Share Your Knowledge
The tips have been organised into the following categories;
Organising your Coaching Sessions
It is essential that you plan your coaching session and do everything possible to ensure that it is run professionally and create the perfect environment for your players to develop within.
Ending a Training Session
‘Always finish a training session with a drill or exercise that reinforces what you have been covering in your session. This way the players leave with the coaching points fresh in their head’
David Richardson – Nottingham
Starting a Training Session
‘I always have something set-up and ready for when the children arrive, so that they can go straight into practice – it also stops them from blasting the ball at the goal which is dangerous if they are not properly warmed-up’
David Carlton – Derbyshire
Areas
‘Make sure the players know what areas they are working in and that they are clearly marked i.e. by bright cones, evenly spaced and in straight lines.’
Chris Reeves – Northampton
Flexible Coaching
‘Whatever task I used to plan, the numbers were never the same and so now I always make sure that the drills and practices can be adapted to suit the number of players. You should do the same.’
Tony Carter – Nottingham
Set them Scenarios to Overcome
‘You want your players to be able to think for themselves so devise drills or match scenarios and get your players to show and tell you what they should be doing – it is a very effective way of learning.’
George Thorpe – Luton
Assign a Captain for the Session
‘I like to assign a different captain for the session, they take on the responsibility of making sure that all players come to me when I ask, that all equipment is collected etc The kids love it!!’
Neil Moyles - UK
Never Do the Same Session Twice
‘This is my golden rule and it ensures that my players don’t get bored and continue to progress.’
Simon Derton - England
Make it Fun
‘Simple but effective – if it is fun then the players will enjoy it and are more willing to come to training.’
Jo Sawley - York
Devise A Team Warm-up
‘This looks professional and my players always gain confidence when they see the opposition stood in a line waiting to have a shot! I mean how many of their players are actually going to get a shot in a match???’
Jack Mason - England
Player Development
As a coach you should strive to create perfect all round players; in terms of skills, fitness, mental processing and physical enhancement. This should always be a process for the masses and not just a couple of star players.
Player Development
‘I make it a rule to never have the players in a line waiting to take part in a drill, they should be constantly active!!!’
Hannah Wellington – Northumberland
Both Feet
‘This seems obvious but I believe that you should make your players practice everything they do with both feet as it gives them so many more option.’
Alister Fitzgerald - Bath
Perfecting Technique
‘Make the players practice the skill in slow motion and gradually let them increase the speed at which they do it. Request that they slow down again if they are starting to show bad technique’
Andrew Cartwright - Bristol
Teach Your Players Respect
‘Show your players respect and teach them to respect their team mates, opponents, coaches and match officials. They will go much further if they have this positive attitude’
Jeremy Turton – Hereford
Training Matches
‘If joining in don’t be tempted to play any other position than in goal – you could cause an injury or be stunting their development’
Paul Bridges – Lancashire
Create Success for Every Player
‘I always tailor a drill so that I can make it harder for the better players and easier for the less able – everyone is challenged and gains success!!!’
Ashley Fells – Blackburn
Inspire Your Players
‘Show your players videos of great players and what they achieved and explain how they got to that stage’
Paul Thelps – Kent
Maintain Possession
‘I often find that the ball switches sides so quickly – the longer we have the ball, the less time the opposition has to score with it!’
Duncan Smith – Birmingham
Rest While You Have the Ball
‘I heard someone say this and it made sense. When your team has the ball get them just to pass it on 1 or 2 touch and they can conserve energy as they will not be running all over the place with the ball!’
Alister Lindhurst – Bath
Keep the Ball Moving
‘As soon as the ball stops, the momentum is with the other team. Keep the ball moving and that will make your opposition work harder’
Scott Miller – Yorkshire
Have the Goalkeeper Practice all the Techniques and Skills
‘In training you should try to get your players to have as many touches as possible – it will increase their feel for the ball and in turn their confidence with the ball.’
Mark Dinton – Cambridge
As Many Touches As Possible
‘In training you should try to get you players to have as many touches as possible – it will increase their feel for the ball and in turn their confidence with the ball.’
Ian Parsons – Liverpool
The Ball Moves Faster then A Player
‘A simple demo of the ball moving faster than any player will prove that it is quicker to pass, then to run the ball.’
Andrew Short – Manchester
Mickey Mouse
‘Get your players to pretend the ball is mickey mouse. When they are going to pass the ball they will step on one of his big ears (depending on what footed they are) and they need to kick him in the nose. He can take it in the nose, but if they kick him in the cheeks, chin or above the nose the ball won’t go to its target and mickey mouse will get hurt.’
