How to put the person first as a football coach

Get to know the person you’re coaching

Begin with a conversation starter. It might just be asking them what their favourite team or player is. Or what other sports they play and the hobbies they have. This gives you something to talk to them about. And it starts to build a connection.

Over time, by talking to your players and their parents, find out more about their lives. But do so with genuine interest. It’ll show you really care.

Try to find out:

• what they enjoy and what they don’t
• what impacts their behaviour – positively and negatively
• what’s important to them
• why they play football
• their football experience.

While these are all important, don’t forget the last one. On the same team, you could have a player who has played football for years and one who has just started. They’re both the same age but on entirely different learning journeys. Knowing this will allow you to think creatively about how you can cater for both.

How to put the person first in training

Training is likely your first opportunity to get to know your players. Have a quick chat when they arrive or during an arrival activity.

Over time, once you get to know your players and what they want from you as a coach, you can start to build the right environment for them. Doing this will help them fall in love with the game.

Then, to really put the person at the forefront of your coaching, take a holistic view of your players’ capabilities. The FA Four Corner Model and our six core capabilities can help. Using these as frameworks, observe your players in training to discover their strengths and where they can develop. Then, find ways to support them through your practice design and interventions.

You could also use this information to create individual development plans for your players.

How to put the person first on matchday

Matchday is a continuation of a player’s learning journey. It’s an opportunity to put what they’ve practised in training to the test. So, think about defining what success looks like for the team and for individuals.

If a player is working on passing, success might be to make so many passes into the final third. If they’re trying to develop their communication skills, success could be that they’ve shouted for the ball or told a teammate where an opponent is. Notice when they do this and give praise.

Unlike training, matchday likely means you’ll have players on the sideline as substitutes. Keep them involved by engaging them in observational tasks and ensuring you stay on top of equal playing time.

This is just one of the many scenarios matchday can throw up for players. Along with facing referee decisions, opponent’s actions and dealing with winning and losing. Observe how your team cope and respond to these situations. Make notes. And think about how you can support them to improve how they respond to these challenges.

How to develop individuals and the team

Managing individual needs while still catering for the whole team can be difficult. You may not always get it right. And that’s ok. But here are two tips to help you with it.

First, try using the STEP framework (Youth Sports Trust, 2002). While coaching the whole team, the adaptations you make using this framework can be done with individuals in mind. Altering the space, task, equipment, and players can tailor the challenge your team face. So, it’s a great tool for managing difference. For instance, if you notice some players struggling while others are striving, overload one side. Those who were doing well face a more difficult challenge. While the overloaded team will have more players and a better chance of experiencing success in your session.

The second thing to try is setting individual challenges. These give players targets to achieve that align with their development needs. It’s a good way to put the person first. Plus, having a personalised outcome to aim for will keep players happy, focused and motivated.

What to consider when working with different age groups

Putting the person first is so important, no matter who you coach. It’s all about getting to know the individual in front of you, building trust with them and supporting their development.

Just be aware of the age and stage of the players you work with. Life and motivations for playing football will differ. And your conversations may look different. For instance, talking to your U7s will be a different experience compared to chatting to adults. Other things will affect their lives and behaviours. But the outcome is the same – to find out what they need and how you can help.

Things to remember to help you put the person first

Further learning

If you’re interested in this topic, check out these resources to learn more:

• How to build relationships with players
• Webinar: how to observe and manage difference
• Blog: how to provide personalised support.

You can also take the key information from this article away with you by downloading this PDF.