BSc Sports Science. M.A Primary Ed. School teacher. Coach.
Dublin City, Ireland
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The longer I coach, the more I realise that coaching isn't about making children technically brilliant from a young age. It's more about retaining them playing until a later age.
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Two non negotiables for children in sport.
1. No child should be a sub every week.
2. Every child should be afforded equal game time.
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To all the coaches who made training possible in 2020
Who pumped balls
Who arrived early
Who set out cones
Who arranged covid forms
Who brought hand sanitiser
Who managed pods
Who brought joy to kids at an uncertain time
Who brought friends together again
👏👏👏
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Saw an u9 girls coach incorporating handstands in the warm up. Was fascinated so asked him was he trying to develop balance/ coordination.
No he said, I was fed up telling them to STOP doing them so I just added them in to training😂😂
That's coaching.
#commonsense #fun #ABC
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12 ways to retain more children in sport
1 Know names
2 Say hello
3 Include all
4 Play fun warm ups
5 Smile
6 Allow some free play
7 Reduce overly structured sessions
8 Play small sided games
9 Praise effort
10 Accept mistakes
11 Encourage creativity
12 Remove pressure
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When the Open was on we dug holes in the field
When Wimbledon was on we made a net with a rope
When the World cup was on we played 3 & in
When the gaa was on we scored points
When Tour de France was on we rode bikes
Try it all kids, live the Summer dream. Sport is beautiful
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The longer I coach, the more I realise that successful coaching isn't defined by winning. Its defined by whether the children come back week after week, month after month, year after year.
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70% of children walk away from sport by age 13 because it's no longer fun. There are parents & coaches who need a good, long, hard chat with themselves.
irishtimes.com/sport/other-s…
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Never forget the late developers
Who may take a little longer to flourish
Who may be a little smaller & quieter at certain ages
Who has to try a bit harder than others
But is a great listener
And never misses training
And loves being there
Never forget the late developers
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That 5/10 minutes at 6pm when the children arrive for training.
When they chat to friends, discuss the schoolday & catch up. When they play chasing or kick a ball.
Coaching is also knowing when not to coach. There's a lot of learning going on in that few minutes, let it flow.
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Coaching kids.
1. Say hello by name
2. Catch them doing well
3. Reinforce positives
4. Keep training simple
5. Be slow to correct
6. Be quick to praise
7. Develop movement
8. Play games
9. Challenge them
10. Afford freedom
11. Encourage imagination
12. Reward effort
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The longer I coach, the more I realise that the long-term development of every child is far more important than the short-term success of a few.
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Aged 5-9, instead of trying to develop a
Rugby player
Gaa player
Soccer player
Runner
Basketball player
Tennis player
Could we develop the
Run
Jump
Hop
Throw
Catch
Skip
Kick
At this age we're not developing little sports people, we're develop little athletes.
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Children do not need long warm ups.
They do not need long stretching.
They do not need slow & controlled movements.
They need a few minutes to run around.
To have fun.
A game of chasing.
Multidirectional movement.
Some ball contact.
They need play to warm up, not drills.
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Coaching the younger ages.
1. Coach the child, not the sport.
2. Coach the movement, not the skill.
3. Coach for play, not the result.
4. Coach for long-term development, not short-term success
5. Coach for all abilities, not a select few
6. Coach with a smile, not a frown
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Saw an u9 girls coach incorporating handstands in the warm up. Was fascinated so asked was he trying to develop balance/coordination.
No he said "I was fed up telling them to STOP doing them so I just added them into training". That's coaching!
Tweeted⬆️ 2 years ago,timeless😀
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When training kids:
We never know what goes on at home
We never know the family situation
We never know how the day in school was
But for 1 hour a wk we could be
A father figure
A mother figure
A role model
A listener
A confidant
Our role often runs deeper than sport
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What some parents want
1 Under 6/7 competitions
2 A skill based approach
3 Winning at all costs
4 Elitism
5 A pro career
What most children want
1 Meet friends
2 Have fun
3 To play
4 To be included
5 Lifelong participation
We've had our turn, let the children have theirs.
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12 ways to retain more children in sport
1. Say hello by name
2. Allow free play
3. Smile
4. Small sided games
5. Make it fun
6. Include everyone
7. Give equal opportunity
8. Praise effort
9. Accept mistakes
10. Encourage imagination
11. Applaud creativity
12. Remove pressure
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10 things that require zero coaching or playing experience.
1. Saying hello
2. Welcoming them in
3. Chatting to their parents
4. Being easy going
5. Including all
6. Creating a positive environment
7. Playing fun games
8. Knowing their names
9. Smiling
10. Saying goodbye
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Winning a match for a coach should not take precedence over equal game time for a child.
