Author: The Coach Diary

This Article is from my friends at footblogball

Have you ever gone back to a place where you played football as a kid ?It could have been a playground a field, a back garden, and somewhere in your distant memory you recall how vast this surface was how endless amount of children would gather just to expecience the freedom, the fun and joy of kicking a ball……..and now as an adult you stand there looking at what was once your Maracana, Wembley, Old Trafford and you are shocked at how small it is and you wonder how the hell did you all fit in there. You got plenty of touches of the ball and as the the famous games, legends and myths race through your head, you are smiling now as you were smiling then.

Despite boundaries imposed on us (many self imposed through conditioning) we, even in our adult world host an inner longing and desire to PLAY. This desire burns even brighter and stronger in our children. New pathways through sensory systems are opened as signals are sent shooting around the body. Harmonic rhythms and new patterns of movement are formed, co-ordination and balance are developed.

Nowadays the focus seems to be on restricting the kids enviroment and playing conditions through a constant focus on results and the application of adult expectation which in itself can result in many young children been pushed aside.

The adult football coach has a responsibility to remember why he is there. To provide oppurtunities to play football and when needed to give support and encouragement without interference. Allow the kids to play the game they love, because that is how they learn best.

A person only plays when he/she, in the full meaning of the word is a human being, and he/she is a complete human being only when he/she plays :Frederich Schiller (The ethical development of the human being 15th letter)

PLAY, DEVELOP and be INSPIRED.

By the footblogball

Malcolm Cook – Footballer, Coach, Sports Psychologist, Top Publisher and Founder of Freeflow Coaching

Malcolm was born in Glasgow. He sustained a leg injury which curtailed his professional playing career. Malcolm grew up on the same street with Sir Alex in Govan and through his career as a professional footballer and professional coach has crossed paths again with Sir Alex over the years. He developed a passion for coaching and has studied all aspects of the process over many years. This has resulted in him giving Coaching and Psychological Presentations to the Irish F.A, Scottish F.A, Swedish F.F, English F.A, Malta F.A and French F.F plus the world congress in Science and Football in Liverpool. Malcolm has built up a solid reputation for integrity, enthusiasm, energy, ability and good rapport with people in his quest to improve player, coach and team performance.

Malcolm has created an innovative and evolutionary coaching method called Freeflow, which I’m still trying to learn about and research. Malcolm says,  “I think most coaches are on the wrong track with how they approach coaching and I train coaches in a “new way” He have given training courses to over 30 Pro club including Manchester Utd, Newcastle Utd, Sunderland and National Associations all over the world. He has given demos on “Liverpool – the winning system”. (I presume this is from the 90’s and thats why it works)

Malcolm told me, “No matter how good we are, or think we are , we can always learn to become even better”.

He said that is he is obsessed by coaching and has been on a long quest to find “The perfect coaching model”- my findings? There is no such thing!

“The game is so wide-ranging with different styles, nationalities and cultures that there is no one method or way that will “fit” all. There are however, some methods that are better than others as far as learning and development are concerned. Most approaches have something to offer however there are some charlatans out there who are making lots of money from limited approaches which all too many gullible coaches choose to follow. They are clever promoters but offer little in the way of quality to the game.”

So what is Freeflow? Malcolm explains in his own words…

Freeflow is a blend of a few core-methods/principles that have stood the test of time as far as success is concerned plus it shows coaches how “modified” approaches /tools can be used in the right way/place/time with good effect. I have extesively studied and become qualified in Inner-game, Game-sense an accelerated learning which form the core. It has a clear philosophy of Integrity, skill, passion (for the game-coaching-life and lifelong learning.

We are trying to turn out great players and great people.

We are now emphasising the need for greater sportsmanship(whilst still retaining the need to always strive your hardest to win) humbleness, greater self belief, respect and determination. The spiritual side must keep pace with the physical, technical and tactical. Sadly, in the modern game it is slipping behind and too many coaches and players are bad role models for kids trying to develop as players and men (and women).

We make it clear from the outset that we onlt train coaches who are serious about their coaching and want to be better/different from the rest and are willing to put in the time to reach this objective.

I was truly taken away by the indepthness of what Freeflow is actually about and I’m hoping to find out more how this new age coaching can help us coaches in Ireland.

Malcolm hopes to have his website up an running very soon and I’m certainly looking forward to that.

Paining by Christopher Dent http://laptopdavinci.wordpress.com/

Footblogball was setup by Mark O’Sullivan an Irish man leaving in Sweden for over 16 years and originally from Cork.

Mark played League of Ireland when he was 18. Mark says.  “It was depressing but it convinced me that there is an unbelievable amount of raw talent that just needed some guidance, I am still convinced of that today”

Mark who lives in Sweden is also been campaigning for change here in Sweden.They have elite systems for 9 year olds with theory classes!!!! Developing  great systems but few great players when you consider the amount of time and money invested in it.

He is head of  Stockholms largest city youth project and works with a lot of kids on a daily basis. He has been coaching with these ideals for a few years . Mark says, “he is working with all ages from 7 to senior. Also trying to encourage young teens who have dropped out of football(many very talented but stressed out by the adult football demands put on them since kids) to come back and just play for the love of it” With some of his friends they are trying to bring back the spirit of “Street Football” to young kids, its called KAFA.. www.funfootball.se

Keep up the great work Mark, the club and this vision of making kids football a better place is growing by the day

Check Out footblogball.wordpress.com