'Coachcast’ by England Football Learning, is a coaching podcast designed to give you expert insight, session ideas and a platform to discuss your coaching questions and challenges.
Have you been listening to Coachcast and tried out any of our coaching tips? We'd love to hear what you tried and how it went - as well as what you thought of the podcast!
Email: Coachcast@thefa.com or leave us a voice message on our Anchor page https://anchor.fm/coachcast-thefa
Site
RSS
Apple
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to Coachcast, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
The essentials of practice design with Taff Rahman | S5 Ep2
Season 5 · Episode 2
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 • Duration 39:58
Designing practices that keep players engaged and achieve the outcomes you’re after can be a challenge. Which is why, in this episode, we’re joined by FA youth coach developer, Taff Rahman to share loads of practical guidance on how to design effective and engaging practices.
We discover Taff’s journey into coaching, from his time with the Arsenal youth reserves and the Tottenham Hotspur Academy to joining The FA where he supports coaches in their environments with their players.
We dive deep into practice design, covering the key principles and most important things to remember when designing your practices. No player is the same, and understanding your players’ needs so you can tailor practices around them is vital. You’ll learn how to adapt to players needs and stay responsive when their needs change, as well as identifying when things need a shake up during practices.
In this episode, we cover:
The most important thing to remember when working on practice design.
The main types of practice.
The three ‘R’s to consider when designing your practices.
Invasion game principles and why they matter.
How to tell if your practices are going well.
The benefits of having a co-coach.
How to stay responsive to the needs of your players.
How to re-use old practices and get more value out of them for your players.
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. Or leave them in the comments below. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Editing and show notes by Claricast. (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
How to plan sessions to achieve specific outcomes with Jo Williams | S5 Ep1
Season 5 · Episode 1
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 • Duration 51:34
Welcome back! To kick off season five, we’re diving deep into session planning.
In this episode, we’re joined by FA regional coach development officer, Joanne Williams. Jo’s main role is to help grassroots coaches improve and bring new female coaches into the game. She shares with us the story of how she got into coaching and her top advice for new coaches.
Session planning plays a key role in helping players achieve the outcomes that a coach has in mind. But it can be difficult to find the time to plan sessions in advance, as well as tailoring plans to those specific outcomes. We ask Jo how busy coaches can plan sessions and how to work out which outcomes they should be aiming for.
We speak about giving players more ownership over their sessions to help keep them engaged and Jo’s number one tip for helping players get on the same page and understand the outcomes they’re working towards.
In this episode, we cover:
• Jo’s journey into coaching.
• How to make a positive impact on players’ journeys.
• When to use different session structures.
• How to plan sessions that keep players engaged.
• Tips for planning a session when you’re short on time.
• How to plan backwards and why it works.
• Planning for the things you can’t control.
• How to give players more ownership over their sessions.
The only person’s behaviour you can control is your own. This is advice that casual coach developer, Ben Hardaker, keeps with him when coaching. Ben has extensive experience in coaching and teaching, and he brings that expertise to this episode as we dive deep into the topic of behaviour.
There are many causes of poor behaviour, from lack of engagement in a session to player experiences outside of training. Ben provides invaluable advice on how we can mitigate it, from the questions coaches should be asking themselves when it does occur, to how to prevent it.
We speak about codes of conduct, and Ben gives us an overview of how he makes expectations known in a way that players will take on board. Ben also shares his top session ideas, and some powerful techniques to improve your coaching skills that you may never have considered.
Covered in this episode:
What Ben learned from teaching and coaching other sports that he brought into coaching football.
How to show up as a good role model for players.
The three expectations that make up Ben’s code of conduct.
Why poor behaviour happens.
The questions to ask yourself when poor behaviour occurs.
How to get young players more engaged in sessions.
Keeping emotions in check on matchday.
Tips for keeping communication clear and concise.
Top session ideas.
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
S4 Ep15: First steps into coaching with Suey Smith
While gaining experience is key to advancing as a coach, experience in football isn’t essential to getting started.
In this episode, we’re joined by Suey Smith, who since recording is now an FA youth coach developer in the professional game. We discover how Suey got into football and coaching when opportunities for females in football were limited. Coaching was how Suey could stay connected with football and start a football career.
Suey draws on her coaching experience to advise on how women can get into coaching. She shares the stories of her first playing and coaching experiences and the advice that she would give herself when she first started.
We go over the skills that you make use of every day, that you can draw from and apply to coaching. And for those who are thinking about stepping over the sidelines, Suey lays out how people can find the right club for them, learn the ropes and get involved.
