Here are your highlights for this week:
Practice of the week
Two practices in fact (session 1 and session 2), about encouraging confidence in possession and transition, via Hive Learning (free registration required).
Confidence on the ball is actually the theme we picked for our team, for this first part of the season. And it’s been really worth it: our players seem more relaxed and happier to just try things out!
Coach of the week
Jill Ellis led the USA Women’s football team to a brilliant World Cup win this summer, and just this week was recognised as the Best FIFA Women’s Coach.
Here is a nice interview she gave recently, with many good insights in her coaching journey from the UK to international success.
Also, how to motivate substitutes:
Topic of the week
Straight from the US, where everything seems more competitive, the lessons learnt over many years by a sports dad, many of which still chime in with what we see here in the UK. Like primary schools labelling their after-school club ‘Football Academy’…
Worth sharing with parents.
Throw the words “select,” “premier” or “elite” in front of a sports program, and there’s no end to the amount of effort (and money) we parents will put forth to get our kid into it.
There’s a dire need to make youth athletics less about select, premier and elite, and more about fun, participation and recreation.”
I hope you enjoyed this. Have a great week!
Fabrice
The 5-Minute Football Coach: every Tuesday, 3 coaching tips in 5 minutes, for free.