Is your eye for talent as good as you think it is?

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. This week you’ll find out more about how we often get talent ID wrong, techniques used by goalkeepers when 1v1, a podcast on perfectionism, and much more.

---

The Top Ten

1. First up this week is an article on how we’re not great at identifying talent. we generally overrate high performers and underrate underdogs. It explores the relative age effect and other factors that lead to early performance. Have a read and think of the many factors that influence your thinking around your best and worst players. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210803-the-biases-that-make-us-underrate-underdogs

2. I’ve featured John Harrison before, he’s an amazing goalkeeper analyst and this is another great thread on 1v1 techniques. He goes through each of them, how they’re used, and when it’s best to use them. Some handy tips for those with little GK experience to pass on to their GKs.

   John Harrison @Jhdharrison1

   The last few decades have seen a revolution in the techniques used to stop 1v1s. Old school GKs would only use: Engage & React or Engage & Smother Now mainly due to the influence of #Futsal, GKs often use the 3 other techniques. But are these modern strategies actually better?

   

   

3. This article from Joey Jenkins helps you in your session design. It can help you know the intensity of the area by the number of players. very useful if you’re looking to keep your intensity at a certain number. https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/coaching-theory-intro-to-constraints-led-approach-tactical-analysis-tactics

4. A podcast from Brett Bartholomew on understanding and overcoming perfectionism. Something I know is great to understand from a coaching and player perspective.

   Brett Bartholomew @Coach_BrettB

   Perfectionism isn’t the virtue many make it out to be. More often than not, it’s a self-handicapping behavior that keeps you from doing your best work & being attentive to the details that really matter Here’s how to overcome it: artofcoaching.com/e259/

5. Chris Oliver with this thread on why they start all their sessions with free play. starting out with 1v1 and just adding players to the game as they arrive. the benefits here are self-organisation, fun, and getting to play a game which helps to stop the “when are we playing a game questions”

   Chris Oliver @BBallImmersion

   🔎Our U11 practices start with free play...here's how & why. 👉Problem: Our players are inexperienced and don’t free play on their own. 💡Coaches Role: Create an environment in which players grow. A thread.

6. David Colvin here categorizing his top skills he thinks are important for the best soccer players. Scanning, anticipation, movement, and receiving. is he missing any? https://letsgocoach.com/what-are-the-most-important-skills-in-soccer/

7. The joy of the people team here with the deep thread on their theory of playmovement. Refernecing a quote from the ledgendary Johan Cryuff on how football is played with the brain, they extend this to football is played with the your brain and the brain of others. eseentially you need to not only manipulate time and space but others as well. Lots of interesting concepts.

   Joy of the People @JOYofthePEOPLE

   Cruyff said that soccer is a game you play with your brain He was half right Soccer--and all games played w/others are games you play in your brain And the brains of others It is time to look at a new theory of play movement 🧵...

   

8. Love this thread from Steve Magness on what to do as a coach after a loss or tough loss. People are less likely to receive information when in a hightend emotional state that a loss brings so giving therm space in the immediate, having trust between you, and bringing perspective are some of the recommendations here.

   Steve Magness @stevemagness

   After a tough loss: Stress hormones are often through the roof. Our sense of competency, self-worth, and confidence plummet. We are in threat mode. Your job is to get people out of threat & protect mode so that they can recover & be open to learning and growing. A few tips:

9. One from the England learning team on the key to unlocking the door. This webinar specifically looks at the skill of turning in football and how to build this important skill through the different age and abilities stages of a players career. https://community.thefa.com/coaching/m/webinars/610

10. Ever heard of rote learning? Nope neither had I, but Nabil Murad here outlines the disadvantages of only using rote learning (rote learning is just using patterns of play, repitition, and memorisation to build skills). the stiffling of creativity and exploration are the main disadvantages of this technique in learning.

    Nabil Murad 📝💭 @Nabeelrend

    rote learning not only limits the potential of your athletes it also impacts their levels of motivation and engagement here are four reasons why rote learning can negatively impact your athletes' motivations what else am I missing?

    

---

Thanks once again for joining us! We hope you found our content insightful and enjoyable. If you're as passionate about football as we are, then don't keep us a secret. Spread the word and share our newsletter with your fellow coaches, parents, and players by clicking on the buttons below. Wishing you all an amazing weekend and an even better week ahead