Individual tactics are a foundational tool for developing players who can thrive, particularly in 1v1 encounters. In this episode, FA coach development officer Matt Jones returns to Coachcast to guide us through the importance of individual tactics and how coaches can apply them to help players perform at their best. With a particular focus on supporting coaches from underrepresented groups, Matt shares how his own coaching has developed since we last spoke on the podcast and offers...

Coaching can be demanding of both your time and your energy. This is why it’s so important to be aware of and take care of our well-being. In this episode, FA coach development officer Vicky Fisher returns to Coachcast to explore what well-being means for coaches and why it’s crucial to not let your mental health go by the wayside. Vicky supports coaches across the Southwest and has plenty of great advice on how coaches can stay resilient and handle the pressures that can come with...

Understanding game styles can help your players thrive in practice sessions and on matchday. And in this episode, we’re joined by Abdoullah Kheir, FA coach development officer, to explore the importance of game styles and how to incorporate them into your sessions. Abdoullah shares his story, from playing street football with his brothers to becoming a regional coach developer for the South West, with a focus on supporting coaches from underrepresented backgrounds. We dive into...

How often do you take time to reflect on your own behaviours and biases as a coach? Self-awareness is a critical skill for coaches, impacting everything from how you communicate with your players to how you design your practices. In this episode, we're joined by Geoff Noonan, regional FA youth coach developer, to dive deep into understanding and managing yourself as a coach, as well as offering practical tips on how to enhance your coaching. Geoff brings decades of experience working in...

Curious about how to leave a lasting positive impact on your players while managing dynamic and inclusive sessions?  In this episode, we’re joined by FA PE officer, Amanda Greenslade, to discuss her journey into coaching and get valuable advice for coaches on delivering and managing sessions effectively.  Amanda brings a wealth of experience from her work with both qualified and trainee teachers, helping them develop their ability to deliver high-quality PE, particularly in educational...

Designing practices that keep players engaged and achieve the outcomes you’re after can be a challenge. Which is why, in this episode, we’re joined by FA youth coach developer, Taff Rahman to share loads of practical guidance on how to design effective and engaging practices.  We discover Taff’s journey into coaching, from his time with the Arsenal youth reserves and the Tottenham Hotspur Academy to joining The FA where he supports coaches in their environments with their players.  We dive...

