Robbo’s Column October 2022

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoying the start of the new season. Setting challenges for games and training is a great way for coaches to motivate individual players and teams.

Here are my top 10 tips for using individual player and team challenges in training sessions and matches:

1) Get to know your players

 How well do you know the players in your team/squad? Do you know who can use their weaker foot? Who is accurate with their short passing, but not with their long passing? Player challenges are most effective when they are designed for individuals, so it is really important to get to know your players better.  Start by identifying strengths and areas that are challenging for the players.

2) Stand back and watch

The best way to get to know your players is through observation. Set yourself a challenge to do more watching than talking in your next session or game. By taking a step back it is amazing what different things you will identify when watching the players. Take notes whilst you are watching as this can be the start of creating effective individual challenges.

3) Continue to improve strengths

It is tempting to link all the player challenges to improving weaknesses. Although there are certain fundamentals of the game that all players need to develop, it is also really important to identify what is unique about a player and help them get even better at that part of their game. For example, if you have an excellent dribbler, challenge them to get even better at dribbling with challenges and areas that will make them think. Adding extra objects, players or influences when dribbling can help with the players closer ball control, decision making skills or by them being more aware of who or what is around them.

4) Variety in design

Challenges don’t always have to link to the technical and tactical side of the game. For example: you may have a player who is quiet both on and off the pitch and doesn’t mix with the rest of the group. You may give the player a communication or leadership challenge to boost their confidence. Linked with this you may challenge another player in the squad, somebody with good teamworking skills, to try and integrate the player into the group more.

5) Sessions which challenge the players

Once you have an idea of your player or team challenges, think about how you can design a practice session that allows the players to work on their own individual challenge in a group setting. This is no easy task, but it can be achieved through effective and clever planning.  Game-like activities are the best way to approach the task, with effective use of player positions, pitch sizes and formations. This will in turn challenge the players and push them to the next level

6) Time and patience

It is important to give players the time to work at their challenge. For example, a player might work at the same challenge for a six-week block, or even longer.  If you change the challenge too often, the player may not have the opportunities to solve the problems that the challenge poses.

7) Matchday challenges 

When you are working with younger players, it is crucial that your training sessions link to matchday. Ask the players to continue to work on their challenges during a game and continue to support them.  Don’t let the score line detract from what you are trying to achieve with your individual players. 

8) Different positions

Experimenting with player positions is a great way to provide different challenges. Think carefully about the challenges different positions afford and then link the position with the individual you are working with. For example: if you want to help a player with their receiving skills and awareness, you may play them in central midfield where there will be a lot of pressure when receiving. Similarly, you play them as a central defender and encourage the goalkeeper to play short to start attacking moves.

9) Different age-groups

Similar to experimenting with different playing positions, playing players in different age-groups can provide great challenges. For example: a player who needs to develop their physical qualities or understanding of when to take lots of touches and when to play quickly, may benefit from playing in an older age group where the time and space will be challenged. What other challenges do different age-groups offer? (Please note that this should only be done for one off or in a couple of games per season).

10) Ask the players for their input

Lastly, don’t forget to ask the players what they think they need to improve or what they would like to work on during training and games. This will help the player take responsibility for their own development and progression.

Show Racism the Red Card and Heads Up

I’m finally back, sorry it’s been a while!

A lot has been happening since we went into the original lockdown, way back in March of last year. At the school that I teach at, I have been teaching about ‘Discrimination and Prejudice’, in the Humanities and PE lessons. A focus area that has been looked at is the racial abuse England football players received, after the summers European Championship final against Italy and the effects it had on the players mental health. After Danny Rose was abused by fans, Raheem Sterling tweeted 'get some education', and that's exactly what Larches High School wanted to help with. Students have been looking at the North-East charity organisation ‘Show Racism the Red Card’, which uses inspirational footballers to help children tackle racist attitudes.

Show Racism the Red Card is the UK's largest anti-racism charity and students and staff have been encouraged to wear something red to show how we unite against racism.

In 1990s Newcastle, Shaka Hislop was at a petrol station near St James Park when he was confronted with a group of young people shouting racist abuse at him. After one of the group realised that they had been shouting at Shaka Hislop, the then Newcastle United football player, they came over to ask for an autograph. It was from this experience that Shaka realised he could harness his status as a professional player to make a difference. Coupled with the power of football and his status as a role model, Shaka thought education could be an effective strategy in challenging racism in society.

