Parents/Managers

Session
James Barraclough

Introduction
Not about us being selfrighteous/know it all
Volunteers do great job
No volunteers = no Grassroots
football
BUT can some things be done
better?
Just because things happened
certain way when we were
younger, not necessarily right

Sideline Parents
Following types of parent identified:
Uninterested (never present)
Overcritical (never satisfied)
Yells from sidelines (often louder
than coach)
Coaches from sidelines (often
contradicting coaches)
De Knop et al (1998) Each can
have negative impact on child,
coach, team & whole club. Such
parents can disrupt to level

Activity: whiteboardWhy no Shouting from

Sidelines...

Why is shouting from line bad?

Interferes with players decisionmaking (confuses/frustrates
them)
Might contradict what
coach/manager saying
Can make player nervous &
choke/fear of failure
Mistakes encouraged as +ve
learning opportunity (players

How Calm Affects

Players...

Shouting/Aggression
affects them... (Fear of
Failure)

Why do Kids Play? Ask

Them
Im not bothered about winning the
league, the game is just for fun
(North Riding U10)
I do worry if weve lost but not for too
long as I want to go and find out the
Villa score then (Worcestershire
U10)
Something to do on Sunday (Under 9,
West Riding)
because all my mates play (Under 11,
East Riding)
because its a really fun game (Under
10, Liverpool)

Whats wrong with this

Picture...?

An Alternative...

Socialisation through
Football...
Football = powerful tool for
learning about:
Winning/losing gracefully
Respect for others
(players/coaches/officials)
Rules & regulations
Teamwork
Communication skills
Making friends
Dealing with people you dont like!
Confidence
Concentration

Importance depends on
Stage
TECHNICAL
TACTICAL
(how to...)
Passing, dribbling, etc.

PHYSICAL
(the body...)
Fitness, nutrition, etc.

(when/where to...)
Decision-making,
formations, etc.

PSYCHOLOGICAL/
SOCIAL
(the mind...)
Confidence,
composure, etc.

Activity

Which corner(s) are most important at

which age?
(technical, tactical, physical,
psychological/social)

69
Technical, social, very basic
tactical
9 12
Technical, social, some tactical
12 16
Technical, some tactical, social,
basic physical/psychological

We want
ALL our players to:
Be 2 footed
Play in different positions
Play out from defence
Pass/dribble/shoot at right time
Defend effectively individually &
team (eventually)
Have equal playing time (rota)
Have certain standards of
behaviour (manners/respect)

We aim to do this by
Creating Learning
Environment:
Maximising
touches per player
Encouraging players to try new
positions
Practices using players
weaker foot
Allowing players to be calm in
possession
Allowing players to make own
decisions
Players/coachs/parents code
of conduct

Why Different
Positions... (Ajax)

To appreciate how other players

think
E.g. CF playing CB & vice-versa

Player rotation (total football) rota

Player wanting to change
position later in development
Using weaker foot important
Play out from defence = more
chance of retaining possession
Possession = more chance to

Why More Touches...

Accelerates learning more brain
cells join up & more myelin
produced (motor learning)
Ajax Amsterdam introduced 4 v 4
over 8 v 8:
135% more passes
500% more goals
225% more 1 v 1s
How many more with ball each/1 v 1/2
v 2/3 v3

How?
Small-sided practices (SSGs)

Motor Learning (why lots of

Born with all brain cells ever have & start to die straight
touches)
away
BUT we have billions of cells (about 10,000 per cubic
millimetre)
Learning new skills - brain cells form new connections with
other cells
Sections of brain for certain skills actually found to be
larger in experts e.g. cabbies
Learning skills changes hardware in which knowledge
stored in brains more we learn more it changes!
Like downloading new software - your PC (brain) upgrades
from Pentium 1 to Pentium 4
Experts have most up to date software...
Only upgraded by thousands of hours of practice (10,000?)
Practice makes permanent physical/technical best
Also amount of myelin (white fatty tissue) surrounding new
connections increases
Acts as insulation & prevents signals from leaking out,
improving memory & skill

How we Learn... 10,000

Hours?

