Scratching the surface - AFC Ajax study visit

"You are the coach. You are responsible for the system and the philosophy." 

These were the words of former Dutch international and Ajax legend, Sonny Silooy. Sonny was presenting to us the Ajax philosophy that is admired across the footballing world.

We also took a tour of the Amsterdam ArenA. 

Sonny himself is a great example of what the club do so well. Players who are entrenched in the Ajax framework, who have been adored at the club in recent history are welcomed back to the club with open arms to help the next generation learn and flourish. Another example is Johnny Heitinga, now coaching with Jong Ajax, the club's under 23 side. His experience in the game and understanding of the club's philosophy is vital. No one is brought back on a whim however, they still have to be the right person for the club and they are paired with a trainer-coach at each age group.

We were fortunate enough to have exclusive access inside De Toekomst, the famous training centre of AFC Ajax. Ajax's record for producing talent is in a league of it's own. 'De Toekomst' translates to 'The future' in English - something held dearly as key at this club. The two days spent at the centre were incredible, hardly enough, but incredible.

For the duration we had the wisdom of Eddie Van Schaick, who has been at the club for nearly ten years as a coach and now consultant, sharing his wonderful wealth of knowledge with us.

Taking and giving responsibility

Responsibility comes from top to bottom. The club strive to improve their model everyday. The coaches have an obligation to those that are selected to play for the club. There is no screaming and hollering at this club - there is a quiet seriousness about the place but what is important is that the players are treated how they should be, as people. The coach must connect with them on all levels, not simply as footballers. Patience is a key quality of a coach at this club throughout the age groups.

The responsibility handed to players here at De Toekomst is in stark contrast to what I have witnessed at English clubs where, without wanting to generalise, players are often handed everything on a plate. The tools are given to the players, but it is what they do with them that is most important. "The most learning happens when a player takes it upon themselves" says Eddie. They are keen to see players putting in the extra work to develop, as that is what makes the difference. Additionally, the players do not need telling to leave the area clear, bring kit, move equipment, collect the footballs in. This shows on the pitch - the players are quick to correct each other, to help each other and make decisions with their own minds.

Planting the seed

Everything done within the academy is so well thought out and to the smallest detail. In their incredible dome facility, there is a performance testing area that analyses an individual's movement. This is done to create an awareness of what you are doing. "Everyone has their own individual technique" and rather than correcting someone, they want them to understand and feel comfortable within their own style.

'Power Hill'

Out on the athletics track, players can take part in a variety of activities. Basketball hoops and mini courts are in place aimed at goalkeepers and attackers so that they can train the mind to be wary of rebounds. 'Power hill' is a steep track and it is easy to think of the old school 'hill runs' when they show us this but work on here is often done with the ball or devised into a game. "They don't even realise it's training". On the small pitch (almost street football like) grids are etched into the markings to promote positional play, a key component in Ajax's philosophy. Here they are encouraged to play 3v1, 4v2 possession games and concentrate on their spacing. The aim is that these things will fast become second nature to the players.

This is much like the practices we witnessed in training at several age groups. Whether it is a technical practice, possession game or small sided game, the conditions are set to replicate Ajax's footballing philosophy and system. Once again, this is so simple yet so effective. A simple attacking (unopposed) technical practice that the under 17s worked on showed the players exactly the type of passes they are looking for and exactly the movements when running into the box.

After watching the Ajax under 23s training, one criticism Eddie had was that in a technical passing practice the first pass in the sequence went wide. He felt that the first pass should go centrally as going wide straight away created a dangerous scenario if possession was lost. Once again, it is the small things but this is what makes them stand out amongst the best.

"They are playing to win within the framework of Ajax"

In Holland, academies play against each other every season in a league system. This, they feel, is important for the players to understand that the aim is always to win. This is always a topic of great debate in England, as we have seen the shift away from league formats until after the age of eleven.

I believe this is a case of culture. In England, there has been a need to come away from the win at all costs mentality that hinders many young players development. In Holland, certainly at Ajax, development takes priority already where they still have a league format. There is no need to take the incentive of winning away.

Games are played in four blocks (they have only recently come away from the traditional two halves) and at the younger ages are now played as "twin games". Because academies generally have around sixteen players in each age group, at the younger age groups they play two games next to each other. Previously this was not the case until Ajax pulled out of the league system a couple of years because players were not getting enough game time. 

Eddie states that "The game is for everybody". Once again they reaffirm the obligation to the players they have selected. They all deserve the opportunity, equal playing time is insisted upon. When it comes to international tournaments, this is relaxed slightly but each player still gets significant time on the pitch.

The club has set systems that they are keen for the coaches to use at different age groups. At under 9 for example, in six a side they would like the team to play with one goalkeeper, two defenders, one central midfield and two forwards. At eight a side, which is the next step it is a 1-3-1-3 formation. And at eleven a side, it is the typical 1-4-3-3 that Ajax are associated with.