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10 ways to help retain children in sport
1. Smile as they arrive
2. Say hello by name
3. Communicate well with parents
4. Foster a positive environment
5. Compliment effort
6. Use positive talk
7. Catch them doing well
8. Remove pressure
9. Build confidence
10. Include everyone
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12 tips when coaching teenagers. A thread.
1. Resist the temptation too get serious too soon. There's no need to drastically transform the coaching philosophy.
Some reasons for sports drop out include:
A. Change of coach
B. Change of coaching philosophy
C. Too competitive
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Weekly hours dedicated to PE & Physical activity in European school curricula. (Spring conference of Sports Science, 2019).
Hungary 5
Bulgaria 3
France 3
Germany 3
Greece 3
Portugal 3
Romania 3
Slovakia 3
Spain 2
Latvia 2
Netherlands 2
Malta 2
Ireland 1
Thought provoking data.
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First week back training, to all the coaches who.
Sent texts
Answered queries
Pumped balls
Organised pods
Brought equipment
Assisted in form filling
Set up training
Planned stations
Arranged sanitiser
Kept everyone safe
Brought smiles again
You did some job👏👏👏
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Senior football team training since mid Jan, haven't touched a ball yet. Have done laps, 400m & 200m runs. Played challenge recently, beaten well. Cue more running, "they weren't fit". Footballs expected to make a return some time in late Feb. Players deserve better than this.
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I hope the Sinead Diver story inspires a generation of kids in sport. 10th at the Olympic marathon age 44, having began running age 33.
For those who don't make dev squads u15 or don't get a trial u16. Hang in there, you'll seldom regret playing sport, wherever it may take you.
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Weeks ago I highlighted
-U10 girls doing s&c
-U12 boys spinning
-U16 boys on a running track for Jan
Add to that list
-U6s parents requesting a match
-U15 boys game finished 0-2 to 0-1
-U14 girls coach looking for GPS
We're dealing with children. We have to stop this #GAA
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If we're serious about retaining more teenagers within sports, we could explore the "5 aside culture".
No pressure to train or prepare for matches. Just turn up to the club once or twice a week, pick teams & play a small sided match.
Pressure free, just play.
It's a thought.
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More nonsense via DM
U12 girls made train against boys by manager to "toughen" them up
U8 boy vomiting with nerves prior to a game as manager said it's a "must win"
U6 Dad looking for "advanced" coaching for his child
For God sake. Just let them smile & play. They're kids
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This week I've heard:
-An u16 team on a running track for all of Jan
-An u10 girls team doing s&c
-An under 12 boys team doing spinning.
Ludicrous activities for children, can be dangerous & may lead to dehydration. Children are not mini adults, they like to play & have fun
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Not every child we coach has ambitions to play at the top.
Some just enjoy seeing friends, playing & having fun.
Our role as coaches is to try our best to facilitate the majority & not just develop the minority.
To look at coaching through the lens of the child, it's powerful
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Team Ireland having a great Olympics.
Investing in sport is a sound one.
But we need more facilities.
More floodlight pitches.
More municipal arenas.
More tracks & pools.
More domes & halls.
More public amenities
And we need them to be open, accessible & available to all
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Parents.
You know those coaches who train your child
Who juggle work/family
Who set up training
Who mark pitches
Who txt you
Who wash jerseys
Theyd like your help
They'd like if u put the phone down
If you skipped your walk
They dont care if you never played
They'd love help
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DM I received. "I'm struggling to coach boys/girls aged 4-6, Any tips?"
Remove the idea of coaching
Add in the idea of playing
Remove the structure
Add in the chaos
Remove the sport specifics
Add in multiball challenges
Remove the skills
Add in fun games
4-6 is PLAY😀
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The longer I coach, the more I realise that 10 children winning regularly is not more important than 20 children playing regularly.
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Our role as coaches to children in sport.
To create a positive environment where we keep as many as possible for as long as possible.
Thats success.
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If you coach kids, 7 tips ⬇️
1 Less telling more doing
2 Less linear more multi directional
3 Less drills more play
4 Less lecturing more discovering
5 Less standing around more moving around
6 Less large sided games more small sided games
7 Less structure more freedom
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10 coaching tips to take into 2022....