The students worked through lessons that explored the idea of stereotypes and how to identify a racial incident and the way in which they can deal effectively with these potential incidents. They also explored what Hate-Crime is, how to distinguish what is and isn’t a hate crime and how to report a hate crime. The lessons identified how people of all ages and backgrounds have suffered with the experience of racism and how much it can cause innocent people to suffer just because of their race, culture, heritage and religion.

An educational film was also viewed which features high profile players from across the footballing world, past and present discussing their experiences of racism.

Our very own club president and coach and not forgetting Captain of League Two side Tranmere Rovers FC’s Peter Clarke. Who kindly lent us use one of his shirts to display in the lessons. The shirt carries the ‘Not Today or Any Day’ logo on which is the EFL’s campaign against anti racism.

Following on from this topic we looked at mental health and looked at the work the charities and organisations have set up such as ‘Mind’, whose logos are on the back of all EFL teams numbers. Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Mind also campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

 We also looked at the FA’s Premier League’s ‘Heads Up’ and ‘Heads Together’ campaigns.

These initiatives are spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex to change the conversation on mental health and give people the tools that they need to have a conversation – wherever they are and whenever they need to.

In the build up to these sessions I attended webinars and online courses for Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) and trauma-informed practice, Childhood Trauma and Attachment in schools, Emotion Coaching and Supporting children and young people with ADHD and or/ ASC in football.

 These causes have linked up with my teaching position and role within Southport Athletic JFC. During the October half term, myself and U7s coach Scott, trialled a new initiative that we hope will become a regular event over the course of each year. The ‘Football for All’, Foundation football sessions invited 12 players from 7 different clubs from the Southport area. The session looked at players who had just started out in the game, who were looking to increase game time and established players who could buddy up with the newer players to help each other gain confidence in the game. The session was a great success and me, Scott and the club are looking at dates for next year that will again look at specific target areas such as promoting ‘girls football, players with SEN or extra needs, academy style sessions for the older players, coaching work shops and player position specific sessions’. We aim to run these sessions with a small donation to the club from each player who attends. The next sessions we are pencilling in for around Easter time, so watch out for more updates on the foundation sessions.

For more information on the topics discussed in the article please follow the links or numbers below, which will direct you with the various organisational charities and groups

• Call Mind Infoline 0300 123 3393

• Text SHOUT 85258: A free text service providing 24/7 support for anyone who needs support.

• https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/heads-up

• https://www.theredcard.org

Lockdown Part II: Finding ways to shine during lockdown

I hope everyone is well and is staying safe at home. Again, we find ourselves in a second lock down with football suspended for at least a month. Hopefully, we will be able to play again from the 3rd December. With football only suspended for a month it is important that we find ways to keep ourselves both mentally and physically fit, healthy and prepared for when we can go back to some kind of normality again.

In the first lockdown from March our players saw real-life responsibilities, specially tailored individual programmes, challenging football quizzes and even magic tricks... our players were keeping themselves in shape physically and mentally during that 6-month uncertain period.

Government restrictions and social distancing measures designed to combat the coronavirus have seen football players at all levels resort to exercising individually at home but, by liaising with our coaches and managers and employing basic technology and equipment, those within our club are able to maintain their work ethic, team spirit and competitive edge – and in some cases, show their character away from football.

At Southport Athletic JFC we recognize that it’s important that we’re quite sensitive to the players’, parents and general communities’ situations. Obviously everyone wants to be on the training field, everyone wants to be back at work but the players are finding ways to grow whilst ensuring they adhere to the stay-at-home measures in non-essential situations that are currently in place, which we all know are paramount. In these times, even though it’s difficult, there are still opportunities for them to develop and the players are making the most of that. Examples of this can be seen with players looking after sibling whilst parents, especially those that are key workers are having to work and take on extra working responsibilities, the recent food donations and helping families and individuals who are finding challenges and extra pressure during this uncertain time.

As a club we want to plan  and keep the main element of the football part,  by keeping things fresh, giving them new ideas, new techniques, new skills and asking players to work on areas of their game where they can use this time individually to keep practicing. Coaches will, be able to devise the football sessions and tasks that are all possible within the confines of their houses or gardens – players will be able to deliver back to the coaches and team via whatsapp. Obviously, the players will not be training at the intensity they would be if they were with the group.

