten the curve” and keep our communities safe and well,…
In this PDP Live Session, PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts facilitates the second part of his session where the focus is on playing through and around opposition players. This session supports players understanding of space, utilising an 8 v 4 overload in favour of the possession team to find and exploit gaps. The defending team is incentivised with the opportunity to press or screen and subsequently score in the mini goals at each end. As with any PDP session, we strongly encourage you to take…
In this article, AFC A licensed coach Andrew Oakley shares his perspective on a significant issue in Australian grassroots football. Andrew discusses the risks of trials, recruitment and talent identification, outlining the importance of belonging and cohesion in a young footballers developmental journey. Why do we keep shuffling the cards in hope of a ‘winning’ hand? At the end of every season in Australia’s youth football landscape, a ritual is repeated that isn’t doing our clubs or players any favours. The annual circus of retention,…
The question this week comes from Callum via our Facebook Page Callum asks: “How do I balance developing athletic and technical players?” 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…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, the PDP team host FA National Goalkeeping coach, Yilmaz Aksoy for a fascinating discussion on how to develop goalkeepers. Most kids dream of scoring the perfect goal. I’ve always dreamed of stopping it. – Iker Casillas Goalkeepers are different. Whilst most kids fall in love with scoring the perfect goal, Goalkeepers thrive in denying these moments and keeping the ball out of the net. PDP Co-hosts Dave Wright & Dan Wright sit down for a discussion designed to help coaches…
This article is the first chapter from Gold Dust: How to Become an Effective Coach, Quickly by David & Keith Mayer. The story focusses on the importance of building rapport, understanding the person and developing long-lasting relationships. This book is dedicated to the memory of Dick Bate and 10% of all sales go to the Giles Trust. Chapter 1 – The Lone Wolf: The Story of a Boy – An experience from Keith Mayer For the purpose of the story we will call this athlete…
In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Editor, Dave Wright sits down with Parkour coach, Ben Westbook and physiotherapist Jade Martin. Ben and Jade are experts in human movement and in this conversation we discuss injury prevention, functional movement, integrating variety into sports programs, specialisation and more. This is an insightful conversation with two innovators in youth development with some great tips for coaches and parents. Image Source: Liam Shaw on Unspalsh
Sideline support and direct instruction are two very different things. In this article, Founder of Working with Parents in Sport, Gordon MacLelland discusses the damage that can be caused from parents overstepping and instructing children while they play. Every weekend all over the world millions of parents, children and coaches set off for their weekly sporting ritual ‘Match Day’. Many will follow the same process each week and will never question their routine or behaviour. Many of these parents and coaches are well intentioned, trying…