Fun and T.I.P.S

"Fun is number one".

This will come as no surprise but at De Toekomst fun is a key component of learning. Not only does the most learning come when an individual is having fun, but the playing philosophy of Ajax lends itself to the players' enjoyment. They have the freedom to attack and express themselves. At the younger ages, not a great deal of importance is placed on shape. As they get older, the players are encouraged to push each other and themselves but at the same time they embrace each other as if they are family. Each player has a lot of personality and when we were fortunate enough to witness the

games throughout the age groups, there was a great deal of it on show.

Ajax used the famous 'T.I.P.S" model for their development and assessment of players. Technique, Insight, Personality and Speed. If a player has all four in abundance, they are seen as golden. This model does not disregard physical ability but size and maturation is clearly not something that comes into the thinking, a reason I particularly like this model. Focus on what you can control!

In phase one, ages 8-12 players at the academy train four times a week for two hours. When it comes to phase two, however, between 13-16 the length of sessions is reduced to an hour and a half. This is because of puberty, school and other pressures that come with growing up. By the age of twelve, the coaches will know the potential of the players and this is where they need to be patient. It is refreshing to hear about.

Only scratching the surface

This was simply a snapshot of the work that goes on at this world class set up. There is so much more that I could have, and probably should have, added (feel free to ask anything below in the comments). Two days was simply not enough as there was so much more to learn about and further detail to cover. However, I did learn an incredible amount and the experience did leave me with further enthusiasm for improving my own coaching and to visit more clubs. These widened experiences can only be positive and are something I would do again in a heartbeat.

This study visit was made possible by Murray Jones and Euro Football Tours and Events. They have links with many clubs and have covered many different clubs too. I wholeheartedly recommend attending one of their events.  You can find out more at: http://www.footballtoursandevents.com/

The curious case of Ross Barkley

August 20th 2011. Everton continue their traditional slow start to a season under David Moyes with a dismal one nil defeat at home to newly promoted QPR (beaten 4-0 by Owen Coyle's Bolton the week before). There is, however, one positive to come from the game.

A sparkling performance from a Premier League debutant lifts hopes. At just 17 years old this boy seems to have it all. He is strong, he can run with the ball at great speed, he is inventive and he has two good feet. 

Five years on though, and the jury is still out on Ross Barkley. 

Injuries, loan spells and an unsurprising lack of trust from David Moyes in a young player sees Barkley's development stall. Loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds do little to persuade Moyes to select Barkley.  

In comes Roberto Martinez as Everton manager - the young attacking midfielder thrives. They come devastatingly close to Champions League qualification but in the year of a world cup there is surely a chance for Barkley to announce himself on the world stage?

Barkley makes his debut against Neil Warnock's QPR

Except Roy Hodgson is England manager. After an exciting performance against Ecuador, Hodgson is critical of Barkley, making his first England start. Despite clearly being the best player on the pitch, Hodgson bemoans his decision making asking journalists why they don't obsess on someone else. In Brazil, Barkley is limited to cameo appearances from the bench until England's fate is sealed and they are knocked out. This is fairly typical of Hodgson, but it also sums up people's opinions on Ross Barkley in his career so far. 

There just seems to be a reluctance to accept and trust him as a top quality footballer. 

Take last season as an example: In 48 games, Barkley scored 12 goals and assisted a further 11. Not only was that his most effective season to date, one in which he was nevertheless widely criticised by fans and pundits alike, but the 23 goals he contributed to in 2015-16 was bettered by only Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy of those selected for Roy Hodgson's England squad for the European Championships. 

How many minutes did he get in the tournament? Zero. As England toiled and struggled against Iceland, in a performance desperately lacking someone willing to take a risk, who would run at defenders, Ross remained sat firmly on the bench. 

Maybe it's an Everton thing?

As Everton struggled under Roberto Martinez last season, so did he. In the second half of the season he lacked confidence but when he raised his game he raised his team. In the FA Cup semi final against Manchester United him and fellow England international John Stones were at the heart of everything good as Everton pushed them all the way. In the game Barkley created several chances (particularly for Romelu Lukaku) that went begging. Had one or two gone in, would he have been hailed as the star man? 

For a player who is as close to the complete package as England are going to get, why are people so cautious of him? Turning 23, he clearly has his best years ahead of him and what he badly needs at this point is an England manager who will invest in him. 

This brings us on to the new England manager, Sam Allardyce, who has left Barkley out of his first England squad in charge. While Allardyce brings a different approach, you have to be puzzled that he did not select Barkley in a squad that contains Theo Walcott, Michail Antonio, Jordan Henderson and names Wayne Rooney as a midfielder. 

Having stumbled across watching his debut against QPR that day I was sure Ross Barkley was set to become an England star for years to come. He still can, but I now have a nagging feeling that we could be about to waste one of the most talented players in a generation. 

Home comforts

Sean Dyche thinks that English football managers get a hard time.

