Watched a coaching session recently for 18 players. It was so simple yet incredibly effective. 3 games & about 15 mins per game. Game 1: 4v2 possession game Game 2: 3 pitches, 3v3 matches Game 3: 9v9 match -All games -All ball contact -All decision making -All involved

Good read for anyone with an interest in coaching, facilities & player development. A snippet. "Since 2000, Iceland has built 7 full sized indoor football halls, 20 outdoor heated fields, a handful of half sized indoor arenas & 150 mini pitches" urbansoccerpark.com/iceland?s=09

We must continue to strive for smaller sided games Where 8v8 becomes 4v4 Where 10v10 becomes 5v5 Where no child gets 2 touches a half Where scoring is frequent Where ball contact is up Where they're challenged often Where improvement occurs Where enjoyment flourishes

3v3 is a great concept & reasonably simple to set up at training. Give yourself some extra time to 1. Set up the pitches 2.Organise teams 3. Have equipment ready And watch the players flourish in an environment of ball contact, goal scoring, enjoyment & skill development.

Really interesting thread.

The longer I coach, the more I realise that the greatest learning occurs in the chaos of games & play. And not in the predictability of drills & lines. Embrace the chaos. Relinquish coach control. And watch them flourish.

Brilliant read for coaches.

Really good read discussing many aspects of coaching. Including the popular belief that there's a "Golden age" between ages 7-12 for learning sports skills. Which as the article indicates, lacks evidence. A brilliant read for coaches. nih.no/english/about/…

"Adult expectations, attitudes & behaviors can unintentionally sour children's experience in sport" "This pressure can come in many forms, including unrealistically high expectations, a focus on winning, heated post match debriefings & critical comments" theconversation.com/what-makes-kid…

The Fun Integrations Theory: Towards sustaining children and adolescents in sport. Winning was ranked 48th out of 81 factors influencing participation. For 10 year olds, fun was 4 times more important than winning. Visek, A. J., et al. (2015) Interesting research for coaches

Thanks for sharing John Murphy . A very interesting thread for coaches.

Smaller sided games are a great & simple way to develop young players to maximise ball contact. And they can be easily implemented at training. Aim for 4v4 over 8v8, or 5v5 over 10v10. More touches More goals More decision making More skill development More enjoyment

6 reflective questions post training 1. Were there opportunities to score? 2. Were they making decisions? 3. Was it too drills based? 4. Can I incorporate small sided games? 5. Was everyone involved? 6. Are all players being afforded the opportunity to improve their skill?

Of all the skills that coaches require, interpersonal skills are arguably the most important. That ability to speak, to listen and to connect. People skills. Invaluable.

Coaching kids becomes very enjoyable when you accept that results are largely irrelevant.

Another weekend of matches. A variety of instructions. From a variety of people. Sends a variety of messages. Let the coaches coach. Let the children play. It's often that simple.

Regardless of winning medals or trophies, the retention of children on your sports team is a great measure that you're doing things well.

Coaches should continue to strive towards a smaller sided games format at training. Where 4v4 is chosen over 8v8. Where 5v5 is chosen over 10v10. Where ball contact is maximised. Where goals are plenty. Where decisions are made under pressure. Where every child is involved

Really interesting read from Dr. Colman Noctor . "If we focus only on winning and awards, we risk causing anxiety and reducing enjoyment". Well worth a read for parents, coaches & clubs.

As many sports return after the summer break, its worth remembering that A. No child should be giving up sports because they're a sub every week. B. No child should be giving up sports because of insufficient game time.