Among the football-related challenges that can be set for the players by the coaches can be skills tests, ball-and-a-wall control techniques, headers and balancing drills. Activities can include players being tasked with presenting their best Premier League XI with detailed reasons behind their choices, posting a video in their group and giving a presentation about it, attempting the social media ‘ball in the bin challenge’, taking part in video call quizzes led by the coaches and even attempting magic tricks – all inventive ways of invoking competition while operating from separate locations.

Another example of an activity taking is, asking the boys to write up their own football coaching sessions and use the boys to show, teach and coach each other with tricks, skills, turns and challenges. This way we can keep trying to keep activities and ideas fresh, keeping the players’ minds active as well as their bodies.

Obviously this is a tough time for everybody, but if there’s one thing that could possibly come from this, maybe it’s that our players, as young men and ladies, will have to grow up slightly quicker than they would do normally, because what we’ve also got to be mindful of is that football is secondary to family and making sure that everybody is safe. Ultimately, it’s all about us all staying safe and looking out for each other as a club and our local community.

The FA Four Corner model and how it can help you learn more about your players

I hope everyone is well and is enjoying the new season. Following on from Septembers column on ‘Using the 4-corner model/Preparing for the new season’. I want to try and explain how the FA Four Corner model helps coaches within the club address the needs and challenges of every player within Southport Athletic JFC.

For most of you reading this, the Four Corner model is used to address long-term player development and will not be something that you are totally unfamiliar with. For those that are new to the concept, I will recap.

What is it?

The Four Corner model (also known as the Long-term Player Development model or LTPD) is a holistic approach that recognises the core areas to be considered by coaches for players to develop their game. The areas are defined as technical/tactical, social, physical, and psychological. (illustrated below)

How can I learn more about my players and more importantly why do I need to know more about my players?

The main reason I selected this topic was really to try and give you a few thoughts, ideas, and possible methods to consider when using the Four Corner model back within the players at Southport Athletic JFC.

In times past, I think it is fair to say that the predominant coaching style implemented was very much a command style (fully coach led) and sessions planned for players took on a ‘one size fits all’ approach. (Very old school style of coaching).

Things have changed somewhat and we are now recognising that this isn’t necessarily the most effective way to educate players. Working with coaches at the early stages of their coaching journey, a common theme that I notice regularly is that we are pretty good at identifying and analysing the physical and technical aspects of our players, but don’t seem to have nearly as much insight into what they are like psychologically or socially.

This isn’t hugely surprising as the physical and technical aspects present themselves very visually and pretty consistently at training and in games. However, I do believe that our starting point as coaches is to recognise that each player is firstly an individual before becoming a cohesive member of a football team, and we as a club and with ourcoaches should acknowledge this within our approach to planning, delivering, and reviewing of training and matchday practices.

So you may be thinking: where does the Four Corner model fit in with this?

Well, hopefully it will fit into all of the planning, delivery, and reviewing processes of our coaching sessions within the club. It is important to have shared team goals and objectives, but for me the real task of coaching is being able to also have individualised goals and objectives that meet the needs and challenges of each individual player.

Development isn’t a one-way street…

Scientific studies have steered us towards the idea that we tend to remember more effectively if we are part of the process when finding solutions to problems. The understanding of the ‘Why?’ around what we are doing is a key aspect of effective learning and enables players to construct a more in-depth pattern of understanding.

I think it is important to look at how the Four Corner model can support us with this.

One method that I have personally used is the following:

• Sit down with all parents and players to introduce the Four Corner model to them at the start of the season and briefly explain what it is.

• Have a substantial list of qualities/skills/characteristics that fit with each of the areas of the model and allow parents/player to decide the top three and bottom three in each area for each player.

• After a period of a month you do the same exercise for each individual player in your group and then compare to the previous one, looking for similarities and significant differences.

• Then discuss your findings with the player/parent and come up with areas you wish to focus on to develop as a priority.

• These areas identified can certainly be interchangeable throughout the season and should be discussed regularly in agreement with the player.

• Remember when discussing this, be sensitive to players feelings and try to explain why what you are saying is beneficial to the player and the team.

In addition to this, you may even want to try giving players laminated cards to take to training and matchdays which have the Four Corner model background. This will allow players to set themselves an individual challenge in each area and then review how they did in their own time. (This is player-led as much as possible, but some 5-11 year old players may need support with this from the coach,parent or guardian.)

