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  • Irish Youth Football Development: Games vs Structure

    Irish Youth Football Development: Games vs Structure

    The majority of top players in the Irish senior squad came through the traditional schoolboy football system.

    “Many players who ended up in the senior squad came through this route before systems tightened”

    That system, while less structured, provided something critical to player development: game time.

    Players regularly played 30–50+ matches per season through league games, cups, and tournaments.

    This high volume of matches allowed players to develop decision-making, confidence, resilience, and creativity in real game situations.

    In contrast, the current League of Ireland (LOI) academy system has introduced a more structured and professional environment.

    Coaching standards, facilities, and tactical understanding have improved significantly.

    However, there is a growing concern:

    Young players are now playing fewer matches and, in many cases, getting less actual playing time.

    With larger squads and increased competition, some players are training frequently but not playing regularly.

    This creates a gap in development, as training alone cannot replicate the unpredictable and pressured environment of a real match.

    Development is built on:

    – Repetition

    – Match experience

    – Decision-making under pressure

    You cannot fully develop game intelligence without playing games.

    The key issue is balance.

    The old system provided volume and freedom.

    The new system provides structure and quality.

    But currently, there is a risk that we have improved structure while reducing opportunity.

    Some players are now training like professionals without getting enough chances to play like developing footballers.

    The concerns

    • Fewer games → more training, less match experience
    • Squad sizes vs minutes → some kids barely play
    • High competition early → players can be dropped too soon
    • Development vs results tension

    Some players are training like pros… without playing like kids

    🎯 The Core Issue

    It comes down to this:

    Development = minutes + repetition in real games

    Training is important, but:

    • You don’t learn decision-making without matches
    • You don’t develop resilience sitting on a bench
    • You don’t get “game intelligence” without game chaos

    – High-quality coaching

    – Consistent and meaningful game time

    🧠 What the best systems globally

    Top countries blend both:

    • High-quality coaching
    • Consistent and high game exposure

    Players might train 3–4 times a week…but still get meaningful minutes every week

    It seems we’ve improved structure, but we may have reduced opportunity.

    If Irish football is to continue producing top-level players, it is essential that young players are given sufficient opportunities to play, make mistakes, learn, and grow within real match environments.

    Main Picture: Credit The Times

    ——————–

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  • Erling Haaland is a generational talent..

    Erling Haaland is a generational talent..

    Erling Haaland is a generational talent posted by @JoelCressman

    He was the product of an outlier youth program in Norway.

    Researchers investigate his team cohort, this is what they found:
    Bryne FC 99 (players born in 1999) was unique for several reasons:

    • 6 of the 40 players became professionals
    • 35 of 40 players kept playing into adulthood
    • Grassroots-focus with no cuts or selections

    Here’s how they did it:
    1) Youth practices were age-appropriate

    Players entered the team at 6 years old.

    Until the age of 10, there were 1 or 2 training sessions a week.

    Training focused on skill development, specifically teaching activities they could do on their own.

    2) Tactics and position-specific training were delayed

    From ages 11-13, players trained 2-3 times a week.

    From ages 13-19, one group practiced twice a week while the other practiced 4-5 times a week (based on choice, not skill)

    Tactics were introduced at 11 years old. Position-specific training only started at 15.

    3) Fun and learning were the focus

    The team didn’t play in their first tournament until age 13.

    They played weekly matches from the start, but competition came from in the group:

    “We had a lot of competitions during practice. A lot of skill development, and a lot of competition”

    4) They put in lots of hours of informal play

    Players regular weekend routine was to play a pick-up game they called “World Cup.”

    Teams were always made across skill levels and inclusive.

    They used small breaks in time to play: “At elementary school, we played soccer each break, even if it was only a 10-min break”
    5) The Head Coach put people over results

    The Head Coach was a former pro. He had the knowledge to be an authority.

    However, his greatest success was how he connected with players.

    He talked to every player at each practice. He treated skilled and lower skilled players with the same care and focus.

    6) The community supported freedom

    Bryne is a small town of 12,000 people. When players were 6 years old, a soccer dome was built in the center of town.

    The dome was left unlocked and players could enter at any time.

    A parent reflected: “The cohort we talk about here was raised in that dome.”

    7) Time in the system was the success marker

    The coaching philosophy was: “As many as possible, for as long as possible, and as good as possible.”

    Players were given the choice to train more after the age of 13, they were not selected.