He says that if he was foreign he'd be hailed as a genius. Now I am actually a fan of Dyche, I like the values he instills into his teams, I like what he has done on a fairly limited budget but I don't know many foreign coaches who have been called a genius who's sole title is the Championship (having got relegated the season before).

I may not be willing to say
 this to his face though...

He says he was criticised for playing a four four two formation with Burnley in the Premier League only for Claudio Ranieri to be lauded for his approach with the same system just a year later.

But here is a thought for Sean Dyche. His Burnley side that year were relegation favourites, just like Leicester the season after. Burnley were relegated, Leicester won the league by ten points. Dyche was unable to find a system that got the results needed to survive, while Ranieri was able to extract incredible performances from previously limited footballers to create history. Ranieri was also able to adapt their strategy as Leicester became harder to beat as the season went on. So there is certainly more to it than Dyche claims, don't you think?

When I read interviews with English coaches who have spent time abroad, I often see the same thing said. The other nations think we are arrogant! And this from a young English manager does little to dispel the myth.

When you look at the current crop of young coaches coming through it's no wonder there is a majority of foreign coaches at the top level of English football. There was a real struggle to find viable English candidates for the national team manager's job. Eddie Howe has done an excellent job, producing excellent football with Bournemouth but who else is there that really strikes you as a potential world class manager? Lower down the divisions, there are promising young coaches, but it is up to them to prove themselves.

Ajax's 'De Toekomst' which means 'The Future'.
An open access facility.

Something that has summed it up is the recent ventures abroad from British coaches ending in failure. Both Moyes (who also performed miserably when given arguably the biggest job in football) and Gary Neville were both sacked within a year of being appointed at Real Sociedad and Valencia. The Premier League is hyped up as the most challenging league in the world but when tested abroad the last English manager to have any success is the late Sir Bobby Robson nearly twenty years ago. We have to do more to raise our standards.

It is however positive to see coaches taking the plunge and working abroad in many different roles. For English coaches to become more rounded and adaptable it is vital that they pick up these experiences. Hopefully it can become the norm rather than simply an exception.

I know that one of my ambitions is to work abroad, whether that be in senior football or developing
young players. In fact, next month I am fortunate enough to be visiting one of the best youth systems in the world at De Toekomst, Ajax's famous academy set up. You can expect a blog on that trip!

The open nature of academies across Europe is in stark contrast to academies in England. Everything is top secret. You have to have some form of identification or permission to get in to places. Rather than share ideas, you get the feeling that clubs are more worried about other clubs gaining an edge on them. While you can understand it to a certain degree, particularly from a financial view, it is still disappointing that this is the attitude we have.

This may be the next step for us as a nation in terms of developing better players and coaches! We have been going in the right direction (Youth Award, change in structure of coach education, England DNA) but this would enhance what is already a positive process.

Onwards and upwards

We are well and truly into the inquest of the catastrophic exit to Iceland last week.

The Football Association are now on the hunt for a new man to lead the English national team, and the questions are being asked of the players we are developing, and how we are selecting them.

For me there are still positives to take, mainly from the group stage performances. They did not perhaps yield the results we wanted but the approach and style England played in pointed to a more positive future for English football. One poor performance does not change all of that, in my opinion.

Here is a video I developed throughout the tournament. After last Monday's game I was not sure if I would go through with this but I felt it was better to have some perspective and recognise that this is a process and that there are going to be some testing times.

Just look at Wales as an example of this. This tournament has been a long time coming for them, starting with John Toshack promoting young players, continuing their development with Gary Speed and now Chris Coleman is reaping the rewards.

You can download the video here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/gu9esag8iax1ew7/England%20DNA%20emerging.mp4?dl=0

Dan Ashworth, technical director, and his team have faced some tough criticism. Questions are being asked as to whether the 'England DNA' is worth pursuing.

If we scrap this plan in it's infancy how can we ever hope to create an England side that looks like it knows it's roles and responsibilities throughout the team? This is a long term plan, one which could be a serious game changer for English football. This is where the country needs to believe even more in this 'journey'.

Too much too soon?

Search for Xavi Simons on the internet and you will get hundreds of thousands results, videos with over fifty thousand views and twitter accounts fawning over him. You would be forgiven for thinking this is quite a high profile person.

In fact, Xavi Simons is a twelve year old boy. A twelve year old boy with a lot of talent granted, but someone who surely should not be exposed to such scrutiny?

There is a Daily Mail article online (forgive me) from January this year about how a host of clubs are

"tracking" him and have been in contact with the boy's father. Not only is that just plain wrong on a footballing level, but for me it is morally wrong. 

Named after his Dad's favourite player 

I'm not convinced that a twelve year old is ready to receive such attention. It reminds me of the stories of Sonny Pike who was once heralded as England's great new talent. This was over twenty years ago, before the age of Facebook and Twitter, but the young lad struggled to cope with the pressure. Pike was shoved into the spotlight and it was detrimental to his football career. This was a kid who just needed to enjoy doing what he was good at - playing football! 