Covered in this episode:
How women can get into coaching.
Advice for brand new coaches.
Do you need a background in football to start coaching?
Finding the transferable skills that you already have that you can use as a new coach.
Where to find the support to get started with coaching.
How to find a club that aligns with your values.
Supporting others with getting involved and finding your assistant coach.
How to be an ally to women in football.
A great session idea that you can use for sessions of any age group.
S4 Ep14: An insight into coaching adults with Sarah Lowden
Coaching in the adult game and coaching in the youth game have their nuances, but they also share many similarities. In this episode, former FA regional coach development officer, Sarah Lowden, returns to explore this and to share her journey so far.
As a coach, it can be a challenge getting the most out of the hour a week that you have with your players, and Sarah gives her thoughts on how to make the most out of the time you have with them. She explains the difference between coaching your players and not the session, and how to tailor your sessions around what each player needs.
We dive deep into what sets apart the youth game and the open-age game and Sarah offers advice for coaches moving from one to the other. We speak about the vast age difference that can be witnessed in the open-age game and how coaches can manage relationships between players. Sarah gives her insights into how to design sessions that keep adults engaged. And we speak about matchday and what planning should look like for different age groups.
Covered in this episode:
Debunking the myths of the adult game versus the youth game.
Tips for coaches moving from the youth game to the adult game.
How to make the most out of an hour a week with your players.
Managing relationships between players of vastly different ages.
Top tips for keeping adults engaged in sessions.
Matchday planning in the open-age game versus youth football.
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
S4 Ep13: Coaching 15 to 19-year-olds with Pete Augustine
Season 4 · Episode 13
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 • Duration 45:26
Transcript on England Football Community - (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1534/episode-thirteen-coaching-15-to-19-year-olds-with-pete-augustine)
When coaching teenagers, the only consistent thing is that they’re inconsistent. This insight comes from FA coach development officer, Pete Augustine.
In this episode, Pete shares with us his journey so far and offers his expertise on coaching 15 to 19-year-olds. Pete’s role covers London and the South East with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Pete discovered both football and coaching at a young age. He soon discovered that a ‘barking orders’ approach wasn’t working and he shares with us the change that he made to his coaching approach that he found helped players develop much more successfully. We speak about how explaining the ‘why’ to players can help better engage them in practices.
Pete shares his insight into how coaches can tailor their communication to teenagers and design their environment and sessions to keep them engaged. We speak about the challenges that teenagers uniquely face and how to support them as a coach.
Not every player has the same needs and Pete shares with us how coaches can meet these differing needs.
Covered in this episode:
How Pete became interested in coaching at a young age.
The influence of playing experience on coaching methods.
Why as a coach you should be telling players “why".
The skills of a transformational coach for 15 to 19-year-olds
Tailoring coaching sessions for individual players.
Crafting the right environment for 15 to 19-year-olds.
How to engage and connect with teenage players.
Pitfalls to avoid when coaching this age group.
Preparing teenage players for both wins and losses.
S4 Ep12: Dealing with poor behaviour with Vicky and Vinny
Season 4 · Episode 12
Wednesday, January 10, 2024 • Duration 43:49
Transcript on England Football Community - (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1533/episode-twelve-dealing-with-poor-behaviour-with-vicky-and-vinny)
In our ‘A conversation about our game survey’, 71% of people questioned believe poor behaviour is the most significant problem in grassroots football at the moment. That’s why we’ve decided to centre this episode on poor behaviour and how to deal with it.
We’re joined by Vicky Fisher and Vinny Halsall. Vicky is a regional coach development officer who supports getting more females in the game and looking after them, as well as supporting coaches in general. Vinny works with the PE team, supporting trainee and currently practising teachers across the south west region.
We hear examples from Vicky and Vinny of poor behaviours that they’ve witnessed during games. We speak about the importance of maintaining respect and the impacts that poor behaviour can have. Our guests share plenty of actionable advice on how to deal with unacceptable behaviour – both preventing it from happening, and dealing with many types of situations when they do inevitably arise.
Covered in this episode:
The impacts of poor behaviour on the game and players.
Real-life examples of poor behaviour in football.
How to encourage good behaviours in players and spectators.
How to communicate in a way that’s both friendly and affirmative.
How to keep our own behaviours in check during stressful situations.
Advice on dealing with escalating situations where individuals may become aggressive.
The role of the respect marshals and the skillset required to take on the role.
How to go about reporting bad behaviour.
Vicky and Vinny’s top coaching tips.