    Future elite players noted: “they had worked harder and engaged in more hours of practice compared with less skilled players.”

    The Bryne FC 99 team produced more professionals then they had dropouts.

    Are these lessons universal? No.

    Bryne 99 were an outlier in their own program. The groups before and after disbanded in the teen years.

    But it shows the power of limiting adult ambition in youth sport.

    Article source here: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/tsp/35/2/article-p131.xml (Thanks @chasmahoney)

    ——————–

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  • Paul McGuinness Coaching Workshop

    Paul McGuinness Coaching Workshop

    Paul has been at Manchester United for over 28 years as a Player & Coach.

    PROFILE

    • National Coach Developer & Assistant National Youth team coach at the English FA (2017-21)
    • Over 23 years at Manchester United, as a leader and valued team member of the Academy staff, he made a significant contribution to the development of over 90 players that went on to play in the first team and 23 who became full internationals.

    • He also developed many players who were transferred for substantial economic gain to the club and others who are playing professionally at other clubs worldwide.
    • His teams had success in a number of prestigious tournaments such as the FA Youth Cup (2011), Dallas Cup (1998), Northern Ireland Milk Cup (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014), the Claudio Sassi Memorial tournament (2010) and the Mercedes U19 Junior Cup (2015).
    • He acted as a Club Ambassador leading many tours abroad, most notably in conjunction with the British High Commission in Mauritius and Kenya. He spoke at conferences and special events such as the Munich Memorial service in 2008, The “Inter-campus” conference in Milan 2000 and FA coaching courses.

    The Dublin Workshop on Wednesday 12th April at Tolka Rovers, will include Theory / Practical / Plus Q and A.

    ​DETAILS:

    DATE: Workshop : Wednesday 12th April .

    LOCATION: Tolka Rovers FC – Fr Cooke Park , Griffith Avenue , D11 AY76.

    TIME: 6.00pm – 9.30pm . Registration from 5.30pm.

    COST: 50.00 Euro.

    CLUB SPECIAL RATE :  €250 (6 Coaches for the price 5)

    BOOK VIA THE LINK BELOW

    https://www.maximumperformance.ie/service-page/paul-mcguinness-coaching-workshop?referral=service_list_widget

    MPA Contact : Mitch Whitty : 00353 (0)86 8862618

    Email:         admin@maximumperformance.ie

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com

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  • CHILDREN’S SPORT

    CHILDREN’S SPORT

    Geraint Davies is an Academy Lead Rugby Coach, here are his views on Children’s sport. 5 Brilliant and very simple ideas to implement!

    I’ve spent the last 2 years watching my own children play Football, Rugby, Cricket & Tennis. Standing back watching them as a father is a very different experience to coaching, teaching or coach development. Here’s a summary of my thoughts…

    1.Children should play games that are appropriate for both their physical, social & mental stage of development. – 6v6 football at U8 is too big. Make it 2v2 or 3v3. 9v9 rugby at U9 is too big. Make it 3v3 or 4v4. – Young children don’t want to pass & it’s too much to expect them to manage the ball at their feet/hands & to think about their teammates. Let them dribble/run & become evasive attackers. When they pass they’ll get the ball back quickly as it’s low numbers. win-win.

    2. Coaches who speak to children with respect & empathy are worth their weight in gold. Children are not stupid, they are children. They need care & patience. They need to be very clear on the expectations of their behaviour & consistency when they don’t meet expectations.

    3. Children do like competition & they do like knowing the score. Children don’t like one-sided competition & feeling that they’re not good enough. Change teams up, play ladder competitions (like in Tennis), keep games short & with high activity levels (small sided!).

    4. Children like playing. Sitting on the bench is rubbish. EVERY child should get equal game time. The Coach is responsible for creating the environment. Set up the mini pitches, organise the bibs, pump up the balls, help organise the teams….then let them play!

    5. Not every game needs a referee/coach. Kids will manage a 3v3 game just fine. Play for 5 minutes, they’ll be ready for a rest! Blow the whistle, change the teams, go again. Support & praise players with feedback & guidance then move onto a different field.

    Guest Post by: Geraint Davies: Academy Lead Rugby Coach & Analyst, Ex Teacher and Senior Coach Developer & Coach Mentor Follow him @daviesGDD on Twitter

    -End

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  • Take The Break!

    Take The Break!