I have no doubt that in these times players are better looked after and better prepared for the attention that comes with being a young footballer. At Barcelona, Xavi Simons is in a great place and I hope his family is not lured in by the financial riches other clubs may offer him to sign for them. In the long term where is better for your football education than La Masia? 

This is not just an isolated case either. Young footballers in England receive a lot of attention on social media. 

There is a boy who signed for a a category 1 academy from the club I coached at. He came to us having arrived from Germany just days before,  instantly we knew he was not going to be with us very long. He had joined the club he is currently with within a year. Brilliant for everyone. 

His father keeps us updated with his progress (unlike the club) and we are very grateful, but even without that it would still not be difficult to keep track of how he was doing anyway. The boy has an Instagram account with thousands of followers. 

You can see from his updates that he is excelling. He is an under thirteen, like Xavi Simons, that plays several years above his own age group. He has even been on the bench for the under eighteens this season. He regularly goes away to tournaments and wins awards. 

On every post, comments such as 'you've made it', 'baller', have the potential to feed his ego but are relatively harmless if he has a level head and his club will make sure a player with such potential will not let him get carried away. However, he has already been subjected to comments such as 'you faked your age', amongst more claims that he is making it all up (he is not). 

He should not have to deal with that. At some point, someone may wind him up on the wrong day and he could get himself in to some trouble. 

Someone who has impressed me with the way they have kept them self under the radar is Marcus Rashford. Obviously not on the football scene, where he is one of the biggest talking points in a season that has been ridiculous enough in England, but how he has managed himself (or been advised to) off of the pitch. 

Just takes everything in his stride

When a young England player bursts on to the scene the media are always well prepared to pounce and make a story out of these young adults for the wrong reasons. Jack Grealish, Jack Wilshere - maybe it's in the name - are just two examples of players who have struggled under the spotlight. Aside from his new contract we have heard little of or from Rashford away from football, which can only be a good thing. 

It is no surprise that with every new challenge he has taken it in his stride, a reason why he deserves to go to the European Championships. Theo Walcott was famously taken to World Cup ten years ago at seventeen having not yet played for Arsenal, but this feels entirely different. Rashford may not play in the tournament in France this summer but his place in the squad is absolutely on merit. 

Hopefully he will be used as a shining example for young players to follow. Stay focused, keep your mind on producing consistently and good things will come. What surprises me is the rush everyone is always in.  People make poor decisions based on wanting to do things far too quickly and young players leave environments where they were thriving because a bigger club offers them huge financial incentives. 

In an ideal world, young players will be allowed to develop in their own time and not impacted by false expectations. It is simply unfair on these children. And that is just what they are, children!

Kick It Out have launched a campaign to tackle football-related discrimination across social media and raise awareness of the impact of online abuse.

Visit the ‪#‎KlickItOut‬ microsite here for more information! http://klickitout.org

Here are pictures of me and players from my under 7s side supporting the campaign! you can take part by printing off a sheet from this link:http://klickitout.org/…/We-need-KlickItOut-because-Print-Ve…

Guardiola: Success or failure at Bayern?

It is the 33rd minute at the Allianz Arena in the second leg of the Champions League semi final between Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. Javi Martinez has just won a penalty for Bayern.

The score is already one nil in a game in which Bayern have so far comprehensively outplayed Atletico, who look unusually unnerved by the occasion and Bayern's devastating performance. Up steps Thomas Muller. If he scores, this tie is surely over, there is no coming back for Diego Simeone's men. But if he misses...

What if Muller had scored?

It is quite timely that I had just finished reading Pep Confidential before this crucial fixture earlier this month. If you haven't already read it (why!?), Marti Perarnau follows Pep Guardiola in his first season at Bayern Munich. It is a fantastic insight into the genius of Guardiola. This is a man with an obsession, but with a fierce passion to deliver success through his ethos and values. In the book, for example, you learn quite how furious he is with himself for betraying his own beliefs in the semi final tie where they are beaten by Real Madrid in that season. 

It can be a fine line between success and failure. When Thomas Muller missed that penalty, it gave Atletico some belief back. Beforehand they had looked hopelessly lost, but this was their reprieve. As it was, Antoine Griezmann's second half goal proved crucial as they won on away goals.

And now, Guardiola has been branded by lots of critics as a 'failure' in his three seasons at Bayern. Here are the raw statistics of his tenure.

Games: 161

Wins: 121

Draws: 21

Defeats: 19

Goals scored: 396

Goals conceded: 110

Trophies: 7

A pretty astonishing record. However, to quote the man himself, "titles are just statistics". I believe we have to look beyond these when judging his time in Munich.

Guardiola seeks to develop his players understanding
of the game

Guardiola was tasked with creating something that would last beyond him, a legacy to make Bayern "a global player", in the words of Uli Hoeness. He has innovated once again with his 'inverted full backs' and Bayern are an incredible team to watch.

