PEOPLE are the most important part of any football club; they love to feel wanted so let’s help them feel part of this club. Parents should be informed of what the club is trying to achieve, what it expects from them, their children and should be shown respect at all times. Remember, we are borrowing their children. All the adults that are involved in the club should be shown the utmost respect and kept informed & consulted on what is happening at the club.

PLAYERS are the single most important part of any club. Children play football for many reasons, but the main reason is because it’s FUN or should be, not to win medals they are just a bonus. Give young players the freedom to be creative, give them ownership of the game by making decisions about team tactics, let them decide what they do at training, involve them in half time talks and even in how the club runs. By empowering the players and giving them a bigger part to play, we will make them feel part of the club and not just another player that turns up for a game. This will help the club be successful long into the future.

TECHNIQUE is at the heart of everything you are trying to achieve. As children become more able players, they will enjoy the game more. Technique needs to be discovered by each player as they are all individuals. Children should be coached technique by playing the game, they can be shown a certain move but having them repeatedly perform a technique on their own is neither realistic nor fun. By using small sided games we not only create a fun environment for players but we also create a situation where real, lasting learning and skill development arise out of interaction within the game, the environment, and with the other players on the pitch. Only when players are really struggling will they be taken out of the game context, and as soon as he gets the basics of that action he will be exposed to game based situations.

VISION is so overlooked by many coaches even at the highest levels, but without vision you can’t pick out the right pass, shot or when to mark an attacker. Vision is seeing the right moment to perform the technique required for that moment in time. Players should be taught at an early age to look up, sideways and behind them throughout every game they play. A simple look over the shoulder from a defender could be the difference between winning and losing a game. If players are made aware of what is going on around them, not just where the ball is, then we can have our teams play with confidence. Teach this at an early age and your teams will reap the rewards later on.

SMALL SIDED GAMES (SSG) are at the heart of everything we do at training, technically, tactically, psychologically and socially. SSG are the best way for children to learn as they keep a practice both real and fun. You can adapt them to every aspect of the game. SSG create more passes, dribbles, shots, goals and decisions compared to 7+ a side. As a grassroots club it is also important that players are given more actual playing time especially when they may only train once or twice a week.  SSG can be used for fitness work, group defending,  attacking, shooting, developing attacking team play from the back, diagonal runs, team work etc. They are also used to help players become more tactically aware and to interact with other children. Above all the children like the adapted games much more than repetitive drills.

ENVIRONMENT is the atmosphere we create as coaches. To have any success with player development you must first create the right environment. Getting this correct is crucial because without it players may feel pressured, bored, or simply lacking self belief. It is our responsibility to create a safe place where they can be challenged both physically and mentally without the fear of failure. Our environment must be a fun place to be, one that they want to come back too and if we are going to have any level of success. This may sound very obvious but as coaches we need to be very aware of what is happening around us (vision) at all times or we will create the wrong environment resulting in players either leaving the club or, worse still, giving up the game.

WINNING Keeping winning in perspective. Striving to win is important in sport. That process can bring out the best in young people - in their performance, commitment, and moral development.  For sport to provide these benefits, you must maintain a proper perspective on winning: Athletes First, Winning Second.  When winning is kept in perspective, sport programs produce young people who enjoy sports, who strive for excellence, who dare to risk error in order to learn, and who grow with both praise and constructive criticism.  When winning is kept in perspective, there is room for fun in the pursuit of victory - or, more accurately, the pursuit of victory is fun.  With proper leadership, sport programs produce young people who accept responsibilities, who accept others, and most of all accept themselves.