Andrew Hollaway – Crewe
Dog on Lead
‘Tell your younger players when dribbling to pretend their football is a dog on a lead. The imaginary lead is a maximum of 2 metres and this will mean that the players keep the football close at all times.’
Peter Griffin - Nottingham
Challenge Your Players to Create New Moves
‘At the end of every session, spend 5 minutes letting your players show off their new skills or something they have been practicing. Most of the players will thrive on this.’
John Farnborough - Lancashire
All Running Should Be Done with a Ball
‘At every opportunity I have my players with a football at their feet, they need to be at total ease with the ball so the more they have to kick it the greater their confidence grows.’
Carl Norton - UK
Good coaching practice
Always be professional in your conduct. A coach is a strong role model and therefore you should not take this responsibility lightly, be the perfect advert for progression in football.
Addressing The Group
‘Make sure you are facing the sun and that you are not speaking into the wind as your voice quite often will not carry and your players will not have heard your instructions.’
Stuart Sinclair – Newcastle
Demonstrations
‘A good demonstration of a drill or a skill is a necessity – if you can’t show the players what to recreate then get someone who can!’
Alex Witard - Peterborough
Mobile Phones
‘Always have a mobile phone close at hand but never use it unless it is an emergency – a coach on a mobile phone looks like he/she is not interested in their players’
Ben Leighton – Bury
Eye Contact
‘In the summer months do not be tempted to wear sunglasses when coaching, it creates a barrier when talking to your players – you want them to trust you, so look them in the eyes’
Jude Norton – England
Language
‘Speak clearly to your players, using words that they will understand. Never use foul or abusive language even if the players do’
George Williams – Leeds
Be On Time
‘Get to the session and have it ready to go by the time the players start arriving’
Neil White – Kent
Be Positive
‘It will create confidence in your players and they will perform better’
Jill Simkin – Newcastle
Maintain Control
‘At the start of the season the coaches and the players came up with some ground rules, everyone had input and then we all signed the agreement. The players effectively made the rules and were fantastic at abiding by them.’
Jim McCrae – Derbyshire
Your Appearance
‘Be smart and look the part’
Gary Walters – London
Don’t Overload them with Information
‘I have 1 topic each session, we take it slowly and get across all the key points – the next week a quick test will prove that they took it all in.’
Greg Chillington – USA
Equipment – Clean and Safe
‘For the sake of the players make sure you check all your equipment is in clean working order on a regular basis.’
Fiona Jindes – Birmingham
Rapport
‘I think it is important to talk to my players on their level, that doesn’t mean act like a child, but do create an environment that they feel comfortable training in.’
Ryan Wilkinson - London
Drinks
‘Every 15-20 mins make sure everyone has a drink of water/sports drink. They may not feel like it but if you wait until they are thirsty they are already dehydrated.’
Steve Bailey - Leeds
Parents – Create an Understanding
‘Ask the parents not to shout instructions to the players during matches or training as it can confuse them having conflicting instructions’
Richard Clairemont - Barnsley
Show Trust in Your Players
‘By doing this they will respect you more’
Jo Loburn - London
Stamp out Bullying Immediately
‘This is difficult to deal with and each situation is different but you must make your players aware that anyone involved in bullying will be banned from all sessions’
Luke Nathan-Smith- Stoke
Make Players Think For Themselves
‘I like to get my players to come up with solutions to problems in the game. A player that is a good thinker is a yard ahead of his opponent’
Conner Robertson - Nottingham
Coach development
Anyone can stand and watch some players in a match but we all know that a true coach is interested in developing their players. Always look for ways to improve as a coach as your players will benefit from your development.
Set Homework
‘Give your players something to go away and practice on their own, you can devise tests at the start of each session to check they have practiced. Everyone will do the homework so they can be successful in training the following week’
Jon White – Cornwall
Watch other Coaches
‘You will always pick up new ideas or ways of practicing something’
Peter Jones – Worchester
Go to Professional Matches and See How they Warm-up
‘What could be better than having virtually the same warm-up as Manchester United or Chelsea, just don’t expect your players to be able to do everything that professional players can. Remember you don’t want to injure your players.’
Frank Tomlin – Bradford
Continue to Educate Yourself
‘Never get set in your ways; I have met too many coaches that do exactly the same thing as they did 20 years ago. The game is constantly moving on and developing and so the should the coach’
David Cotterill – Sheffield
Watch Good Teams and Players
‘Whenever I see a new move or set piece on TV I write it down and we practice it, it means that we have always got new things to do at practice’
Dylan Jameson - Manchester
To submit a piece of training advice please email it to share@train1on1.co.uk and we will post the best ones in our ‘Coaching Tip Section’.