No one exemplifies Guardiola's work better than David Alaba. Under him, Alaba has become, in my eyes, the universal footballer. You could play him in practically every position on the pitch and he would give you an eight out of ten performance. He is incredible.

Who better to ask about the head coach's time than the players? Phillip Lahm, a man who had won almost all there is to win before Guardiola even arrived at the club said this:

"You’re always measured by the number of trophies but he developed a lot of players with the way he thinks about tactics, the way he analyses games and prepares teams for particular opponents. He really helps players develop and he even helped me improve at the age of 30. You’re right — with Pep it’s more than just about winning trophies."

Thomas Muller also branded it a disgrace that people might consider Guardiola a failure. The connection he made with his players is quite evident.

What it boils down to, ultimately, is how you define success! For some, Guardiola came into a ready made club who had just won the treble and had it easy. Therefore, anything but winning every trophy available is unacceptable. But how many teams have ever won the treble in succession, or even close together? Not so many, and maybe only when they have been reinvented as a team (see Luis Enrique with Barcelona last season) as Guardiola has also attempted to do. 

For others, success is to implement your beliefs on a team. To develop the players individually and collectively. I believe that this is where Guardiola's philosophy leans towards. Regardless, no one will be more critical of him than himself. He will scrutinise every move he made and what he could have done differently.

As someone who enjoys coaching young children, success to me is seeing them enjoy the game and develop as a player and a person. Quite a different world to working at the elite level, but I like to think that Guardiola tries to be quite brave in having some of the values even at the top level. 

England DNA to come to the fore?

The announcement of the England 26-man provisional squad for European Championships has generated plenty of discussion. Who will go? Which three will be dropped? Who was unfortunate to not make the squad? And that will only continue and increase as the build up to the tournament progresses.

Reading through the list, I am enthused. Since the disastrous World Cup campaign just two years before the squad has really improved. We appear to finally have a squad of players with high levels of technical ability and the tactical awareness to play in different systems of play.

Dan Ashworth - director of elite development

"England teams will play with tactical flexibility, influenced by the profile of the players and the requirements of the match or competition." 

That is the formation statement made in the England DNA document. Should we look back at recent England games, the Germany friendly stands out as a relevant example of this. Upon changing from the 4-3-3 to the 4-4-2 diamond, England increased their control on the centre of the pitch and with the addition of Jamie Vardy to the front two became more of a threat to the German goal. They changed shape due to the requirements of the game and it proved successful.

While the England DNA was only officially launched at the back end of 2014, under 18 months ago, it does appear to be bearing fruit. This report was developed by Dan Ashworth and his team. How accountable Roy Hodgson and his staff are to align the senior team with this philosophy is hard to tell however the signs are certainly there that it is being bought into.

Coming into the tournament England have one of the youngest squads around. Players such as Dele Alli (formerly coached by Dan Michiche - coach in the England youth set up), John Stones, Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling all fit the mould. These are players who can intelligently play in different roles for the team, are comfortable in possession and exude confidence. What better way to showcase the England DNA than with a young vibrant England squad making a fist of it in France this summer?

For those that are sceptical of the new direction the Football Association are looking to take English football in this is the chance to sway opinions. A positive performance - and I don't think anyone is demanding England bring the trophy home - may encourage clubs, coaches, players, to adopt this philosophy.

Alli and Dier are examples of players comfortable
playing in a number of roles 

The production line of talent appears to be working to good effect. England now have teams at every age group from under 15 to under 21. For those starting their 'international journey' , as described in a webinar by Dan Michiche, at just 14 years of age this allows them to experience the England set up. They can begin to develop an understanding of the England DNA and the expectations placed on them from an early age which could benefit the player in years to come.

More age groups allows more players to enter the system. Much has been made of the lack of English talent available to the manager so this could be an interesting way of developing the pool of talent. A glance at the England under 19s squad includes; Patrick Roberts, Reece Oxford, Ademola Lookman, Lewis Cook. It's an impressive looking squad. All players I would have thought could play at higher age groups, further highlighting the talent that is there to be developed.

Coming back to the senior team, this tournament could be very important for the development of English football. If elements of the DNA playing philosophy (In possession, out of possession, transition phase) are evident in the way the England team successfully this summer it will show huge progress and bode well. There will be reason to believe in something that a lot of time and money has gone into.

I myself hope to have the time available to analyse England's games in relation to the playing philosophy that the England DNA presents. It will be interesting to see the difference in style compared to the world cup in Brazil, with the DNA launched just six months after too.

Have you asked the kids?

Those who have attended the FA Youth Module 1 - Developing the Environment - will know that one of the key messages the course delivers is around player led development. In fact 'ownership' became a bit of a buzzword out of it. As an eighteen year old when I was on the course it certainly opened my eyes when thinking about this angle of approach and it helped broaden my sessions for sure. However, I think I became a bit lazy with it and left it to 'here are the cones, you set the size area'.

I asked subs at u7s game to evaluate team
 performance per quarter!

