Do you ask the right questions to your players?

Hello and welcome to our latest football coaching newsletter! We're excited to share with you all the latest updates and insights to help you elevate your coaching game. In this edition, we'll be covering a wide range of topics that we hope will inspire you and your team. From work on questioning your players, to your communication, and much more, we've got you covered. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the next 15 minutes.

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The Top Ten

1. Straight in this week with Dan Abrahams going through a thread on questioning during training to develop intelligent players. In the thread, Dan outlines outcomes of good questioning, research on how and when questions ask questions, categories of questions, and some directions on how to improve, all with links to research.

   Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77

   On my 1st day with England Rugby (before the last World Cup), Eddie Jones said to me: “I want you to help my coaches be better at coaching on the run...I want them to be better at asking questions..." Here’s a 🧵 for coaches on becoming skilful at asking questions…

2. The concept of tough love is a controversial one, even more so when you look at the abuse that has been historically ingrained in sports. Is there a way to bring elements of it to get the best out of your players? the Inner Drive team thinks so. in the article they believe tough love can be an effective coaching tool when used appropriately. It is important for coaches to balance tough love with positive reinforcement and empathy and tailor their approach to each athlete's personality and needs. Ultimately, the goal of tough love should be to motivate athletes to work harder and achieve their full potential. https://blog.innerdrive.co.uk/sports/how-can-coaches-use-tough-love

3. This blog from Julian Khalli explores the idea that there is a need to couple skill development with problem-solving when coaching, incorporating set problems into training sessions can be an effective way to improve players' decision-making abilities and game-like thinking skills. By varying the complexity and difficulty of the problems based on the skill level of the players, coaches can create a challenging yet achievable environment that promotes growth and development. So, let's start incorporating set problems into our training sessions and see the positive impact it has on our players' performance on the field. https://makesensesoccer.wordpress.com/2023/01/18/set-problems-for-players-to-solve/

4. Next up is an article to get you thinking about your communication to players. The idea of the simple vs. complex language debate in football is not a clear-cut issue. Both simple and complex language have their advantages and disadvantages. The key is to understand the intended audience and the purpose of the communication and choose the appropriate language accordingly. https://themastermindsite.com/2023/02/25/the-simple-vs-complex-language-debate-in-football-tactics-writing-analysis/

5. Tom Hartley here taking you through his interpretation of the research paper as many as possible for as long as possible. He walks through long-term development, relationships, self-awareness, being informed, culture, team, and sharing.

   Tom Hartley @thomaswhartley

   Recently re-read the great research paper: As Many as Possible for as Long as Possible Based on the evidence, here are some ideas for coaches… 🧵

   

6. Does your team struggle to make the most of counter attacks or are you looking for an effective way to get your team counterattacking? Bene Schneierbauer with his 5 principles of counterattacking.

   Bene Schneiderbauer @thebenesb

   Principles of Counter Attacks. If you are able to outplay overload situations efficiently, you are independent of the quality of your players. This makes counterattacks a powerful weapon for underdog teams. The first 5 Principles I teach my players to outplay the defensive:

7. Have a look at this session from the England Football Learning team. The game is called Diamond duel and challenges players with their understanding of pressing.

8. On the topic of pressing. There’s been a lot of talk of hybrid pressing. if you’re unsure what it is Jon Mackenzie here taking you through the basics, who does it, and the advantages and disadvantages. https://medium.com/@jonmackenzie/what-is-hybrid-pressing-and-why-is-everyone-using-it-94d23a15cf94

9. Another article from the mastermind team but this time how to set up the perfect demonstration. Always a tough one for me as you always want to make sure your players have a visual representation of what is about to happen and the challenges they will face. https://themastermindsite.com/2020/08/19/the-steps-to-a-perfect-demonstration-for-any-activity/

10. Ball rolling time! I’m always conscious of this, are my players getting enough time to play rather than listen to me talking! Mark Jenkins has 5 ways to maximise ball rolling time in your sessions.

    Mark Jenkins @Jenksno1

    Struggling to get ball rolling time during your training sessions? Here's 5 simple ways to ensure you're maximising the time you're players are actually playing during training RT's and likes are appreciated 🧵

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