    This is not the first time, I’ve posted about this and for many years now, I’ve always enjoyed the break away from coaching. Our Senior season started back in July 2021. I’m due to finish my UEFA A-License very soon (fingers crossed), just need to do 1 more assessment (all going well); for that reason I’m still coaching some teams until I get over the line.

    This post is mainly for you, The Coach who needs a break or the coach who wants to take a break but feels pressurised to keep going. Even if the players are keen to keep going, I suggest you take the break for as long as you can. It will benefit the player, the team, it will benefit you and most importantly, if you have a family and a partner, it will benefit them.

    Although training is important, it is also equally as important to ensure that you take adequate breaks in order to aide recovery. Doing this can actually help improve performance, focus and commitment in the long run.

    We worry so much about taking time off because we are so afraid of falling behind or we hear other teams are still going and we are afraid of losing our players to these teams. You can’t be worrying about this. If they desire to keep training, suggest other forms of exercise such as swimming, running or even bike riding to provide some variety in their training.

    I made the mistake of training through the summer some years back and by October everyone was tired, we had been going for 15 months without stopping and everyone needed a break. The players were sick of hearing the same things over and over again and I was getting agitated. Christmas couldn’t come quick enough and I haven’t made that mistake since!

    Another season over – That’s 13 Seasons done now!

    Our season finished early May this year, in fact our second last game was April and we had to wait 3 weeks to play the next one. The lads were already on holiday mode. We ended in a win and a promotion. So it was a great way to finish on a high. Generally, I would take an extra long break and not return until July. However this year with the assessment, things are a little different. The Senior season usually starts a couple of weeks earlier than the under age one. So I won’t get as much time off now but I’ll get enough.

    Preparation and Family time..

    The time off I get, will allow me to research, prepare a 6 week training plan and devise new coaching methods, strategies, session plans and complete my Principles of Play….. along with devoting this time relaxing and spending time with family and friends. It’s also important for me to do some work around the club, meeting with coaches and helping other fellow coaches were I can but Family time is the main priority now.

    “Texas Health Resources Dr. Damond Blueitt said soccer can take a toll on feet ankles and knees–not to mention the occasional concussion–but most injuries are the product of simply playing too much soccer”

    Specialisation…

    Many children only play football or 1 sport, so this a great opportunity to try new sports or new activities. Specialising in just one, has many downsides. In fact children those who specialise in just one sport can become ‘vulnerable to burning out both physically and mentally’ said Dr.Alan Goldberg a sports & child psychologist.

    Playing a single sport all year round can be very tiring and kids can even get tired of playing the game altogether. In many cases the joy and passion they had at the start of the season can diminish and playing can become a chore. Too much of anything is not good for anyone.

    In sport, too much use of certain body mechanics or too much repetitive movements can lead to over-use injuries. Study after study has shown that moving in various directions, using both sides of our body is much more beneficial and will help develop much better movement patterns and cause less injuries in the long run.

     “I had been coaching pretty much nonstop for the previous seven years, and this is as a volunteer who also had a job, a family of six and other commitments. Simply, I just burnt out from the schedule demands. I felt like I wasn’t being as good a coach as I should be, and I felt like I wasn’t as good to my family as I could be. Who knows, maybe my burnout contributed to the issues with parents during that last season” – Coach Tom

    That’s why rest, relaxation and taking time off is so important to the development of any player and The Coach. Coaches can suffer mental & physical burn out too, leading to becoming disillusioned with the game, or even anger on the sidelines. Engaging in other activities, can help you de-stress from the sport you coach or play the most.

    “Taking time to do NOTHING, often brings everything into PERSPECTIVE”

    This time is for you. Use it!  

    For a Coach, it might even be spending more time with your own family or for the Parents, it could be devoting more time to your other children or for a Player, just taking time away from the pressures of the game and having fun doing other things with friends and family. Even trying new games or sports.

    So many, devote so much time to other peoples children, we tend to forget about our own.

    • If you’re a parent-coach you might want to stop talking about the team to your son or daughter.
    • Leave the team issues to during the season and try not to discuss team matters when you’re away from team set-up.
    • You might let you child practice alone and simply engage as a parent and not their coach.
    • You could set an agreement with your family about this.
    • If you meet players during the off-season, chat to them as people. Ask them about their life and what they are up too?
    • Try stay off social-media and engaging in discussions around your sport.

    Some simple tasks like the ones above will enhance the BREAK you need. Time away from anything you love doing, will make you want it even more when you get back to doing it and the same goes for the players. Everyone comes back re-charged and ready for the new season.