Not that there is anything necessarily anything wrong with this. It's great for kids to feel responsibility and you get to see an insight into what they feel is realistic and appropriate for THEIR needs. For myself anyway, I think it became a bit of a cop out.

This blog takes inspiration from a recent guest article I saw by Stuart Armstrong on rivers of thinking (definitely advise you to read it!).  What I really liked was how Stuart talked about setting time aside for self-directed learning. This is something I am definitely going to be experimenting with. It would be very interesting to see what the under sevens (my current side) come up with! They are a fairly confident, outgoing bunch so I am sure that they will have plenty of ideas in their heads. Further more, I think it would further create an environment in which the players know they are coming to learn in. 

A scenario I found myself in just this week further emphasised the good ideas that children can come up with. At a PE session I do every Wednesday we start our session with a fun arrival activity. It's usually some form of tag game. This week I hadn't necessarily had anything planned so instead of trying to make it up on the spot I thought I would ask the kids. Nearly every single one of them wanted to share a game they like to play!

The game we eventually did go with was 'Grandma's footsteps'. They had a great time, doing something they had chosen to do, whilst also getting great outcomes for agility, balance, co-ordination and speed. We were able to start the session in a positive atmosphere!

What this reinforced to me was that actually, children think in different and interesting ways. If we ignore what is going on inside their heads we could be missing out on some valuable opportunities for their development. 

I am very keen to develop players who can think on their feet. I refrain from commentating during games as I worry that I will stop them from becoming effective decision makers. Self-directed learning could be a really useful tool to add to that. 

For the FA youth award, I am putting together player profiles of the under sevens I am coaching to give a context behind the ten sessions in my logbook. It's important for me for the players to be a part of this. This way, they can understand their own strengths and limitations and plan their development. Another idea I thought might be for each player to take turns each week in organising the arrival activity geared towards the topic. 

If you have ideas around empowering players to give them more of a say in their development - share them by commenting below! 

Ex-pros in coach education: fast-track or do the hours?

"The big names gets an easy ride while the others have to do it the hard way."

Hard-hitting words from Will Foley - a Welsh based coached perplexed at how quickly Thierry Henry had completed his UEFA A license. What has become obvious is that the Welsh Football Association have fast-tracked Henry through the qualification.

It has been a trend in the past few years for ex pros to go through their coaching badges with the Welsh FA, Sol Campbell (notably criticising the English FA in the process), Roberto Martinez, Jens Lehmann just some examples of this while recently Patrick Vieira praised the Welsh organisation citing that they are "holding our hand" through the process. An interesting view point.

Should Henry have been made to take the course
in it's full duration?

James Beattie took over at Accrington Stanley without having even taken the level two coaching qualification. He claims to have then completed the UEFA B course and assessment within twelve weeks. Will he really have been able to learn everything he can from the course in that time-span?  I have heard tales of other professional footballers being fast-tracked through their courses or given assistance to get by through different national governing bodies. 

Quite frankly, what type of message does this send to aspiring coaches? Particularly ones with no playing background?

It is difficult enough to forge relationships and gather experiences within the game, let alone having to watch players given the easy route up the coaching ladder. It is disheartening to hear and see these stories. For me, I know I will have to work far harder than a recently retired professional going through the same process and that is something I have to accept because it is not going to change any time soon. 

The argument I saw today on social media was 'well what can a player like Henry be taught about management techniques in a classroom'. Personally, I find this quite arrogant and offensive towards the coach education tutors who are employed to teach the game to coaches. These are the people that know all about player development and the principles of play, and how to implement this as a coach. It's not always so much WHAT you are coaching but HOW and WHY!

Thierry Henry's experiences in the game are something I, nor any other coach with little experience in football, can not ever truly relate to. Yet how often have we seen a great player turn out to be a poor manager? Ability as a footballer is by no means a guarantee of football knowledge, and translating that knowledge into coaching is difficult in itself. Gary Neville is finding that out the hard way.

What message does this send to young aspiring coaches?

Having information, experiences or ideas in your head are very different to putting it on to paper or delivering this in a coaching session. This is why coach education is so important. How much of what you know do you truly understand? Can you effectively explain it to a player? Can you demonstrate this knowledge on the training pitch? While you take these courses, you are meant to be going away and practicing your sessions with your own club. Now Thierry Henry probably has access to any club he wants (he has been working with Arsenal) and can coach every day but even then his learning has still been accelerated and he could be missing out on vital components. 

By working so quickly through his badges, Henry is missing out on precious personal development as a coach. Might it not be detrimental to his learning experience to fly through these courses in such a way, leaving him little time to reflect on what he has learnt? I have noticed another ex-professional, moving straight onto the A license having recently passed the B license in England. Unless they are a specially talented coach (which they may well be) it will be very difficult for them to have consolidated their knowledge from the previous course and be ably prepared for the next level.