1. Be patient
2. Reinforce the positives
3. Be slow to correct
4. Be quick to praise
5. Value effort
6. Encourage creativity
7. Play is integral
8. Children are not mini adults
9. Success has many forms
10. Catch them doing good
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Coaching children:
Movement before skills
Chaos before structure
Multi directional before linear
Games before drills
Problem solving before instructions
Participation before results
Development before winning
Creativity before conforming
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10 coaching tips to take into 2023
1. Be patient
2. Reinforce the positives
3. Be slow to correct
4. Be quick to praise
5. Value effort
6. Encourage creativity
7. Play is integral
8. Children are not mini adults
9. Success has many forms
10. Catch them doing good
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The sooner the better we move away from the model of sports organisations who neglect the 99% in order to pursue the success of less than 1%.
Our philosophy for children in sport should include keeping as many as possible for as long as possible. That's success.
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Children should not be giving up sport because of
-Insufficient game time
-They're always a sub
-Coach is too intense
-Results matter
-Its overly competitive
-Training isn't fun
Give opportunity, give confidence, empower them & be patient. They're children, not mini adults.
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Parents & coaches at childrens matches.
1 The ref will make mistakes
2 Everyone does
3 Accept decisions
4 Show respect
5 Set a good example
6 See the bigger picture
7 The players are children
8 Have a sense of perspective
9 Relax on the sidelines
10 Let the referee referee
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10 non-negotiables on game day for children in sport.
1. Fun warm ups
2. Shorter team talks
3. Respecting the ref
4. Equal game time
5. Quieter sidelines
6. Rotating positions
7. Remove pressure to win
8. Encourage imagination
9. Catch them doing well
10. Applaud effort
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12 ways to retain more children in sport
1. Say hello by name
2. Allow free play
3. Smile
4. Small sided games
5. Make it fun
6. Include everyone
7. Give equal opportunity
8. Praise effort
9. Accept mistakes
10. Encourage imagination
11. Applaud creativity
12. Remove pressure
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With a return to sport on the horizon, its worth considering that not all the children we coach have ambitions to play at the top.
Some simply enjoy the social aspect, playing fun games & meeting friends.
Our role is to facilitate the majority, not to only develop the minority
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We need to move away from drills based coaching where children are standing in a line behind a cone waiting for a turn.
And move towards a game based coaching environment where children are moving around, making decisions and are continously involved.
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Early 2000s
Belgium FA analysed 1500 games
2 of their findings
1. Some children at u8 & u9 touched the ball twice in 30 mins
2. Too much emphasis was placed on winning & not enough on development
A restructure began that included smaller sided games
There's learning here..
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The sudden fascination with 5km runs! Running in 20 mins, 30 mins, 40 mins, 50 mins, 60 mins or even more. No matter how slow you think you run, you're up, you're out & you're moving. Running is often nicer when you run for the pure joy & not for the time.
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Some stats from GAA reports over the last few years.
-25% finished playing by age 12
-29% finished playing by age14
-Almost 1/3 finished playing by u16/18
-75% drop out between ages of 21-26 in Gaelic football & 60% hurling/camogie
Thought provoking. Can we do better?
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10 ways to develop children in sport.
1. Equal game time
2. No pressure
3. Limit overcoaching technically
4. Encourage risk taking
5. Play problem solving games
6. Facilitate free play
7. Make it fun
8. Applaud creativity
9. Include all
10. Accept mistakes
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5 reasons why children shouldn't be leaving sport:
1 Insufficient gametime
2 Always a sub
3 Its too serious
4 Not fun
5 Too competitive
5 reasons that can help children remain in sport:
1 Equal gametime
2 Equal opportunity
3 A relaxed environment
4 Positive coaching
5 Fun
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Sport for children is so much more than what happens on the pitch.
It can teach values like sharing, empathy & resilience.
It teaches coping skills through winning & losing.
Its seeing other peoples perspective.
There's a great depth to sport that goes way beyond results.
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Age 5-10, instead of developing a
Rugby player
Footballer
Basketball player
Tennis player
Etc..
Can we develop the
Run
Jump
Hop
Throw
Catch
Skip
At this age, we're not developing sport specific athletes. We're developing an array of movement patterns through play.
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There's a normalised acceptance in coaching that we should play a match at the end of training.
When in fact, its ok to play a match at the beginning of training.
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Coaches, keep it simple.
We dont need:
100 cones
Strategically placed grids
Complicated drills
Confusing games
Over coaching technically
We do need:
Simple games
Self directed learning
Repetition of skills
Fun related coaching
No pressure
Some chaos
Lots of mistakes
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The "best" player now may not be the best player in a few yrs.
The "weaker" player now may be the best player in a few yrs.
Predicting future success remains difficult.
Simply, we don't know.
So we must continue to equally develop the majority & not just the small minority.
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When the children we coach now, look back & reflect on how they were coached.
