The Boot Room


Issue 10 August 2014


Players first - winning second


The diagram below shows how the trade off between development and winning may change through the age-groups depending on the coach's personal approach.


What other techniques can be used to ensure that a player benefits fully from the games programme?


As mentioned, you can tweak the formation or move a player’s position to create different challenges.


Competing % of Programme Developing


5 -11 Early Years


12-16


Changing Years


17-21


Confirming Years


What practical things can you do on matchday to link to the individual player programme?


It’s a case of manipulating the game so the players get lots of opportunities to practise the themes in their individual programmes.


For example, if a player is playing centre back and hasn’t touched the ball for ten minutes because their team are dominating the game then I think the coach should do something about it. It’s important that the players aren’t too comfortable and don’t drift through games.


In this case, you may move the centre back into midfield or encourage them to stay on the ball and step into midfield next time they are in possession. Similarly, you may tweak your formation to expose them so it’s a 2v2 or even 2v3 in favour of the attackers. You may even play without defensive midfielders so to remove the protection and challenge their defending skills. The opposition might score as a result of your change – but then again they may not – the important thing is the individual challenge for the player.


It’s not a case of manipulating the game so that the players fail but your obligation as a development coach is to develop and challenge the individual player first, winning the game should come after this.


It’s not a case of manipulating the game so that the players fail but your obligation as a development coach is to develop and challenge the individual player, not to necessarily win the match


During games you may subtly ask a player to come off and have a drink meaning your team are down to ten players for a while, this will create a different environment and provide different challenges for different players in order to cope with the disadvantage.


You can also consider playing players up and/or down an age group. An U13 player who is struggling physically and who has ball protection skills and range of passing in their programme might be challenged to play a midweek U12 game and an U13 game at the weekend. In between they may train with the U13s, 14s and 15s.


This approach would bring the following benefits: playing for the U12s allows the player to work on their passing skills without being dominated by the bigger kids whilst training and playing with the 13s ensures they still have that social relationship with their mates. Training with the U14s and 15s can help with self-esteem, ball protection skills and provide an opportunity to learn off peers.


Finally, if you adopt a ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ approach and are flexible in your approach to match formats – rather than being bogged down with 11v11 on full size pitches – it will help to even up the physical imbalances and enable you to continue to challenge the players' touch and ball skills, their cunningness and cleverness, adaptability and resourcefulness.


It’s important to see a group as individual projects and not one team. Most players, especially those in the professional environment, want to know what they need to do to improve – they don’t want the coach to behave like a fan and always give them a pat on the back. They want the coach to continually identify the next challenge to help and support their individual programmes and then design the appropriate practice and match conditions for them to practice. In this way the coach manages the individuals and the players manage the game.


Dan Micciche is FA Technical Lead (12-16), England U15s coach and assistant coach of the U16s.


Dan joined The FA from MK Dons in 2013 where he held the position of Head of Academy Coaching.


During his six years at MK Dons Dan worked successfully with the club’s youth development teams to implement a successful games and training programme that saw 11 schoolboys receive international recognition.


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