    The Players can still improve away from the organised coaching by practicing with their friends and on their own. After all, that’s how the game began for the majority children in sport….. kids did fairly well without us….up to a certain point and/or age. We don’t always need to be coaching and they don’t always need to be coached!

    Take a break, we all need one and we all deserve one too!

    Enjoy that break folks!

    -End

    I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com

    If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend/coach. As always, thanks for reading.

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  • When does sport stop being about activity and just about competition? – Dr Colman Noctor

    When does sport stop being about activity and just about competition? – Dr Colman Noctor

    Is Sport about activity or competition?

    I am a child psychotherapist and I must admit I have an ambivilant relationship with children’s sport. The reason for this is that I have borne witness to stories where sport was a life saver for some children. The structure, the camaraderie and the sense of belonging was achieved through sport when it was lacking in school or at home. However I have also heard stories where children’s self- esteem and self worth were decimated by a sporting experience that involved exclusion, a life time on the subs bench or being told at a young age they are not good enough.

    “In my experience as soon as a child masters the basic tasks of a sport, the grading and weeding process comes in”

    @colnoc77

    It has gotten me thinking that there are 2 types of approaches to sport. Those who are ego driven and those who are task driven. Those who are ego driven are keen for competition, they want to win medals, being the best is important to them and they have a natural competitive instinct. On the other hand those who are task driven want to play for enjoyment, to learn new skills and to engage in an activity that is social, keeps them relatively fit and is enjoyable.

    The system of children’s sport is notionally set up to accommodate both, but in my experience as soon as a child masters the basic tasks of a sport, the grading and weeding process comes in. Often this system strongly favours the ego driven children and very soon there is an expectation that children will commit to twice a week training and a match at the weekends. This is a big commitment of time and effort, but the possibility of league medals, championships and winning becomes the motivation for attending. Often this culture is created by the coaches who set the tone of the sport and the team and soon the task driven children are often driven out.

    Just because they do not believe that winning is everything, or just because they don’t want to commit to three intense scheduled sporting commitments per week, or just because they don’t go to play sport to be roared at when they make a mistake means that they either get side-lined or leave of their own accord. The system of children’s sport is designed to support the elite athlete and not the task driven casual sports person. There is no room for that lack of commitment.

    The reality is that of the 100% of club players, 1% will make the elite level in most sports. The other 99% will be made up of varying degree of casual sports people. However the system is focused on that 1% often at the cost of the 99%. Another interesting statistic is that despite only 1% of club players making it to the elite level, 26% of parents believe their child is capable of making the elite level, which if you do the maths looks like a lot of disappointed parents.

    Even the concept of Junior C football is changing. Traditionally this grade was made up of a few casual aging gentlemen who went out for a match, without a matching set of shorts and socks between them, perhaps stopping to have a cigarette at half-time. This grade is gone. Junior C GAA is made up of fit young lads, on diet plans with strength and conditioning coaching sessions as part of the schedule.

    So why is it so? In adult sport there is the capacity to engage with sport socially. I play 5 a side soccer most weeks and Tag Rugby too. The text goes around to see whos available and wants to play and you can say yes or no, there is no issue. Why is there nothing similar for young people. If playing soccer or tag rugby required me to be there twice a week and a match at the weekends, I would not be playing. This does not mean that I am not competitive, I am. I give it 100% effort for the hour that I am playing, but when there is no leagues or medals at stake, the losses don’t sting as badly and don’t last passed 30 seconds of the final whistle. We return the bibs to be washed for the following week, pay our €5 to the kitty person, and we head off to repeat the same next week.

    Why can we not have something similar for young people. It is my view that this type of a model would be very popular for young people and it would mean that their participation levels remain for longer and they continue to play well into adulthood.

    We need to think about the structures of children’s sport. Most give up because it is too serious, they are told they are not good enough or because the time commitment is too much. The ‘all or nothing’ approach is failing our children. In a world that is ‘On Demand’ and we can tailor most things to our personal needs, children’s sport is not moving with the times. The archaic expectations of needing to give all for the club or county and sacrifice all else for your sport will not suit most and therefore participation will dwindle, only to maybe take up sport again in their 30s or 40s.