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
S4 Ep11: Giving players the platform to develop and thrive with Debbie Barry
Season 4 · Episode 11
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 • Duration 47:10
Transcript on England Football Community - (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1532/episode-eleven-giving-players-the-platform-to-develop-and-thrive-with-debbie-barry)
If you just turn up, you could have a huge impact on someone’s life. This has been Debbie Barry’s experience, who joins us for the first time on Coachcast to share her journey so far and offer her expertise on practice design and much more.
Debbie is an FA physical education officer who supports training teachers in primary and secondary PE as well as grassroots coaches through courses. She shares her early experiences with football, and we hear about the spark that cemented her love for the game. We discover how Debbie made the move from playing to coaching and teaching.
Coaches can expect to hear plenty of actionable advice from Debbie from the first coaching session to crafting sessions that meet the needs of all players and keep them coming back for more. We speak about the importance of the playing environment, and what a positive environment looks like. Debbie also shares her top coaching tips and advice on working with players of mixed abilities and we speak about how coaches can get more girls involved in football.
Covered in this episode:
How Debbie got involved in coaching and teaching.
The skills needed to make a transformational coach.
What does a good positive environment look like?
Designing sessions that make players want to come back.
Advice on working with players of mixed ability.
Developing sessions that meet the needs of all players within a large group.
Session structures
Tips for how coaches can encourage girls to get involved.
The best advice that Debbie has ever received.
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
S4 Ep10: The art of defending with Warren Hackett
Season 4 · Episode 10
Wednesday, December 13, 2023 • Duration 46:01
Transcript on England Football Community (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1531/episode-ten-the-art-of-defending-with-warren-hackett)
Becoming a defender might not be as popular with new players compared to being a striker. But there is a real art to defending. In this episode, Warren Hackett gives his insight on that and how we can help players develop their defending skills.
Warren, now an FA youth coach developer for the South East, takes us through his career as a professional footballer, and we learn about his transition into a coaching career that has led to coaching roles in Canada and India.
We ask Warren how defending has changed over the years. We dive deep into the skills that players need to become effective defenders and Warren offers advice to coaches on how they can develop these skills in players.
Warren gives advice on how coaches can observe games differently, to give them a better understanding of defending. We cover the six themes for the out-of-possession game with an overview of what they are, why they’re important and how to improve them. We also speak about how The FA’s six core capabilities can be applied to defending. Plus, Warren offers his tips for working on defending with younger players and at grassroots level and he leaves us with his swift session idea.
Covered in this episode:
The journey Warren Hackett took from professional football to coaching.
How has defending changed over the years?
How coaches can develop the communication skills of defenders.
Top tips for working on defending with younger players and at grassroots level.
How coaches can help players develop their defending skills within The FA’s six core capabilities.
The importance of the ‘before, during and after’ framework.
Warren’s top coaching tips and session idea.
—————
S4 Ep9: How to support player development with Adam Dunleavy
In this episode, we discover the journey of Women’s High Performance Centre coach development officer, Adam Dunleavy and get his advice on supporting player development during training and matchday.
We dive deep into the coach-player connection and how understanding your players is a key that can propel players forward. Adam gives his insights into the questions to ask and when the right time to give feedback is. Mistakes are also an integral part of both a player's and a coach's journey, and we speak about how to learn from them.
Achieving balance as a coach can be a challenge. The balance between individual improvement versus focusing on the whole team; balancing what players think they need versus what they do need and balancing those needs with getting results. Adam shares with us actionable tips on how to achieve that balance as a coach.
Adam gives us an overview of The FA’s six core capabilities and how coaches can use them to support players and he shares a handy acronym for remembering them. He also speaks on The FA’s 4 Corner Model and offers tips on developing players in each of the four sections.
Covered in this episode:
• What are the High Performance Centres all about?
• Adam’s first experiences of football and coaching.
• Adam’s top coaching tips and session idea.
• How to better understand your player’s needs.
• What are The FA’s six core capabilities and how coaches can use them to help players improve?
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. Or leave them in the comments below. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coachcast/id159180480
Editing and show notes by Claricast. (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Editing and show notes by Claricast. (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Editing and show notes by Claricast. (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Editing and show notes by Claricast. (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
What to look out for when coaching adults and teenagers simultaneously.
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coachcast/id1591804808
Editing and show notes by Claricast. (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coachcast/id1591804808
Editing and show notes by Claricast (https://www.clarioncast.com/)
• Tips on developing players on each section of The FA’s 4 Corner Model.
• Achieving balance as a coach.
• How to make the most out of mistakes to help players and coaches grow.
—————
Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our England Football Community forum (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!
Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.
