S3 Ep23: Sam Griffiths and Andy Somers – good coaching skills

Transcript on England Football Community⁠

Join us as we speak with national coach development lead, Andy Somers and coach development officer, Sam Griffiths. We dive deep into four key topics - observation, environment, player engagement and effective communication and our guests share some indispensable, actionable tips for coaches in these areas.

Firstly, we get Andy and Sam’s thoughts on what observation really means and how to observe during sessions effectively. We find out what coaches should be looking for when observing and different approaches to how coaches can make the best out of their observations.

We speak about the importance of creating the right environment for players, and how to make sure that it’s fun and inclusive. We also discover what player ownership is and how it can be a powerful coaching tool.

It can be harder to keep younger players engaged, and Andy and Sam offer advice on planning engaging sessions and keeping players engaged throughout. We learn about the signs that coaches should look out for to know that players are engaged in a session.

And finally, we speak about the importance of communication and who coaches need to be developing good relationships with. Andy and Sam give advice on forging relationships with parents and how this can help the players.

Don’t miss this bumper episode to round out the season, and be sure to stay subscribed so you don’t miss the start of the next season!

Covered in this episode:

• What should coaches be looking for when observing in sessions?
• How to make use of the observations made and turn them into player success.
• How to create a fun environment that gets kids excited about the game.
• What is player ownership and how can it be used effectively?
• How can coaches ensure sessions and environments are inclusive?
• How to keep players engaged and the signs to look for.
• How to use game days as an extension of players’ development.
• Who should coaches prioritise forming good relationships with?
• Top tips for coaches developing communication skills.

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Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our ⁠England Football Community forum⁠ (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum/3174/coaching-problems-and-questions) and post them there. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!

Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via Coachcast@thefa.com.

LEARN MORE

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Editing and show notes by ⁠Claricast⁠.