The Sporting Resource

If you’ve coached, you’ll laugh because these are painfully accurate.

➠ You plan for 14 players and coach 6, with two arriving late and one leaving early for a party you didn’t know about.

➠ The pitch lines are so faded you end up coaching “between the muddy bits.”

➠ You do a pitch inspection that mostly involves removing dog poo and pretending the glass isn’t yours.

➠ One goal has no net and the other is held together by string, pegs, and optimism.

➠ You bring cone, someone forgets the balls.

➠ You redesign the session while carrying goals out of the car.

➠ You spend longer packing away than coaching.

➠ The weather app says “dry.” The pitch says “absolutely not.”

➠ Your facility has no toilets and the floodlights switch off bang on 9pm.

➠ You wash the kit at home and return it still damp because it’s rained all week.

➠ You say “freeze” and absolutely nobody freezes.

➠ WhatsApp messages saying “running late” arrive after kick off has already happened.

➠ One player forgets boots, another forgets shin pads, and one forgets both and looks shocked.

➠ You explain the same idea three different ways and still get asked “are we doing a match?”

➠ The best learning moment of the session happens by accident.

➠ You finish packing away and realise you never stopped coaching the whole time.

➠ Parents think coaching is the hour they see, not the rest of your week.

➠ You spend five minutes explaining an activity and someone still asks, “Which goal are we shooting in?”

➠ You shout “well done” so often you forget who you’re praising.

➠ You referee, coach, manage behaviour, and tie laces all at once.

➠ You say “last one” at least three times and everyone knows it’s a lie.

➠ The best sessions look messy, loud, and slightly out of control.

➠ The biggest win is a child asking “are we doing this again next week?”

➠ You do it anyway, because somehow it’s still worth it.

Can you think of any other? Tag another coach who’s lived this.

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

The Sporting Resource

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 between promising youth players and those who advance isn't skill—it's handling pressure.

Your young player shines in training but freezes in matches? That's normal but fixable.

𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗦:

Hunched shoulders, hesitation on the ball
Safe choices instead of creative ones
"I can do it in training but not matches"
Pre-game anxiety

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗜𝗣𝗦:

5-7 breathing before kickoff
Reset routine after mistakes (touch grass)
Replace "Don't mess up" with specific instructions
Daily barefoot ball skills for natural feel
More 2v2 and 3v3 games

𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦:

Ask "What did you enjoy?" not just "Did you win?"
Notice specific improvements, not just results
Say "I love watching you play" more often
Create a match-day agreement about helpful feedback

𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦:

Progressive pressure in training
Praise brave attempts, not just success
Question-based coaching: "What do you see?"
7:3 challenge-to-success ratio for optimal learning

Remember: They won't recall league positions years later. They'll remember how football made them feel about themselves.
Make that feeling positive. ⚽💪

#YouthFootball #FootballParents #FootballCoaching #MentalToughness

10 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

The Sporting Resource

🧵 Twitter Thread: Money for Goals in Youth Football

Players just told me tonight that they have a friend that gets five pounds every time he scores for his U10s team.

Is this still normal now? Parents paying per goal? When I was a kid, I got a Calippo either way 😂

#YouthFootball #FootballParents

Genuinely curious - do other parents do this cash-for-goals system?

Seems like we're creating a generation of 9-year-old Mbappés negotiating contract bonuses before they've even learned to tie their boots properly! 👀

Players on the field: "Pass it! PASS IT!"

The Player: Ignores 3 open teammates, attempts ridiculous shot.

Parents: Frantically checking if they've got enough cash on them.

The beautiful game, eh? 🙃

On one hand, rewarding kids for achievement isn't bad.

On the other, little Tyler now refuses to play defence because "there's no money in it" and he's saving for a PlayStation. He's 9.

Players overheard at U10s match last weekend:

"That's £20 you owe me now, Dad"
"It was an own goal, son"
"Still went in though, didn't it?"

The negotiation skills are impressive, I'll give them that! 💰⚽

Serious question though - are we teaching players to play for personal glory over teamwork? We've also heard players getting rewarded for assists too?

➠ What do the coaches among you think?

The parents defending this may say "it motivates them!"

Fair enough, but I scored a bicycle kick when I was 10 and the only reward I got was my dad saying "bit flashy" on the car ride home. Character building, that. 😂

For balance: Maybe the U10 money goes into a savings account that he can't touch until he's 18.

