⚽️🎾How can coaches create the best environment for skill development in sport? 🏐🏀 🎙️Dr. Ed Coughlan shares his considerable insights on the key principles of effective coaching. Definitely an episode not to be missed - out Friday morning in partnership with main sponsor

Should more players ditch traditional drills and train like Shai? Drop your thoughts 👇🏽 #ShaiGilgeousAlexander #NBAfinals #PlayerDevelopment #BasketballTraining #EvidenceBasedTraining #ConstraintLedApproach #TransformingBasketball

Right up your alley andy hair

When learning a new skill, it is important to remember that failing is a part of the process. Through failure, we receive more information from the environment and become more attuned to the affordance landscape. This allows us to find the best solution for the task at hand.

A-grade or C-grade. Starting or bench. Competitive or social. Every level matters. Success isn’t just about winning. It’s about growth, connection, and enjoying the game. Clubs and schools should create opportunities for all players to thrive. #PE #YouthDevelopment

#CoachingTip Make training engaging - or lose them forever. Engagement is oxygen for young players. #FunFirst #CoachingYouthFootball 🎈

Games are full of unpredictable moments, but many practices are the exact opposite- clean, controlled, and overly scripted. Players don’t learn to adapt by memorising what should happen. They learn by responding to what does happen. If your practices don’t reflect the chaos of

The Constraints-Led Approach isn’t about letting players figure it out randomly. It’s about shaping environments where they can explore, adapt, and develop real skills. What does this mean for coaches working with beginners 🧵👇

Primary Physical Education doesn’t need to be complicated. Strip it back. Any “type of movement that is producing a desire to move more” is positive within a program. Sometimes we need to slow down and think of what our purpose is. Nathan Walker (PE Insights Podcast)

Feedback isn’t about pointing out what went wrong. It’s about showing what’s possible next. Try: “I loved how you did this. Next time, see if you can try this…” Supportive, clear, and way less anxiety-inducing. Guide forward, don’t drag back.

The quicker junior coaches can dismiss the idea that their job is about the results, the more they will enjoy what they do and coach players to love the game more than anything.

Playing games and gamifying learning isn’t just for kids. As a learner, I loved turning training into challenges. Often setting goals, scoring points, chasing progress. Fun isn’t age specific. It’s the reason we want to come back & get better. #PhysicalEducation #YouthDevelopment

The goal of a warm-up isn’t just to repeat the same routines, it’s to prepare. Prepare for chaos. For movement. For decision-making. Instead of wasting that window on autopilot reps, we could be using it to build skill, explore movement, and raise engagement from the start.

Teaching principles of play > just teaching tactics or isolated skills. Principles help players understand the game. Not just follow instructions. When kids know the “why,” they make better decisions and grow as thinkers, not just doers. #PhysicalEducation #YouthDevelopment

#CoachingTip Playing up builds challenge. Playing down builds confidence. Choose what the player needs. #IndividualPathways #CoachingYouthFootball 🔁

The mental side of sport matters just as much as the physical. Are our games helping kids handle pressure? Communicate with teammates? Make smart decisions? Let’s design sessions that build soft skills, not just strong kicks. #YouthDevelopment #PhysicalEducation

Rugby has its own version of tiki-taka. Movement, support and great decision making 👏

#CoachingTip Your best players at U10 might not be your best at U16. 📏 Early maturity ≠ long-term success. 🕰️ Be patient with late bloomers. 🚫 Don’t overlook potential. #MakingTheBallRoll #TrustTheProcess

Creativity in sport is fading fast. Set plays. Rigid systems. Robot-like players. When we remove decision-making, we remove expression. Sport is meant to be fun. Let’s raise more Ronaldinhos, not just rule followers. Let them play!

Confidence isn’t just for players…coaches need it too! When you trust yourself, you create better spaces, make clearer decisions, and coach with purpose. Confidence brings out the best in everyone. It’s important to not only empower your players but to feel empowered yourself!