Why do I need to get to know my players?

There are many benefits that will help support you and your coaching, but I’ll try to summarise. For most players it is about feeling part of Southport Athletic JFC as a club, being part of their age group team, socializing and mixing with friends/new friendship groups and having fun are all fundamental drivers for being involved in football and this shouldn’t be ignored.

From a purely player development point of view, and again thinking about the Four Corner model, the more information you can access and gather about the players, the better placed you will be to make informed decisions/judgements/actions that will help support them in their development at Southport Athletic JFC.

Final note…

I would just like to stress to anyone reading this piece that the Four Corner model is a long-term vision and that player development will be a bumpy ride with lots of inconsistencies, peaks and troughs, but as coaches and as a club we should place player well-being at the centre of everything we are doing, especially during uncertain times like we are experiencing now with Covid 19. If any player, parent or guardian needs help or is struggling with these uncertain times, please do not suffer in silence. Myself, Southport Athletic JFC and all members of the committee are here to help. If you need help, advice or just a chat, please do not hesitate to contact us via the contacts on the website. Stay safe everyone and I hope everyone is finally enjoying the start to the new season.

Using the 4 corner model/Preparing for the new season

Through all walks of life, transitions happen and grassroots football is no different. As your players grow, so do their football pitches. Starting at U7 and 5-a-side, moving to 7-a-side when the players reach U9 and U10. Before embarking on competitive football at U12. A new season brings a new format for many young players. It also brings many new challenges, targets and experiences. Players, teams and managers will experience good and challenging games and will hopefully gain a lot of positive experiences whilst having fun and enjoying the game.

The pitch and goals really do start to look “massive” and it’s important to get everyone who is involved with your team prepared for the changes and how you can plan for them.

For lots of our players this will be incredibly exciting, but also players worry about change and what football will be like after summer, especially in uncertain times which we have all had to endure since March.

Here we take a look at ways to help prepare for the new season: - 

Be organised 

Doing the simple things like packing your bags/clothes/food – everything you need for the training session or match day - the night before. It is essential to have a clear and prepared mind for the day ahead. I do this in everyday life too, such as preparing things that I need for work.

Equipment checks

What equipment do you have/need to do your work to the best of your ability? Some grassroots clubs struggle to get the money to buy enough kits, balls, cones, etc. for the coaching team to do their jobs. I have experienced this a few season’s back where I had to go out and bring my own equipment so the team could train and prepare for matches. Even on match days I prepared the team with my own equipment.

At Southport Athletic JFC my previous experience will not be the case, as all teams are able to look at and order the necessary equipment needed for training and match days. We as a club aim to provide all our players, coaches and managers with everything that they will need.

What is your coaching philosophy?

How do you want to play? Attacking? Counter-attacking? Quick passing? Long Ball? What formation will you play? This is your philosophy – it’s what you believe will make your players better and enjoy it more.

A lot of coaches will say to you: 

“Do you want to win at the cost of the development of your players?” 
Example: If you have one player that isn’t as technically good as others you have, do you keep them on the bench and give them minimal time, so you can try and win the game? Or do you give them the maximum game time to try and make them better?

Another question: Would you bring them on if they were the only player on your bench and one of your other “better” players got injured?

If you answered ‘yes’ then are you not still jeopardising your “winning” mentality? If the answer is ‘no’, then how will this player ever get better under your guidance?

Finally, ‘winning’ is NOT a dirty word. You can focus on winning - that is perfectly fine – but does it jeopardise the progress of your young players?   

So based on all of the above, build a philosophy that you believe in and that you believe the players will achieve to get you the results you want, whether that be winning or developing. 

Set goals/objectives

Depending on the ability and age group of your team, setting them a team goal like: “Winning the title” or “Finishing the season with a + goal difference” can always be a help, but setting goals/objectives don’t have to be just for the players. Set goals for yourself as well. Where do you want to be as a coach at the end of the season? I spent one season completing both my level 2 and  youth modules 1 and 2 whilst working and coaching at a private academy, volunteering at grassroots level and then volunteering at nights at a pro academy club who all trained twice and played once a week. Everyone has a different life with different commitments but setting yourself a goal can help you become not only a better coach or player but a better person too. 