So maybe, isn't actually being turned into a mercenary footballer but is learning about delayed gratification?

Hmm....

What's your take? Cash for goals or just enjoy the game?

Reply with your youth football reward systems (or horror stories).

Best response gets absolutely nothing from me, just like my dad gave me after 15 years of playing! 🏆

www.thesportingresource.co.uk/

10 months ago | [YT] | 0

The Sporting Resource

🧵 The world of coaching has so many different titles! Coach, Assistant, Helper, Facilitator, Instructor, Development Coach...

What do you call yourself on the sidelines?

➡ "COACH" - Classic, simple, gets the job done. Nothing fancy needed. When the kids shout "Coach!" across the pitch, everyone knows who they're calling for! Been the go-to title for generations. #GrassrootsCoaching

➡ "ASSISTANT COACH" - More than just the person who puts out the cones! Critical role in any coaching setup. Often doing just as much work behind the scenes. The unsung heroes of many successful teams. #CoachingJourney

➡ "HELPER/VOLUNTEER" - The absolute backbone of grassroots sport! Often parents who step up when needed. Without these legends, half our youth teams wouldn't even exist. Take a bow, helpers! #GrassrootsHeroes

➡ "FACILITATOR" - Becoming more common in youth sport. Less traditional-sounding than "coach" but increasingly popular, especially in certain sports and age groups. Have you noticed this title appearing more? #YouthSport

➡ "INSTRUCTOR/TRAINER" - Often used in specialist areas. Goalkeeper coaches, strength & conditioning, etc. Sounds a bit more technical, doesn't it? Common when focusing on specific skill sets. #SkillDevelopment

➡ "DEVELOPMENT COACH" - A title I'm seeing more and more, especially at academy level. Puts the emphasis on the long journey. What other variations have you seen? Performance coach? Elite coach? #PlayerDevelopment

➡ "FOUNDATIONAL ACTIVATOR" - Definitely newer terminology in the coaching world! Mostly seen in programs for younger age groups. Any other modern coaching titles popping up that I've missed? #YouthCoaching

➡ Titles can vary hugely by sport too! In football, "manager" is common at higher levels. Swimming has "teachers" vs "coaches." What sport-specific titles exist in your world? #SportCoaching

➡ What do you call yourself and why? Has your title changed over time? Would love to hear what's common in your club, sport, or country.

Share below!

10 months ago | [YT] | 1

The Sporting Resource

As coaches, we're often trained to 'fix problems'. But what if our entire approach is backwards?

And we switched to strength-based coaching using the 4D framework, and here's why every youth coach should consider it... 🧵

DISCOVER (Appreciating):

Instead of: "Jamie, you need to improve your left foot"

Try: "Jamie, I noticed how well you shield the ball under pressure. Let's build on that strength."

👉 Appreciating existing strengths builds confidence first

Real scenario: U12s team losing matches. Traditional approach focuses on mistakes.

Strength approach: "I recorded 27 successful passes today - that's our highest yet!"

Result: Players focused on building connections rather than avoiding errors.

DREAM (Imagining):

❌ Don't: Set generic team goals like "win more games"

✅ Do: "Imagine using your quick decision-making to create 3 more chances per match"

👉 Dreams anchored in real strengths create meaningful targets

Coaching tip: Start each training session by having players identify a teammate's strength.

"Zach, what's Olivia brilliant at?"

"She always finds space!"

Then design activities to showcase and develop these identified strengths.

DESIGN (Innovating):

✅ Do: Create scenarios where strengths can flourish in new ways Example: Player with great stamina? Design activities where this becomes a tactical advantage.

Key insight: When we design training around strengths, weaknesses improve naturally.

U14 player with excellent vision but poor shooting?

Design games where their vision creates shooting opportunities, and watch shooting improve through meaningful repetition.

DESTINY (Delivering): This is where strength-based coaching truly shines.

Traditional: "Let's not make the same mistakes"

Strength-based: "Let's apply our communication strength under greater pressure today"

Feedback that works:

"I saw you use your strength in ___ to overcome challenge ___" "Your ability to ___ made a difference when ___"

"How could you use your ___ strength in more situations?"

The results speak for themselves:

➟ Higher player retention rates
➟ Increased intrinsic motivation
➟ Better skill development
➟ More resilient players
➟ Happier training environment

Try it for one month. You won't go back.

www.thesportingresource.co.uk/

10 months ago | [YT] | 0