With coach development being an aspect of the game that The FA are now heavily emphasising as an incredibly important aspect of developing the game, many volunteer grassroots coaches are now dramatically stepping up the level of quality of local coaching. This has also been aided by the use of social networking sites, which allow coaches to openly discuss relevant coaching issues, bounce ideas off each other, and fluently share content and resources. Coaching is slowly moving away from ‘one of the kids’ Dads with a bag of balls’ to a specific area of expertise in which more and more individuals are beginning to excel.
It seems to me that this level of coaching grassroots football is generally undertaken for one of two reasons (or both) 1. Love of the game, and desiring continual involvement in the sport, and 2. Genuinely wanting to offer young players the best possible opportunity to develop in a good environment. Coaching is looked upon as the process of improving players through a variety of methods, however I believe it is far more than that, I believe that coaching can be an incredibly powerful tool on a much wider and varied basis.
Coaching can offer a view of the game that is far different from that of the players on the pitch or training field, and requires a high level of thought, analysis and critique to be conducted at the highest level, arguably a level which is not required by all players. If players were to break up their playing time with some experience of coaching, than would the insights they gain be valuable when they return to playing?
A good example would be a player gaining the understanding of ‘why’ they might do certain actions, as opposed to doing things ‘because it’s what they are supposed to do’ or ‘because it’s what they’ve been told to do’. Coaching other players may spark them to consider the reason they asking other players to carry out an action, as opposed to just passing on a generic instruction because they think it’s the right thing to say. Perhaps I’m wrong, and players should stick to playing, and coaches should stick to coaching, but I feel that by altering the players’ perspective on the game, they can gain a valuable insight into the decisions they are required to make, and more importantly, why they should make them.
I truly believe in the power of football, and the power of coaching, to be used as an incredibly valuable tool to develop the performance of players, and to enhance the life skills and career opportunities of young people who simply love the game.
It's time to think, Think Coaching.