They may or may not remember the training, the matches, the wins & the losses.
But they will always remember how you made them feel & the confidence you gave them. We should never lose sight of this.
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10 things that require zero coaching or playing experience.
1. Welcoming with a smile
2. Knowing their names
3. Chatting to their parents
4. Including all
5. Positive talk
6. Giving confidence
7. Playing fun games
8. Rotating subs
9. Giving equal gametime
10. Saying well done
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Things to avoid when coaching children:
🤜Long runs
🤜Large sided games
🤜Aggressive instructions
🤜Long lines
🤜Demanding silence
🤜Long warm ups
🤜Long stretching
🤜Emphasising only winning
🤜Being too serious
🤜Over coaching technically
🤜Thinking it's about you
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Most children DONT like at training:
Too much competition
Long warm ups
Team captains
Said captains picking teams
Coach talking too much
Said coach shouting
Confusing drills
Too few footballs
Team talks
Queing
Large sided games
1 dominant player
Insufficient play
Favouritism
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The longer I coach, the more I realise that not all children come training with ambitions to play at the top.
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Had a refreshing chat with an u12 coach
"We had 13 players in a big league game, 11 aside. The 2 subs never miss training & always try hard, great lads. Halftime & game level. I brought them on, took my own son off. We lost, everyone played, its important"
What a message👌
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In your club for every 1 child that progresses to play at a high level of sport there'll probably be 99 more who in future could be club
Chairman
Treasurer
Grounds person
Coaching officer
Secretary
Coach
Liaison officer
Club delegate
Everyone has a role to play.
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2019 tweet rewind⬇️
Things to avoid when coaching children:
🤜Long runs
🤜Large sided games
🤜Aggressive instructions
🤜Long lines
🤜Demanding silence
🤜Long warm ups
🤜Long stretching
🤜Only winning
🤜Being too serious
🤜Over coaching technically
🤜Thinking it's about you
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Coaching children.
Strive for effort, not results
Strive for their best, not the win
Strive for creativity, not conforming
Strive for chaotic movement, not linear
Strive for retention, not trophies
Strive for inclusion, not exclusion
Strive for progression, not perfection
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When we were kids
Long evenings
Freshly cut grass
Jumpers for goalposts
A foul is a foul, freekick given
Near the goal, a peno
Arguments settled quickly, play on
No tactics
No instructions
No ref, rules are rules
Play by them or its spoiled for everyone
Glorious days
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Things you love to see at childrens matches.
✅Quieter sidelines
✅Respect for refs/opponents
✅Positive parents
✅Equal game time
✅Relaxed coaches
✅Encouragement
✅Equal opportunity
✅Smaller sided games
✅Roll on roll/off subs
✅An irrelevance to winning or losing
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Age 5-10, instead of developing a
Rugby player
Gaa player
Soccer player
Basketball player
Tennis player
Can we develop the
Run
Jump
Hop
Throw
Catch
Skip
At this age we're not developing sport specific athletes, we're developing an array of movement patterns through play
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If you don't give equal game time & opportunity to ALL players at u9, u10 or u11, you might not have a team for ANY players by u13, u14 or u15.
Think long term development over short term success.
By developing the large majority & not just a small minority. Future vision.
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If we are serious about retaining more children in sport we could consider the following.
1. Smaller sided games at training
2. Smaller sided games on match day
3. Modifications of pitch size
4. Equal game time for all
5. Less emphasis on results
6. More emphasis on effort
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There is a deep rooted, cultural & often unhealthy obsession within the #GAA on
1. Fitness
2. Running
3. Training
There needs to be more of a modern, healthy obsession with
1. Skills
2. Small sided games
3. Practice
Nobody wants to run without a ball, that's athletics.
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As we slowly return to sport its worth remembering that not all the kids we coach are driven with ambitions to play at the top.
Some just simply want to meet their friends, play, run around & have a laugh.
Our role is to facilitate them all. Not just the best.
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Some pet hates at training
1 Unnecessary running
2 Wet bibs
3 Long warm ups
4 Too few ball contacts
5 Laps
6 Talking ban while stretching
7 Confusing drills
8 Starting late
9 Too few footballs
10 Standing around
11 Coach talking too much
12 A ban on laughter
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Popular tweet in 2019⬇️
Age 5-9, instead of developing a
Rugby player
Gaa player
Soccer player
Runner
Basketball player
Tennis player
Can we develop the
Run
Jump
Hop
Throw
Catch
Skip
At this age we're not developing little sports people, we're develop little athletes
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That sideline parent at under 10 who
Is abusive to the referee
Gives their child €5 per goal
Argues with other coaches
Is abusive to other parents
Only cares for winning
Wants to relive their career
Can only see their child
You're helping no-one & embarrassing yourself.
