No player has more than one focus. You may find it difficult to watch them all, so delegate. 🔭

Have you ever shaped a training game to focus only on one player? If so, please share what you did.

Do you look at this table and think…. “Far too much for U14s”…..or do you think….. “We should try this at our club”? PDC is player development coaching.

Have you ever asked a player for any of the following? Ø  better movement on the pitch Ø  to be more available for passes Ø  be more alert   If so, have you shown that player how to do these things? Most players need specifics to help them grasp the concept.

Have you any new drills? Any new games? When I’m asked, I can rarely give the answer coaches want. Maybe I should give them the answer they need. “Run the drills or games you already have and take time to observe what’s going on in them. Do what’s needed.”

How good is coaching in your club? How much communication happens between coaches? Are there opportunities to share good practice? How are new or inexperienced coaches supported? What is being done to develop quality? Is it time for a review? Philipkerrpdc@icloud.com

If next season is to bring better tackling to our game, coaches will have to prioritise work on timing and speed. Players should be ready to learn more about the right moment to strike and the speed needed to cover those last few steps to the ball player.

Most club coaches operate in silos, but they don’t even recognise they are in them. They may go for years not knowing there is a bounty of really good ideas and practices just around the corner. Coaching officers - set up a forum for sharing. It’s a no brainer.

Why do we continue to flock to events where county managers and coaches tell us what works for them? 90% of us coach underage club football, light years away from the county stuff. Your Friday task is: Convince me that we should continue to attend.

Some find it difficult to buy into the idea of running a small-sided game with a single focus for both players and coaches. Is it because they believe that players can deal with additional demands or that coaches will find it too tough to stick to that one focus? 🤷‍♂️

A little something to think about today: How much of what we post on social media, write in books and articles or discuss in podcasts actually makes a difference to what happens daily in grassroots coaching?

Since Sunday, I’ve heard 20+ reasons for a team winning or losing our own county final. One thing is certain…under the new rules, the game was 20+ times better than their last championship meeting. 👏👏

Club coaching. Agree or disagree?

Tackling and footwork: It might seem counter-intuitive, but taking a big, strong stride to get close enough to make contact may not be helpful. Better for the player to make ground with smaller and quicker steps; that leaves him able to change direction in an instant.

Handovers in defence (when one player passes on responsibility to a teammate) can be very difficult to get right. The new marker/tackler can get caught flat-footed for a second as he switches his focus. A good attacker will exploit this to make room for a shot.

Derry Junior Championship Final - when one team has played a full season of intermediate league games and the other did the same at junior level, it’s likely to show on the pitch. Pace, touch and accuracy.

A real 50/50 senior final ahead of us in Derry this afternoon. Both teams play attacking and exciting football too. Rossa v Newbridge. As with lots of finals, an unsung hero may well show up to sway things in favour of his side. If you’re not in Celtic Park, watch on Derry TV.

Watching a recording of a youth game of Gaelic football. Lots of the tackling situations for both teams look nothing like the tight drills we run. Players have loads of space to cover as they track and tackle. Increase the space when coaching. Make it representative of the game.

My mistake…U13 players. Lots of different things that contributed to a win for the home team. My focus was on passing and receiving quality. Really good across the board. Backs could spin pass and move the ball fast. Great handling. Not one ball dropped from opposition kicks.

A short walk down the road this morning to watch a school rugby game. U15 teams and six weeks into their season. My only focus will be…quality of passing and receiving. Updates later.