How We Learn...

Coaching cant just train people to

hoover up predetermined, bitesized gobbets of knowledge
In real-life we learn by:
Watching others (role models)
Trying it ourselves
Asking questions, when & if we
need to
Trying different scenarios: trial &
error
Visualising how things might pan

Why Long-Term Approach

&
NOT
Win
at
all
Costs
Physical literacy important as

base (multi-sports)
Success in sports mix of factors
(4 corners)
Different rates of development
(non-linear) late/early
developer - 2 examples:
Lewis (U6 MUFC)/Ian Ormson
(SCFC keeper)
Unknown how growth spurt will

What is Talent/Ability?
Current performance poor
indicator of ability - mediated by
other influences & can change
drastically during growth spurt:
Genes (physical)
Training (environment)
Correct support from
parents/coaches
Psychology (mindset)
Luck!

Long-Term Player Development

(LTPD) Good Approach (some flaws)

Sports scientists:
sensitive periods in
development where
effects of training
maximised
Take 8 - 12 years of
training for talented
athlete to become elite
(10,000 hours)

Stage 1: FUNdamentals
(6 - 9)
Participate as many sports as possible
Introduction to simple rules/ethics of sports
Appropriate/correct running, jumping &
throwing techniques taught using FUN
games:
ABC's (Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed)
RJT (Running, Jumping, Throwing)
KGBs (Kinaesthetics, Gliding, Buoyancy, Striking
with a body part)
CKs (Catching, Kicking, Striking with an
implement)

Stage 2: Learning to
Train (9 12)
Further develop FUNdamental
movement skills
General overall sports skills
Develop endurance with
games/relays
Basic flexibility exercises
Speed during warm-up, e.g. SAQ

Stage 3: Training to Train

(12 - 16)
Develop speed & sport-specific skills
Develop stamina
Develop knowledge of:
how/when to stretch
nutrition/hydration
mental preparation

Establish routines
Emphasis on flexibility training due
to growth spurt

Stage 4: Training to Compete

(16 - 18)
Technical/tactical skills/fitness
improvements & competitionspecific training
Perform sport specific skills
under competitive conditions
during training
Fitness & recovery, psychological
prep & technical development
individually tailored

Coaching Methods
Which did you prefer from
practical session?
Why?
Inclusion: making sure everyone
involved equally (no favouritism
especially own child)
How: no bus queues & equal
playing time
Which players need more playing
time?
Less developed (may be late

Praise/Overpraise
Guy Claxton: Children praised all
time less creative & imaginative &
less confident to learn on own...
become addicted to stream of praise
& approval. They learn for approval,
not intrinsic pleasure & purpose of
getting better
Carol Dweck: NEVER praise natural
ability BUT praise success through
prolonged effort

Language
Dealing in maybes rather than
absolutes effective i.e. this
could be true rather than this
is true
Guy Claxton:
If you talk to me in Could Be
language, I am immediately in a
world of openness & possibility
as soon as you tell me something
Is, all I can do is my best to

Our Programme

Passing & Receiving

Turning/Changes
of direction
Attacking
Shooting/Finishing
Dribbling/RWTB
& Defending

Activity: Code of
Conduct...
As Coaches/Parents we will:
Act as positive role models
Encourage mistakes (acknowledge
our own)
Leave our egos at home
Praise success through endeavour
not ability
Let kids work things out for
themselves (NO SHOUTING &
BAWLING) minimal coaching
Rotate players & equal playing time
NOT win at all costs (BIGGER

Recommended
Reading...
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

Mindset by Carol Dweck

Whats the Point of School? By Guy Claxton
Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson
Teambuilding by Rinus Michels
Football for the Brave by John Cartwright
http://www.richardbailey.net/Participant
%20Development%20Lit%20Review.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44z2cj3
mv0M
The England Patient Part 1 follow links
for other parts
http://elitesportconsulting.wordpress.com/

And Finally...
3 Golden Rules:
1. Always try your best
2. Dont be afraid to make
mistakes
3. ENJOY!!!
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presentation
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