Build a schedule

You learn this a lot more in your FA coaching courses but a schedule for your players and for yourself helps a lot. What I do is a week-to-week plan on how we are going to be training. This way you can build a programme and sessions working your way through from playing out from the back to scoring in the final third. Below is a preview screenshot from last year, which will hopefully give you some inspiration and idea. When having a planned schedule parents and players are aware and know what you are working on and trying to achieve both in the short and long term.

Plan, Do, Review

Take it back to basics, spend as long planning a session as it takes to deliver a session and from there take some time to review it too.

What went well? What can you improve next time? Do you need to re-write parts of your session to make it better?

Planning is not just for training sessions but for match days also. Making sure your pre-match team talk and warm-up are game-related is very important. 

Time management is key

It is essential that you are early to all sessions and match days even if it’s 10 minutes before the meet time. It allows you those valuable moments to check the playing area, set up your session or set things up for the match, set up the warm-up, and go over anything last minute, especially if there are last minute or second changes or problems to try and iron out.

Players arriving on time is also essential. When managing older youth players it starts to become more of their responsibility and could involve dropping them to the bench. But with younger players it’s different. In previous seasons at other clubs my practice involved, at the start of the season, sending out a ‘code of conduct’ (no more than five bullet points) of what I expected of the parents and players. I gave this to them before they signed their child on, so they had a clear understanding of what they were committing to. Some grassroots clubs already have this and if they do not, sitting down with them to create one could be a good idea.

Team building is very important

Creating sessions that are fun will automatically give you great interaction with the players. With The FA Four Corner Model in mind, allowing players social interaction at the start is brilliant. Let them chat, make a little rondo and give them space. For those that don’t, give them responsibility; young players especially want to be older (whereas people like me at 21 want to be young again). Giving them a bit of ownership will also bring out the social aspects, e.g. if you have eight players “here are four green bibs and four orange bibs – pick your own teams” (you’ll find out that they automatically pick fair teams). Playing small games too, like ‘tic-tac-toe’, can build decision making as well as team spirit and competitiveness. ‘Chase the rabbit tail’, where players have bibs tucked into their shorts with the winner being whoever has the most bibs at the end of one minute, is another useful game.

In the not too far future our club plan to organise days out (bowling, football golf, etc) they can be fantastic for team building.
If you’re managing, for example, an U10s team, you might have this same team for six to eight years of their young life. So taking that into consideration, how important is it now to build a strong cohesive unit?

Enjoy it 

The most important point for me is that a lot of what we are doing is under a volunteer banner and requires time and effort to ensure that our players have a wonderful experience within the football environment. With all the above points, I hope that all the coaches, players, Parents, guardians, and carers at Southport Athletic JFC will gain an enjoyable and fun experience within the game. I know we cannot always have positive experiences, but we can help each other with motivation, desire and fun within the game.

Thank you for reading and I wish all our players, coaches, and teams all the best of luck for our first season as Southport Athletic JFC.

Our Club, Our Community Spirit

Hi Everyone and welcome back to ‘Robbo’s Column’.

This month I want to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone.

Between Monday 20th July to Sunday 26th July 2020, I took part in the ‘Montane Lakeland 100’ virtual race, raising money for the football club. This race is normally done as an ultra-marathon set in the heart of the Lake District, starting, and finishing in Coniston. The race is normally run alongside the ‘Montane Lakeland 50’ which starts in Dalemain and finishes in Coniston. I decided to take on the 100-mile race after doing the 50-mile race the previous six years, and I was meant to be competing in the 50 race this year. With the current COVID 19 situation and the actual race being cancelled the race organisers decided to hold a virtual race. The only twist was that the 100 race is measured as 105 miles or 169kms. I started the race on Monday and had finished by Friday 24th July. I had great support throughout the week, and some of the players, coaches and parents were on hand to support and run with me on Saturday to add a few extra km. I managed to complete 170.5km in 20 hours 19 minutes. 

When I was doing the mileage and kilometres each day, I truly sensed the community support and spirit within the club, from good luck and motivational messages of support when it was raining and all I wanted to do was stay indoors and stay dry, to people donating money for the club and by sharing the link on social media. With this happening, I felt that I was not running alone. I had the true spirit of the club following and supporting me. This gave me a real sense of being part of a community club and for us all supporting each other as one. This has been evident from day one with other members of Southport Athletic JFC raising money with Alan’s head shave, Paul and Ben’s bike ride, Pete’s leg wax and the run I did. The community and club spirit have been so immense, and I think the previous few months has shown some raw emotion, intensity and how we are as a club. With the changes that have had to happen, how everyone has been affected, what people have seen and how they have felt things have happened, but everyone has shown one message. That even in the darkest moments, we as a club and community are not alone.

