Coaches play a major role in the shaping the lives of young people. We are in a position of responsibility and authority. Besides coaching players to become better players, athletically, technically and mentally, we have a responsibility to be leaders and role models.

Players and parents will look to us for guidance and leadership. Therefore we need to constantly stretch ourselves to be as good as we possibly can be. To be better at what we do requires a coach to fully understand what the roles, qualities and skills of a good coach are. The Coaching development chapter of the web site examines these key areas and provides real practical help, advice and tips in areas such as:

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We analyse the receptive qualities and coaching skills required for successful coaching and provide positive examples to help you understand and respond to the needs of your players:

• How coaching sessions should be geared towards the age and ability of the players
• We examine the specific skills needed to be a coach
• Look at how a coach can develop, improve and use these coaching skills
• Help you to understand how you can become better leaders and role models

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Most coaches will have opinions, beliefs and principles about the effect coaching have on players and how it can benefit and improve them, not only as individuals but also within the framework of a team:

• We examine and discuss what are coaching principles and beliefs and the impact they can have on the way you coach.

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Before you coach and organise a group of players for training or matches, you need to be able to organise and prepare yourself personally as a coach:

• We provide examples and discuss the kinds of roles and responsibilities a coach may have to undertake

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One of the main purposes of coaching football is to help players enjoy themselves, learn and improve as individuals and within the framework of a team, so that they can become better footballers.

• We examine and define a number of different coaching methods and styles that might be employed by coaches and how you might employ them to help you improve as a coach.

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Coaches should seriously consider their own behaviour, attitudes, discipline and principles if they truly wish to be considered positive role models.

• We discuss and provide positive and negative examples of coaching principles and behaviour.

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All coaches want to ensure fair play and promote this to players and parent:

• We discuss and provide examples of codes of conducts for coaches.

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One key responsibility of coaching is ensuring the health and safety of all your players:

• We provide practical examples of what do in the event of minor injuries and accidents, how to handle major incidents and how to ensure the health and safety of your players at training and matches.

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How coaching sessions are best organised, how they are progressed, when do we progress. We examine and provide practical help in four critical areas of coaching organisation

• Planning, Preparation, Coaching, Evaluating

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There are considered the three "eyes" in football. The players "eye", the spectators "eye" we provide help and tips on how to develop the coaches "eye".

• Where to stand in training.
• How to watch the action off the ball.
• Key coaching positions

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WHY do players take up certain positions? WHY do you coach them to do certain things? WHY do the kick the ball with specific techniques and in certain situations. If, as coaches, we understood the WHY of coaching, then it would certainly improve the performance of our players.

• We examine and discuss the WHY of coaching.
• We provide lots of real, practical coaching tips.