Tag: Coaching

3 Essential Reasons Kids Quit Sport

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Sport Psychology, World Football

Sports have a countless number of benefits, from physical health to emotional well-being to the development of traits, skills and lifelong friends. So it's a mystery why any kid would want to quit a sport. But then again, there are several factors that just make kids no longer want to participate, all of which are very fixable. Here are three essential reasons why kids quit sport, coming from someone who quit two sports at an early age due to some of the reasons listed below. Although this list is not exhaustive and many more explanations exist, these three reasons are some of the most widely researched and discussed in the literature.

Coaching Lessons From a Video Game – FIFA 19

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, World Football

One of the biggest dangers in the world of coaching in youth sports today is the concept of "joy-sticking" - whereby coaches control every act their players do and do not give their athletes freedom to be autonomous in their decisions. What is described in this article may be controversial as it is a literal form of "joy-sticking". However, this article presents the various ways that playing EA Sports' FIFA video game can be useful in analyzing your players, tactics and playing style, especially if coaches are mindful that what they do on the game may not translate into the real world. Although it is only a video game and a literal form of joy-sticking, every coach can benefit in a lot of ways from creating and playing with their team on FIFA 19. 

Best Formations for 11v11

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coaching, Formations, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, World Football

In the ever-changing world of football, dozens of formations are being used on a day to day basis around the globe. Choosing the right formation can affect the balance of the game, while the decision of which formation to play can also be instrumental in getting the best out of the players a manager has … Continue reading Best Formations for 11v11

Moulding Players into Specific Positions: A Case for Developing Confidence

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Formations, German Bundesliga, Masterclasses, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, World Football

At any level, there can sometimes be a mismatch that occurs between a player's preference for a position and their playing style. Don't get me wrong, as a youth coach, you should always play your players in the positions they want to play. Rotation is an equally important consideration. But sometimes there's a mismatch that … Continue reading Moulding Players into Specific Positions: A Case for Developing Confidence

Picking The Perfect Starting Lineup

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Formations, Managers, Masterclasses, World Football

Picking a starting lineup for a football match can be a difficult task for any manager. There are so many different considerations that must go into the decision of who starts any match. This can range from fitness levels to injuries to work ethic to commitment to your opposition to the way different players mesh … Continue reading Picking The Perfect Starting Lineup