Would this kind of support or opportunity be available to a coach with little background in professional football? I very much doubt it. If the Football Associations running these courses did so with consistency - or highlighted potential coaches (ex pro or not) who should be fast-tracked - then at least there would be some justification for it.  I am yet to hear of this being an official line of coach education.

This culture of 'jobs for boys' is potentially harmful to the future development of coaches in England and is an issue prevalent across football in general. It is a barrier for people embarking on a coaching career if they see a disparity in how they are treated in comparison to ex professionals. They could be potential influential people who are overlooked and therefore long term this may impact upon the young players this country produces.

Youth Module 3: Principles of play, interventions and challenges!

I had been looking forward to attending the FA Youth Module 3 for some time. It had taken a while to find one that was in a suitable location and that I could afford, but I am glad to say that it was well worth the wait. Ever since attending the Youth Module 1 in 2013, I have been a massive fan of the FA Youth Award and have looked to progress through the course.

Though we had a hiccup with the state of the pitches at the initial venue, it was great to be amongst other coaches and learning valuable information from the tutors and everyone in attendance.

There were some key messages that I took out of the first two days of the course. This was for me personally, as I am sure others took different aspects of the course out of it. Anyway, here are mine:

Setting the scene

Something that I really liked was the way tutors and coaches made the session relatable in a way that kids would really enjoy. We had 'match attax', naming players relevant to the topic, the qualities they have that make them good players, letting players offer their opinions. From that, I had the idea to create my own 'player challenge cards' (pictured right).

Mesut Ozil challenge card

If you can set the scene well at the start of the session and quickly allow your players to grasp the concept of the session, they can gain a greater understanding of the topic and get them onside with what you want to achieve from the short time you have!

Incorporating the principles of play into your planning

This is moving slightly into UEFA B territory I suppose - but it has really helped me to consider the principles of play when planning my training sessions. I work with an u7s side at the moment, so I'm hardly going to go into phases of play but it does help me to keep my topics interesting and stops me rolling out generic topics that aren't tailored to the needs of the players. I was already aware of the principles of play but it was good to see them in action in coaching sessions and how I would add that to my own coaching. For my own development, as someone who would like to enrol on the UEFA B in the future, it was great to get a snapshot in how to consider these principles and include them in your coaching.

Challenges

When I think about this it is very obvious and I'm not sure why I don't consider these more often. Not that I do not do this at all, I do, but the course opened my eyes in to how best to give challenges and be able to review them too with players. I put on a session on day two and while I set challenges during this feedback I got was to set these at the beginning too. So now what I do is bring a whiteboard with me and set team, unit and individual challenges. This way everyone understands what the challenges are rather than just one or two players and I can get the messages behind the topic across to the group. In a recent session, I would constantly refer back to these challenges and by the end of the session the understanding within the group I was coaching and considerably improved!

Interventions strategies

How can you support the needs of your players?

Trial and error is probably the key coaching intervention that is encouraged across the first two days of the course. However, the mistake we as coaches made was to take that as what they wanted to see when we coached in front of them. Trial and error is simply ONE way of intervening and managing a session. As a result we actually saw quite little coaching within the sessions produced. The use of the 5 pillars of coaching (Command, Question and Answer, Guided Discovery, Observation and Feedback, Trial and Error) is key and in fact part of the Youth Award assessment criteria is that you show a variety of coaching styles! I do think some of this owed to the pressure of coaching in front of other coaches - in our own environment I think we would be more likely to coach in a manner we are more comfortable with and use different intervention strategies.

Plan. Do. Review!

At a first glance, the Module 3 logbook can look quite daunting. Five or six pages per session plan seems a lot, but it really helps for you to consider the needs of your players, how you are going to improve them and it gives you the opportunity to effectively review after. Being honest with myself, I don't always reflect as well as I should do but with these sessions I can't avoid it! The plan, do, review process is becoming a huge part of the Football Association's coach education. This could become influential in raising the standards of how coaches work. From personal experience of the Futsal Level 2 and Youth Module 3 in just the last few months - my own standards have certainly improved.

Overall - I throughly enjoyed the first part of the course and these were just some of the aspects that I took out of the course. I look forward to going back in April for the final two days and see where I can take it from there!

It's all relative: birth bias in youth football

As a coach, have you ever considered your players' date of birth?

If the answer to that question is no, you may be missing a trick.

Concerning statistics reveal that a large proportion of youngsters in professional academies are born in the first three months of the selection year (i.e. September-November). This is also found to be prevalent in grassroots football where there is competition and a league structure.

The Relative Age Effect was highlighted in the mid eighties in elite youth ice hockey by Roger Barnsley. It was discovered that those that had been selected at elite level were born nearer the set selection date. The Relative Age Effect proposes that in the higher levels of sport, participation comes largely from those born in the first three months after an eligibility cut off date.

Just consider it.