Welcome back! To kick off season five, we’re diving deep into session planning. In this episode, we’re joined by FA regional coach development officer, Joanne Williams. Jo’s main role is to help grassroots coaches improve and bring new female coaches into the game. She shares with us the story of how she got into coaching and her top advice for new coaches. Session planning plays a key role in helping players achieve the outcomes that a coach has in mind. But it can be difficult to find...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/3z8mr07) From playing 15-a-side games with his friends on gravel pitches as a child to his diverse career in coaching, Pav Singh joins us for the final episode of season four. Pav has been with The FA as a coach development officer for nine years, and we discover his journey to get there.  We tap into Pav’s broad range of experiences with coaching and creating inclusive environments for players. He shares the challenges he’s...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠ - (https://bit.ly/45nQahU) There are key differences between coaching goalkeepers vs. coaching for other positions, and in this episode, Tony Elliot gives us an insight into what these are. Tony is a multifaceted coach with experience in many formats of the game. He’s currently lead goalkeeping coach at Birmingham City W.F.C, England Women’s U16 squad and head of goalkeeping for the England Para team. Tony shares valuable insights drawn from his...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://bit.ly/4ayPs24) Matchday can stir up all sorts of emotions for both players and coaches. That’s why it’s important to prepare for matchdays, and in this episode, Abbie Sadler tells us how. Abbie is an FA women’s pathway coach developer lead and she joins us to share her journey and a ton of matchday tips and advice for coaches. We dive deep into how to prepare players to help them manage their emotions on the day and post-game, whatever...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://bit.ly/3ytsPi7) We dive deep into two areas in this episode - mentoring and neurodiversity. Coach and mentor developer, Mike Nolan, joins us to share his expertise.  In the first half of the episode, Mike shares his insights into mentorship. We speak about the difference between coaching and mentoring. We get insights into what skills a mentor needs and how to get involved with mentorship. Mike shares anecdotes and practical strategies...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://bit.ly/4bekBIW) The three most common questions High Performance Centre coach development officer, Rosi Webb, gets asked about coaching the male game as a female are - what’s it like, what are the differences and does she enjoy it?  In this episode, Rosi joins us to answer these questions and more. We discover her journey into football and coaching and dive deep into her experiences as a female coach in the male game.  Rosi shares her...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://bit.ly/44jZtyy) The Greater Game aims to improve the health and well-being of 12-to-16-year-olds by encouraging them to take one healthier action per week. In this episode, we’re joined by The FA’s Dom Edwards and grassroots coach Myles Hadley to learn more about the programme and how coaches can implement it in their sessions.  Dom has coached for 15+ years in boys and girls academy football, university football and is a lecturer...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠ - (https://bit.ly/3xk5VJP) We’re joined by three learners on this year's Pro Licence course in this episode – Vicky Jepson, Yaya Toure and Ian Bateman. We get insight into what the Pro Licence course looks like from the inside, and they share their top coaching advice. The three coaches each bring with them a unique perspective. We speak with Vicky about her empathetic leadership approach. She gives advice on how players can listen and understand...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://bit.ly/3VpKT6d) Around 1 in 12 males and 1 in 200 females have colour blindness to a degree. And in the colourful game of football, this creates unique challenges for players with colour blindness.  In this episode, we’re joined by FA physical education officer, Ryan Davies. Ryan is part of the coach development team and works with teachers, trainee teachers and coaches to support them in delivering high-quality PE. Ryan shares with us...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠⁠⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/3OQHI3I) The only person’s behaviour you can control is your own. This is advice that casual coach developer, Ben Hardaker, keeps with him when coaching. Ben has extensive experience in coaching and teaching, and he brings that expertise to this episode as we dive deep into the topic of behaviour. There are many causes of poor behaviour, from lack of engagement in a session to player experiences outside of training. Ben provides...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/48iTYkb) While gaining experience is key to advancing as a coach, experience in football isn’t essential to getting started.  In this episode, we’re joined by Suey Smith, who since recording is now an FA youth coach developer in the professional game. We discover how Suey got into football and coaching when opportunities for females in football were limited. Coaching was how Suey could stay connected with football and start a...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/47Tsh1a) Coaching in the adult game and coaching in the youth game have their nuances, but they also share many similarities. In this episode, former FA regional coach development officer, Sarah Lowden, returns to explore this and to share her journey so far. As a coach, it can be a challenge getting the most out of the hour a week that you have with your players, and Sarah gives her thoughts on how to make the most out of the...

Transcript on England Football Community⁠⁠ - (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1534/episode-thirteen-coaching-15-to-19-year-olds-with-pete-augustine) When coaching teenagers, the only consistent thing is that they’re inconsistent. This insight comes from FA coach development officer, Pete Augustine. In this episode, Pete shares with us his journey so far and offers his expertise on coaching 15 to 19-year-olds. Pete’s role covers London and the...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1533/episode-twelve-dealing-with-poor-behaviour-with-vicky-and-vinny) In our ‘A conversation about our game survey’, 71% of people questioned believe poor behaviour is the most significant problem in grassroots football at the moment. That’s why we’ve decided to centre this episode on poor behaviour and how to deal with it. We’re joined by Vicky Fisher and Vinny...

Transcript on England Football Community - (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1532/episode-eleven-giving-players-the-platform-to-develop-and-thrive-with-debbie-barry) If you just turn up, you could have a huge impact on someone’s life. This has been Debbie Barry’s experience, who joins us for the first time on Coachcast to share her journey so far and offer her expertise on practice design and much more. Debbie is an FA physical education...

Transcript on England Football Community (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/podcasts/coachcast/w/coachcast-transcripts/1531/episode-ten-the-art-of-defending-with-warren-hackett) Becoming a defender might not be as popular with new players compared to being a striker. But there is a real art to defending. In this episode, Warren Hackett gives his insight on that and how we can help players develop their defending skills. Warren, now an FA youth coach developer for the South East, takes us...

Transcript on England Football Community In this episode, we discover the journey of Women’s High Performance Centre coach development officer, Adam Dunleavy and get his advice on supporting player development during training and matchday. We dive deep into the coach-player connection and how understanding your players is a key that can propel players forward. Adam gives his insights into the questions to ask and when the right time to give feedback is. Mistakes are also an integral part of...

⁠Transcript on England Football Community⁠ In this episode, senior national development manager Clare Daniels returns to Coachcast joined by head of grassroots coach development John (Folly) Folwell, to talk about the future of youth football.  The FA has worked with Liverpool John Moores University to record over 450 games in order to review the youth game. Clare and Folly give us a behind-the-scenes look at the impacts that the review will have on attaining four key outcomes. We speak...