We are Southport Athletic JFC, and I can not wait to see our first games of the season and for us all supporting all the teams with all the desire for the love of the game and club. To me, this means so much, and I am truly honoured and humbled to be a part of your club, Southport Athletic JFC.

Elite Football Training Tips Every Amateur Player Can Use

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well and starting your training sessions again with your teams. This month we will be looking at how you as players can train, eat and play like pro players.

Robbo’s Column

Footballers who play at the top level are in the fortunate position of having every aspect of their training routine managed in minute detail by their clubs.

Sports science plays a huge part in the day-to-day lives of elite players, but for amateurs it can be a completely different story.

Many players lower down the scale will see their season end during April and they may not grace a football pitch again until August.

In some cases that gap may even extend to the first game of the season in September, with some amateur players avoiding any preparation work.

However, by employing elements of the techniques used by elite level players, it is possible for amateurs to improve their training routines.

Read on as we look at elite football training tips every amateur player can use.

Build training into your daily routine

Football’s top stars are subjected to intensive training sessions, with many clubs working with their players two or three times a day.

While that level of commitment is not be possible for us as we have school to attend, it is feasible to build additional fitness work into our daily routine. 

Signing-up other sports groups and centres, cycling, swimming, walking or simply exercising at home can all help to improve your fitness levels.

Most amateur clubs now include training sessions before and during the season, so make sure you attend these to boost your fitness even further.

Eat smarter

Professional players have access to nutritionists who provide advice about the best things to eat so they can perform at their best.

They are encouraged to keep a selection of cereals, porridges, oats and granola in their kitchen cupboards. Players can enjoy different combinations with a range of fruit yoghurts, milk or Greek yoghurt.

Eggs are another good kitchen staple because players can always cook an omelette or some scrambled eggs when they’re tired.

Lunch and dinner for a footballer tends to involve a good variety of protein and carbohydrates. Turkey, beef, salmon and mackerel are popular choices, while a range of vegetables help to provide a balanced meal.

They may have the odd biscuit or sweet snack in the evening, but these should be eaten in moderation. Hydration is also important, so players should drink plenty of water.

Don’t neglect rest and recovery time

Top clubs understand the importance of building in sufficient rest and recovery time for their players. Stretching out muscles, repairing tiny tears and getting lactic acid moving all help to aid recovery.

Getting enough rest is also crucial, so taking power naps and getting plenty of sleep at home play their part in ensuring players get enough rest.

Taking recovery seriously helps to improve alertness, awareness and reaction times, leading to better on-pitch performance.

Sleep also helps with relationship building, anger management and internal organ health, and these are all elements that can benefit amateur players.

Match fitness matters

Professional clubs generally play a significant amount of pre-season games to build up match fitness. Players need a few reasonably competitive matches under their belt before diving into the real thing.

At amateur level it may not always be possible to play half-a-dozen friendlies, but even playing two or three can make a huge difference when the season gets underway.

Top level players regularly work with sports psychologists who teach them a range of mental tools and techniques.

Not everyone possesses the same confidence level as others, so helping them to improve this side of things can aid their on-field performance.

While no-one expects amateur clubs to start providing sports psychology services to their players, there are plenty of ways the discipline can be utilised.

Teaching amateur players to focus on simple goals will instinctively improve their performance, while encouraging them to embrace learning and research into how top stars have reached the pinnacle of the game can all help to create a positive mind set.

Keep things fun

Every football player wants to win matches, but it is important to remember that sport is meant to be fun, particularly at amateur level.

For Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was famed for his ‘hairdryer’ treatment of players, but the reality was somewhat different. Sir Alex understood the art of man management, mixing strong arm tactics with a sense of fun to get the most out of his players.

Amateurs play for the love of the game, so making sure the fun element isn’t neglected will get them performing to the best of their ability.

Team-building is crucial

Players need time to bond and develop trust, which isn’t always easy at amateur level. Work commitments may prevent players from getting together for just a few hours a week, so finding time for team-building is crucial.

A pre-season get together is always a good idea, while organising events at Christmas or a post-season trip away can help to build team spirit.

