Learning patterns of players tend to follow quite specific and well trodden paths. Being able to identify at what level a player is at on his learning curve will greatly assist you as a coach in deciding what coaching strategies and styles you might most effectively employ to promote further developments in players' performances.

To help coaches recognise and understand at what level the players you are coaching are at and to assist you deciding on appropriate coaching styles and strategies, we have designed three useful templates that will help you identify where on the learning curve your players are likely to be, what their strengths and weaknesses are and what are the best coaching styles to use.

Level 1

• Young and inexperienced players aged 6 to 9 ...read more

Players' Level of learning

• Players beginning to understand the general technique or skill and how to achieve and progress....(read more)

Coaching style and strategies

• Watching other players perform skills and techniques.
• Providing practices and drills that are fun and innovative and where there is little or conditioned opposition i.e 4 v 1passing exercises.
• Provide exercises and drills where the players have lots of opportunities to pass, dribble, shoot. Focus is around the ball ....(read more)
• Coaching style, mainly command style

Level 2

• Greater Experience: Stronger and more capable: Ages 9 - 12 ....read more

Players' Level of learning

• Physically and mentally capable of dealing with more competitive and physical practices ....(read more)

Coaching style and strategies

• Provide corrective feedback during training sessions I.e Player gets too tight when defending - E.D.I - Explain the problem and provide the solution - D- demonstrate and let the player now I -imitate what they've seen in the demonstration. This ensures that the players don't practice their mistakes ....(read more)
• Coaching style, mixture of command style and guide and discovery

Level 3

• Advanced and experienced players: Aged 12 - adult ....read more

Players' Level of learning

• Well developed movement patterns - creating space, support play, reading the game ....(read more)

Coaching style and strategies

• Minimal intervention - players need more guide and discovery to discover for themselves, less feedback from the coach.
• For example - defending from crosses, the centre half lets the centre forward get a header on goal. You observe what the problem is. You stop the session and say to the centre half, "Why do you think the forward had a clear header" You know the answer, but you are looking for the centre half to give you the answer.
• This encourages self learning. If they don't know the answer, you might guide him to discover the answer for himself by clever questioning i.e "could you see the forward when the cross came in?"a€¦......