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With matches this weekend, a few things worth considering.
Children should not be giving up sport because:
-They're always a sub
-The coach is too serious
-They're afraid to make a mistake
-Winning matters
-It's not fun
Remember, it's sport, they're children & it's just play.
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Training 6-8 year old girls recently, I use the word training loosely. It's often like trying to control a swarm of runaway wasps😂
Handstands, cartwheels, chaos, running, chats. Occasionally skills break out😀
But they were happy. And really, that's all that matters.
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What children want when they go training
A positive coach
A hello & a smile
To see their friends
To meet new ones
To have fun
To play games
To kick lots of ball
To feel wanted
To feel valued
What adults want when they go training.
See list above
#peopleskills #coaching
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✅What most kids want at training
-Fun games
-To see friends
-Skill development
-Positive language
-Ball contact
-Opportunity to score
-To be included
❌What most kids DONT want at training
-Lack of fun
-Too serious
-Fitness runs
-Long lines
-Large sided games
-To be excluded
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The longer I coach, the more I realise that the retention of children on your team is a pretty good barometer of success.
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Sport is littered with late developers.
Who had a great person coach them.
Who encouraged them.
Who coached the child & not the sport.
Who thought longterm development as opposed to short term success.
Good people make good coaches.
We should never lose sight of this.
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15 months ago with 50 followers I sheepishly tweeted about coaching kids & the importance of meeting their needs in sport.
Today I hit 8k followers! Thank you all kindly for tweets/comments. We'll continue to strive for play, fun & friendship as they're at the core of coaching.
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Back training soon. Some Do's & Dont's
Do
-Take it slow
-Make it fun
-Maximise ball contact
-Make it enjoyable
-Let them chat
-Positively challenge them
-Include all
Dont
-Rush into it
-Overtrain
-Aim for fitness
-Be intense
-Talk too much
-Overcoach
-Catch up on lost time
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We need to stop imposing adult style warm ups on children in sport.
For most children, warm ups are simply an opportunity for more play.
And we should afford them that opportunity.
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That time of the year. To the coaches who made sport possible in 2021.
Who were there first every week
Who smiled
Who reassured parents
Who set out cones
Who brought hand sanitiser
Who brought joy to children at an uncertain time
Who brought friends together again
👏👏
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10 reasons why smaller sided games work for children in sport.
1. More ball contact
2. More decision making
3. More goals
4. More inclusion
5. More involvement
6. More skill development
7. More game sense
8. More creativity
9. More enjoyment
10. More playing
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38% of girls & 39% of boys suggest that a lack of fun is the biggest reason for dropping out of sports
(Keeley & Carchia, 2016)
As coaches, there are many things beyond our control. But incorporating fun at training is mostly within our control, should we wish to do so.
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When you arrive home from work at 5.30pm, you've got 20 u9s or u10s to coach at 6pm & you've nothing planned. We've all been there!
✅6:00-6.10pm:Free play
✅6.10-6.20pm:Chasing games
✅6.20-7:00pm:
5 aside
4 teams
2 pitches
10/12 min matches
3 matches each
Simple is good.
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Scenario 1: U10 coach chooses elite group of 20 players
Scenario 2: U10 coach facilitates development of 40 players
Dropoff is approx 30% by u14. Coach 1 has 14 players & coach 2 still has 28 players
If we involve more we retain more, it's a choice.
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10 ways to help retain children in sport
1. Smile as they arrive
2. Say hello by name
3. Communicate well with parents
4. Foster a positive environment
5. Compliment effort
6. Use positive talk
7. Catch them doing well
8. Remove pressure
9. Build confidence
10. Include everyone
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When childrens sport becomes overly competitive, it becomes exclusive
When it becomes exclusive, it becomes less inclusive
When it becomes less inclusive, we see less children playing
And that's the dropout
Our role, keep as many as possible involved for as long as possible
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Summer time kids
Are ye climbing trees?
Staying out til dusk?
Playing under street lamps?
Hiding behind walls?
Making goals from fresh cut grass?
Swimming?
Taking bus trips?
Getting chased?
Knocking on doors & hiding?
Asking for 5 more mins?
Summer as a kid, magical
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Childrens sport returns after Summer.
1. Catch them doing well
2. Encourage their strengths
3. Be slow to correct
4. Be quick to praise
5. Instruct less
6. Praise effort
7. Encourage imagination
8. Applaud mistakes
9. Accept different levels
10. Accommodate everyone
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