    Follow Dr Colman Noctor on twitter @colnoc77

    END –

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  • Horst Wein: How To Develop Creative Potential Within Each Child

    Horst Wein: How To Develop Creative Potential Within Each Child

    Horst Wein,  first coach to be awarded the title of FIH Master Coach, was born in Hanover, Germany in 1941. In this post we share some of his teaching as we remember as one of the greatest Children coaches in hockey and football of all time.

    Horst has majored in the ground-breaking concept of Game Intelligence, since 2002, having written and lectured extensively on the topic in four continents.

    Wein was one of the deepest and most influential thinkers within the game. He was one of the first to strongly argue in favour of smaller-sided games (although he prefers the term ‘simplified games’) for younger players; views that everyone now seems to be accepting and enthusing about but which were considered as idiotic for a long time..

    Horst Wein:
    “The 10 Most Important Conditions To Develop Creative Potential Within Each Child”

    1) DECLARE THE WAR AGAINST THE 11 VS. 11 GAME
    In the “big game” on a regular field, the young player is generally condemned to become passive, participating very seldom in plays where he can exhibit his creative skills.

    2) MORE GAMES AND LESS ANALYTICAL EXERCISES
    Children should be exposed to more game plays (global method) and less practice with the analytical method. The practice should happen in the game.

    3) LET THE KIDS PLAY
    We should give children the opportunity to explore and to discover through “playing”, to infect them with the creativity shown by their teammates and opponents and without having the coach interceding frequently.

    4) PLAY IN ALL POSITIONS AND IN REDUCED SPACES
    Young players up to 13 years “should have the opportunity to play in different positions in order to discover the roles and functions which these positions characterize”.

    5) YOU MUST ENJOY THE GAME TO BE CREATIVE
    When the children play, they should have fun and be keen on the game. If the young player does not identify himself with the proposed game that the coach has designed, the creative capability will remain asleep.

    6) LET THE PLAYERS CREATE GAMES AND RULES
    Frequent rule changes, introduced by surprise during the practise of the game, force the players who want to win to adapt to the rule changes, using their creativity.

    7) DARE TO TAKE RISKS AND TO IMPROVISE
    The young players, especially those of 7 to 12 years, should not be pressured by their coach to quickly pass the ball in order to allow a better team-play and winning. They should frequently have the opportunity to “be in love with the ball”, to dare to improvise their play and take risks, without fearing the possible consequences of having committed a mistake or to have lost the possession of the ball.

    8) TRAIN THE RIGHT HEMISPHERE OF THE BRAIN
    Instead of the coach being the main character in the teaching and learning process, he should often transfer responsibility to his young pupils and ask them, through systematic questioning, to solve most of the situations that he presents. A true master in teaching never gives the answers to the problems, but helps his pupils to find and discover them on their own, guiding them to correct results.

    “Let The Game Be The Teacher” – Horst Wein

    9) CREATIVE COACHES = CREATIVE PLAYERS
    Any flash of creative behaviour in a player should be recognised by the coach who should do everything to encourage his players to be different and to look out for original solutions to the problems inherent in the game.

    10) THE ENVIRONMENT AS AN ENEMY OF CREATIVITY
    The environment of the young player is an enemy of his creativity. Nowadays most of our young talent grows in an atmosphere which is noticeably hostile towards creativity. Their familiar and scholastic surroundings, especially between the ages of 7 and 14 years, are characterized generally by a “intentional direction” of learning (with strict norms), which is limiting personal initiative, independence, originality and the value of trying to do things in different ways. Basically: “instead of presenting fishes to the children, the students, or the players, the parents, teachers and coaches should teach them how to fish.”

    Originally from HockeyWorld.Net

    Horst Wein: Children’s 10 Rights To PLAY :

    1. The right to enjoyment both in practice and in competition, with a wide variety of activities that promote fun and easy learning.
    2. The right to play as a child and not be treated like an adult, either on or off the playing field.
    3. The right to participate in competitions with simplified rules, adapted to their level of ability and capacity in each stage of their evolution.
    4. The right to play in conditions of greatest possible safety.
    5. The right to participate in all aspects of the game.
    6. The right to be trained by experienced and specially prepared coaches and developers.
    7. The right to gain experience by resolving most of the problems that arise during practices.
    8. The right to be treated with dignity by the Coach, their team-mates, and by their opponents.
    9. The right to play with children of their own age with similar chances of winning.
    10. The right not to become a champion.

    END –

    We always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say or content to share, please comment below or email me coach@thecoachdiary.com 

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