If you let players pick teams and they leave the perceived weakest to last, you have a lot to learn. The less skilled players, the slower moving players and others will often know they are currently in those brackets, but they don’t need it emphasised through lack of thought.

I’m more convinced than ever that asking players to focus on ONE THING ONLY during training games is a winner. It lets them throw off the shackles for everything else. There is nothing to be gained from giving them two, three or more topics at the same time.

Castleknock GAC today for day one of the Advanced Skills Camp. We experimented with a few areas for players to focus on, when in possession. None worked better than ‘drive into the gap’. Excellent performances from players on a very warm and humid day. 👏👏.

Read carefully and then decide on your % for each of the three coaching categories. In other words, over a season, what % of your own coaching fits into command, assist and delegate?

Different approaches to a run-pass-receive drill. To score, the receiver must break the endline within 5 secs. To win, the defender must prevent this. Diagram 1 - despite knowing the time limit, the receiver runs away from the endline. Diagram 2 - what you may need to coach.

This ball is being played out of defence towards the attacking half. In that half are 3 attackers, all hoping to be involved. The black arrows indicate the direction they face. Only one can see the ball and the goal. That’s why yellow has the best chance of making good decisions.

“You can’t coach anticipation. Players either have it or they don’t.”. Many coaches believe that. If you disagree with them, how would you go about changing minds?.

A message for players, particularly those who influence teamplay:. Are you a limiter or an encourager?. The former may unintentionally stifle the development of others; the latter frees them up to grow. No brainer.

When you run these games, you have some coaching options. 1. Do nothing other than ref them. 2. Don’t even ref them. 3. Watch, along with others, for specifics. > Who is going well and why?.> Who is struggling and why?. Is it worth repeating these games to target learning?.

4 pitches - 30x20m - HW on each. 2v2 games. Only the ball crosses HW. To score? - a player takes a pass and gets over the endline. Next? - ball is left for his opponent to solo and go and try to find his teammate with a pass etc. Passing and tackling for 2 mins. Swap opponents.

Scenario:.U14 team - scoring chances far fewer than opponents all season - decent kickout possession (both) - ball worked regularly over halfway - turnovers galore in attack. Before making suggestions, what else would you need to know?.

Might coach education be the answer to waffle?

WE isn’t ME

Have a go!

A photograph is a coaching resource. Imagine having an A3 laminated copy and bringing it and others to sessions. If you’re thinking of ways to use it and questions to ask, fair play to you. If you’re thinking about the cost of copying, enlarging and laminating…….🤷‍♂️

“If you eat your dinner, you’ll get dessert.”.That might have to be the new coach education mantra. Dinner = The important stuff about coaching behaviours. Dessert = A new game or drill to use in training.

A training game is a dynamic environment. Things are constantly changing and unpredictable. A player will benefit from being given a single instruction (and no more) that begins with the following phrase:. “Look for opportunities to….”.

Set up a small-sided game. Ask players to focus only on one word…. GAPS. Explain that you want to see who can spot gaps in the opposition defence and exploit these. Is it a gap for a pass?.Is it a gap to solo run through?.Is it a gap for a shot? . Practise. Practise.

At the weekend, I asked coaches to list common playing faults they would see if they ran a session with their own. See below. None on the list will be a full squad problem. Many will relate to individuals. Other than talking, what are coaches doing to help individual players?

If you ran a few training games this week, what would be the most common mistakes you’d see?.