36: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaches: Develop your Coaching Craft.
Welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board and look forward to providing you with helpful content.
Here is what to expect:
Coaching Craft: Co- Coaching
Full 60-Minute Practice: Finding the Spare Player
Coach Project: Develop a Co-Coaching Plan
“Today there are opportunities that no one knows if they will come around again in the future.”- Cristiano Ronaldo
Co-Coaching Your Way to the Top!!
Co-coaching is a collaborative approach where two or more coaches share responsibilities in planning, delivering, and evaluating training sessions or matches.
It aims to utilise the strengths and expertise of multiple coaches to create a more dynamic and effective learning environment for players.
In co-coaching, coaches complement each other's skills, share ideas, and offer diverse perspectives.
What are the advantages of co-coaching?
Co-Coaching is where each coach brings unique strengths, experiences, and insights. For example, one coach might excel in technical skills, while another might be strong in tactical analysis or player psychology.
The combination of these skills provides a well-rounded approach to training. Here are additional advantages to co-coaching.
Enhanced learning: Players benefit from different coaching styles and viewpoints. This variety can help them develop a more comprehensive understanding of the game, as they receive input from multiple coaches with varying ways of explaining concepts and techniques.
Shared workload: Co-coaching allows coaches to share the workload of planning and delivering sessions. This can reduce burnout and allow for more creative and effective session planning.
Reflection periods: Coaches can give each other real-time feedback, which can lead to immediate improvements in coaching delivery. It also creates opportunities for reflection and learning between coaches.
Improved communication: Co-coaching ensures collaboration and open communication between coaches, helping to create a positive coaching environment. It encourages mutual respect and trust, which can enhance overall team cohesion.
How can we use co-coaching to our advantage?
Strengths and Roles: Start by identifying each coach's strengths and areas of expertise. Use this information to assign specific roles during training sessions. For example, one coach could focus on defensive behaviours while another concentrates on attacking.
Creative planning: Work together to plan sessions that use both coaches' ideas. Create a joint session plan that outlines the objectives, activities, and roles of each coach during the session.
Mix it Up: Rotate who leads different parts of the session. While one coach leads a specific drill or activity, the other can observe, provide feedback, or manage logistics. This alternation allows players to hear different voices and coaching styles, keeping the sessions engaging.
Use different coaching styles: Co-coaching provides the flexibility to use various coaching styles, such as direct instruction, guided discovery, or Q&A. This approach ensures that players are constantly challenged and engaged in different ways.
Session Reflection: After each session, conduct a brief reflection meeting to discuss what worked well, what could be improved, and how each coach felt about the session. Use these reflections to improve your co-coaching approach and learn from each other.
Consistency: Ensure that both coaches share a common coaching philosophy and goals for the team. Consistency in messaging and objectives is crucial to avoid confusion among players and maintain a cohesive approach.
Practical Tips to Implement
Start Small: Begin by co-coaching a specific part of a session, such as warm-ups or a particular activity, before using it for the full sessions.
Set Clear Expectations: Make sure both coaches are clear about their roles, responsibilities, and the session's objectives to avoid any confusion during delivery.
Adaptability: Be flexible and willing to adjust plans based on each other's input or the players' needs.
Communicate: Regular check-ins and discussions are vital to ensure consistency and address any issues that may arise.
Are there any negative side effects of Co-Coaching?
While co-coaching offers many benefits, there are also potential challenges and negative side effects that can arise if it’s not managed properly. Understanding these potential pitfalls can help you address them proactively to maximize the effectiveness of the co-coaching model.
If the coaches do not share a similar philosophy or approach to coaching, it can lead to mixed messages and confusion among players.
Without clearly defined roles, co-coaches might step on each other's toes or give conflicting instructions. This can cause confusion, reduce the effectiveness of sessions, and potentially undermine each other's authority.
Players may receive differing feedback from each coach, which can lead to uncertainty about what is expected of them. Conflicting advice can confuse players and hinder their development.
Co-coaching requires a high degree of mutual respect and collaboration. If one coach feels their authority or expertise is being undermined or challenged, it can lead to power struggles, tension, or even open conflict.
While co-coaching has many potential benefits, it also comes with challenges that need to be actively managed. By establishing clear roles, maintaining open communication, and ensuring alignment on philosophy and goals, you can mitigate these negative side effects and create a positive and effective coaching environment.
“It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success” – Leo Messi
Full Practice: Finding the Spare Player
Fast Passing Patterns
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Work on receiving skills and passing speed in an unopposed practice.
Set-Up:
Set up the manikins as shown on a 20 by 20 space and place players (⚫️) in each position. Add a 🟢 GK to the goal.
How to Play:
⚫️ Attackers
🟢 Goalkeeper
Players pass around the manikins using various passing patterns. Each player moves around one place following their pass.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Do a time trial between sets of players, fastest wins a point
🚫Restriction: Touch limits on the passing sequence
👨🏫Review: Ball speed, back foot receiving skills, quality of finish at goal
3v1 | Finding the Space in Wide Areas
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Finding the wide space to play through the pressure.
Set-Up:
30 by 20 pitch space with the shaded zones added. Place a two-way goal on the centre line of the pitch (use poles).
How to Play:
⚫️s attacking team play through the zones.
🔴s Defending win the ball and attack the end zones
🟡s Link players for the ⚫️s
🟢 GK- helps the 🔴s
⚫️s connect x3 passes then look to find one of the 🟡s who set the ball back into the practice for the ⚫️s to finish 1st time through central goal = 1 point
🟡s can also receive on the back foot and pass into the other zone without scoring but securing possession.
🔴s win the ball back and score by dribbling into the end zone.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: If the ⚫️s can find both 🟡s then score it’s worth 3 points.
🚫 Restriction: ⚫️s are limited to 2 touch, 🟡s limited to 1 touch.
👨🏫 Review: When to set up scoring chances and when to secure the ball ⚽️.
4v4 (+3) | Getting Out of your Half.
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Play through the zones of the pitch to score.
Set-Up:
On a 24 by 12 pitch space, split the field in half and place a goal at each end of the field.
Play 2v2 in each half of the pitch (players are locked in position initially)
Assign three support/target players to the pitch, one at each end of the playing area, and add a third support player to the central zones of the pitch.
How to Play:
The ⚫️s and 🔴s are locked into their half of the pitch.
⚫️s possession team play through the zones.
🔴s Defending win the ball and score via 🟡s of a 1st time finish.
🟡s Link players for the ⚫️s and 🔴s
One team acts as the possession team ⚫️s, they go through the zones from target player to target and this equals 1 goal.
The other team 🔴s acts as the defending team they win back the ball and play off the support players to finish 1st time in the goal.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Double goals for going from end to end within 6 passes
🚫 Restriction: The central target/support player is fixed to the centre line.
👨🏫 Review: Body position to receive, speed and accuracy of the pass.
“I Only Want to Be the Best That I Can Be” – Neymar.
Coach Project
Objective:
Collaborate with another coach or a group of coaches to plan your next session delivery.
Considerations:
Identify the strengths of each coach and assign specific roles to the session.
Work as a coaching team to share ideas and create a plan for the delivery.
Alternate between leading and supporting: Decide who will lead what during the session delivery.
Discuss coaching styles and approaches (one coach only speaks to groups, the other only individuals, and a third coach may work on the counter topic).
Outline any conflicts that may occur as a result of your plan and try to mitigate them to the benefit of the players.
Please feel free to get in touch or share your ideas, actions, and interventions. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, post them here; we will do our best to answer them.
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