A club such as Southport Athletic JFC would like to include players’ families in future planned activities. This can create a sense of community around the club and encourage others to join the set-up.

Teams who have a bond off the pitch generally perform better on it, so a positive environment is very important. As a football club, we have to work really closely together.

Robbo’s Column - May

Hi everyone, welcome to the third edition of Robbo’s column. I hope you are all safe and well.

This week I have been speaking to one of the coaches regarding football sessions . We were looking at philosophies to bring into the team, that he coaches. We looked at how this could impact and progress the team as a whole and individual players. We looked at ways this could challenge and progress the team and players over the next couple of seasons. Ideas were flowing and what was meant to be a quick chat ended up being a bit longer. This got me thinking also, why I got into coaching and why the coaches at Southport Athletic JFC are passionate about the club and give up a lot of their time, especially in the evenings and weekends during the season. One of the reasons for this is how each coach wants to be positive, in order to make a huge difference to each individual player that they coach.

Focusing on being positive and led by strong communication and collaboration are the cornerstones of my coaching philosophy. This echoes Gareth Southgate's positive principles of coaching in The FA's 'We only do positive' handbook, which I put into practice in the following ways:

1. Create the right environment

It’s crucial to make sure that the coaches, parents and players all work together in creating the right environment. I feel that the following four key areas help to create the right environment:

• Be the most respectful team

• Provide opportunity for all

• Acceptance of mistakes

• Try your best and support others

We’ve had examples of players becoming extremely anxious, both at and away from football, which has impacted their confidence in and around the team. In these examples we’ve made sure that our training sessions are a comfortable, trustworthy environment with no pressure on those players to perform.

2. Lead by positive example

We begin the season with a player’s collectively agreeing to the roles and responsibilities of the team, understand the strengths and weaknesses of the team and the expectations for the season.

The team will then work with me to lead the pre-match warm-up, the team talk before a game and provide feedback from the players at the end of the game. This is all done in a positive manner.

3. Build a positive team around you

We want to make sure our team at Southport Athletic JFC is a team people want to come and play for, so it’s really important to have a great team around you, including the players and their parents.

On paper, a coaching philosophy can read well, but without support from parents/guardians it is difficult to bring that philosophy to life. Parents play a vital role in creating a player-centred environment and it is important to take them with you on the team’s journey. Through communication and collaboration, the philosophy becomes more than a coach’s philosophy, it becomes the team’s philosophy, and therefore the impact is greater, leading to more consistent messages, increased enjoyment, and greater player retention.

Football has so many benefits, look beyond the score line. Only one team can “win” the league, but every player can “win” through football, whether that’s making friends, improved confidence, developing leadership skills or achieving something they never thought they could. The right team, with the right coach, in the right environment means every player can “win”!

Thanks Martyn. Some very thought provoking Philosophy there and I for one will try and think more about what I`m saying to the kids. I guess the old saying “ It`s not all about Winning” rings very true. Thanks to Martyn for supporting this newsletter and the club.

Robbo’s Column - April

I hope you are all well, staying safe and most importantly staying at home.

With all grassroots football finished for this season, we are in high anticipation that the Premier League and other top leagues can return soon. The Premier League plans envisage all clubs returning to full training by 18 May and preparing for the 8 June restart, with the season set to conclude on 27 July to fit in with Uefa’s plans to complete the Champions League and Europa League between 9-29 August. But with all these plans, how have professional players and players like yourselves been trying to stay fit and healthy at home. Here we will look at how this has been done over the past six weeks.

Many players can take advantage of home gyms - or a swimming pool if you're Lionel Messi - while Liverpool have provided each player with individual programmes to help them hit the ground running when they return to Melwood. All first team players in the men’s and women’s teams have been given individual programmes to follow during this period. Each player has to record their results, how they are feeling and if they are feeling ill or not and send this back to the club on a daily basis. Liverpool will work with the club’s medical team and other relevant authorities to monitor the situation and decide upon a date to return to Melwood to give the squad the best chance of preparing for their next fixture."

To help with Southport Athletic JFC players fitness below is some advice on how to keep your mind and body healthy from the comfort of your own home, from Everton and Liverpool FC:

Everton FC:

Tackling The Blues coordinator Jack Mullineux's five exercises for kids

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Liverpool FC:

Exercises and games you can try home to stay active and improve your skills

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WhatsApp recipes and cooking together - how LFC's players are still eating right

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