Your star player in your under sevens side may be standing out currently but just remember, he or she may be up to eleven months older than another of your players. Someone who is seemingly dominant at the beginning of the season can easily be caught up. It's often a mistake that a coach, or scout or even parents can identify an individual's early physical maturation as 'talent'.

We could be overlooking a large amount of talented young players because of the opportunities given at a young age based on their date of birth.

Harry Kane - one of many of Spurs latest academy
graduates who are summer born!

It is very difficult to get into an academy set up past a certain age. If you aren't being watched from an early age and having exposure to the academy life (i.e. three training sessions a week) your chances slip away as time goes by. Some academies sign up to twenty five boys at under nines.

A theoretical model was put forward to suggest why this birth bias occurs. It considers that there are three social agents that affect the relative age effect; the parent, the coach and the athlete.

The theory behind how the coach can impact the relative age effect is called the pygmalion effect. It suggests that when an individual places greater expectation on someone then they will conform to that expectation. So if a coach perceives a young player to have high levels of ability for their physical maturity, it is possible that they are shaping that player's development with those expectation levels. Meanwhile, little Jane or Johnny are being further disadvantaged.

Ask yourself this, do you find yourself praising just the players who you see as the stars? Or can you manage the whole squad and meet their individual needs?

On the FA Youth Module 1 course, the relative age effect is indeed touched upon. If you own 'the future game' book published by the FA there is also a large section around it.  Through education, coaches can help themselves understand and limit the relative age effect.

How can this be further combatted? Is it just down to the coaches?

Since last year, academies have begun to trial "bio-banding". This is a process of grouping young players according by their physical maturity. Sports scientists are tasked to work out a young person's biological age for this process.

My issue with this is that considerations for the other three corners (technical, psychological, social) of the long term player development model might now be taken out of the equation.

In Nick Levett's article on the relative age effect, he mentions that although there are fewer late born players in academies, those players are given a fantastic education because of the challenges they face.

Lots of early maturers can also be talented!

Those challenges can help them become better learners, deal with being smaller physically and improve the other three areas while they mature physically. For the earlier born players who were once considered the big talent in their age group, they are given less of those challenge and may not be asked to maintain as high a standard as the others. I have definitely seen that happen to players at a local professional club where I grew up. It works both ways!

West Brom have a late birthday project and Tottenham have shadow squads throughout their younger ages. It certainly is not something that has been ignored.

A key concern of mine is towards grassroots football and participation. Where there is less competition and in non-elite sport the relative age effect is found to be reduced. However, managements, coaches and parents are far less likely to have received the education on the matter to assist in reducing birth bias. It is entirely possible that in physical sports such as football less developed children will be out off by the demands, and also being perceived as having low levels of ability. Can this be considered a form of social exclusion?

I welcome your views surrounding the Relative Age Effect, and the possible ways you or your club may be looking to combat this phenomenon!

There is no 'I' in 'team'...

... but there are five in 'individual brilliance'!

A common theme that I tend to hear on the touchline in grassroots football is the shout of "use your team mates, pass!" from anxious, or sometimes angry, coaches. "It's a team game" they say.

These are the same coaches who will reminisce and rave about the days of George Best or Diego Maradona and now Lionel Messi.

And yet when a nine year old dribbles down the line (and quite often, it does not matter if they are also successful in doing so) the screams are so often "PASS!" from coaches and parents alike.

Is it not entirely possible that these children are also 'team players'?!

Where an individual's strength may lie in defending or passing, another's may be in taking players on! Players who can play one versus one effectively are rare commodities so why are we quite actively discouraging children from being this type of player?

Jack Grealish rolls his socks down and
inevitably is fouled quite frequently

Of course, some just have their view of the way the game should be played and favour a strict passing game. That team work looks like running around lots, making tackles and giving someone else the ball quickly. I am not for one moment questioning that these are important factors of a successful team! However, the 'dribbler' plays a very crucial role in any team. They attract opposition, they create spaces for others to exploit, they win free kicks, they give their team mates a breather. Sounds to me like this player is doing plenty of work for the team already.

There is a more sinister view, too, of the angst towards dribblers. One that I have witnessed myself. That parents who tell other people's children they need to pass the ball more are simply jealous of their talents. Why can my child not do those things? I have coached a talented young boy who was playing a year up, at ease, and some of the shouting I would hear during games was terrible. Sarcastic remarks towards a seven year old, commenting to the parent of said child on their performance, shocking! It is likely that these adults are not acting in the best interests of the team, but their own child. This was resolved appropriately by a senior coach but scenarios such as this can put young people off of football and we certainly do not want that.

Finally, the dribbler to me is one of the bravest players there is. Resisting all urges from spectators, your peers, your coach to change your style of play, to pass when you would not usually and knowing full well you are going to get a good kicking at some point too.

All types of footballers should be embraced and this is just one of many, but I would hate to see this type of players disappear from the game. The new England DNA asks players to 'stay on the ball, to master the ball'. I hope that this message can be shared amongst grassroots coaches across the country as we continue to attempt to develop technically excellent footballers!