Listen on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coachcast-thefa/episodes/S4-Ep18-Pro-Licence-insights-with-Vicky-Jepson–Yaya-Toure-and-Ian-Bateman-e2hjj2r
We’re joined by three learners on this year’s Pro Licence course in this episode – Yaya Touré, Vicky Jepson and Ian Bateman. We get insight into what the Pro Licence course looks like from the inside, and they share their top coaching advice.
The three coaches each bring with them a unique perspective. Yaya champions flexibility and he shares tips on how coaches can be more adaptable during sessions. He uncovers the challenges that he faced during his transition from playing to coaching. He also gives his insight into how he was able to become a more patient coach and the other skills he believes make a great coach.
We speak with Vicky about her empathetic leadership approach. She gives advice on how players can listen and understand players better, how to have the difficult conversations that need to be had, and why empathy is essential in coaching.
Ian offers his insight into what sets the Pro Licence course apart, and the highlights of the diverse range of tasks he’s been set so far. We learn about how this has developed Ian as a coach, and the transferable skills that new coaches may already have that they can leverage to get off to a flying start.
Covered in this episode:
• What the UEFA Pro Licence is all about – what to expect and real experiences from learners on the course.
• The most important skills and attributes to build on as a coach.
• What consistency means in coaching and why it’s important.
• How to have difficult conversations.
• Advice for brand new coaches.
• The challenges that players transitioning to coaching can face.
• The transferable skills which are valuable for new coaches that many already have.
hello and welcome to coach cast by
England football learning the coaching
podcast that brings you Insight from
people across the game today we’re on
the pro LIC course to get some insight
from the candidates here this
[Music]
year hi Vicki thank you very much for
joining us on Coach cast today how are
you I’m great thank you brilliant um
how’s today been been on the pro license
course how’s everything been going it’s
been good lot of information to take on
board but we’ve had plenty of breaks to
consolidate the information and chat
amongst the rest of the peers on the
group but it’s been a very productive
day and and how would you say the pro
license is helping to develop you as a
coach I think for me personally when I
come away um to catch up with the cohort
and with the tutors and to get through
the course content I always go back to
my environment my football environment
feeling confident refreshed um and
reflecting on the things that I’ve done
on the course to try and put it into
practice um so yeah I think for me it’s
it’s about self grown my self-belief um
it’s also grown my Awareness on some of
the things that we’ve covered on the
course and thinking about developing as
a coach what kind of skills and
attributes do you think coaches need to
be a good or even a transformational
coach at all I think leadership is
probably number one priority you can be
the best tactician in the game but if
you can’t engage your players and get
them to buy in and make them feel um
trusted um that you believe in them um
then you know they’re not going to run
for a brick W for you and that’s the
same with your Staffing Group how you
give them Clarity from day to day how
you help them and guide them through
processes and how you review those
processes as well to to look to better
them weekly I think that all comes back
to your leadership styles and we’ve
covered quite a lot on this course on
how to be a better leader do you have
any top tips or advice to help coaches
kind of you mentioned like that getting
that trust and stuff like that and um do
you have any like top tips to help
coaches get that with their
players um consistency if you keep
changing your behaviors all the time
it’s very hard for people to follow so
consistency is one um trust trust comes
from giving people ownership um and
allowing them to see that through so you
know if I’m trusting you to take the set
pieces then um I’m going to allow you to
practice them and get better and then
we’ll review them together as a group I
think that’s really important to um give
ownership to your players and um to help
them reflect on the work that they’ve
been given ownership on and do you have
any advice you mentioned obviously bit
leadership as well like do you have any
advice to help coaches to be that leader
figure um I think you have to know
yourself first um leadership at the top
level in a high performing environment
where it’s result driven can be
difficult Under Pressure but if you know
yourself you know what you stand for you
know why you do what you do and why you
get out of bed um it helps you then to
stay consistent with your
behaviors um if you go through a run of
losses and there’s pressure from fans
from the board from your players um
sometimes people can change their
behaviors Under Pressure so if you know
yourself you can always go back to um
those consistent behaviors and and your
worth and your why and then that’ll help
you lead um the people that are
following you and what are your
behaviors and your values that that uh
your goto I’m an empathetic leader
um so I’m a green person so um I’m I’m
very much on feelings how people feel um
I’ve got I’d say a pick up on the social
cues in the room quite well um I don’t
necessarily enjoy having difficult
conversations but in this job you have
to have them so if I’m going to have a
difficult conversation I’ll be very much
well prepared to do that um because that
you know it’s not something that I find
easy to do but it’s part of the game
you’re going to have to drop somebody
you’re going to have to release somebody
so you got to have that in your locker
um so I’d say the people skills is is
definitely one of my strengths but with
having good people skills you’ve also
got to be able to deliver difficult
messages to people as well how do you
approach doing that would you say being
prepared being prepared um Gathering up
as much information as I can um
sometimes evidence of of data or or
video footage of
performances um but you have to have
really good listening skills as well to
understand where they’re coming from
from when you sit in those conversations
with with people when it’s going to be a
little bit prickly um but you can’t take
anything personal um you know a player
might dislike you one week because
you’re not in the starting 11 or you’ve
said something that they necessarily
don’t agree with but the next week that
they love you again but so you can’t
take things personally it’s it’s a tough
environment that we work in um and
you’ve just got to make sure that you
are stay true to your values and your
beliefs na Vick you’ve worked uh with
younger age groups but also GR truits
football as well um listening skills and
um also kind of that empathy skills like
so important for for coaches at all
levels I think it doesn’t matter what
strand of the game that you’re work in
listing skills is important because you
need to understand why they do what they
do what they want to achieve and how you
going to help them do it so it doesn’t
matter whether it’s Grassroots whether
it’s in the WSL you have to be able to
listen to the people that you are
leading kind of like reflecting on your
experiences of coaching if we go right
back to the start the very first
experience what was that like and then
what have you learned from that and
how’s it kind of shaped who you are
today I think it was um my first step
into coaching was helping people enjoy
playing the sport that I loved it was
just about enjoyment um and as long as
they had Smiles on their faces and they
was laughing along the hour session
however long it was then for me that was
job well done and then the little bit on
the coaching Journey that you go on then
you can teach them how to correctly
connect with a ball in a pass or
about spatial awareness and you just
build the layers on but the very bottom
it’s about just enjoying it and you
can’t move away from that enjoyment
because even at senior level when it’s
result driven players still want to
enjoy turning up and playing football so
you’ve still got to try and find that
way of having the organized fun within
your sessions suppose it’s about knowing
and understanding your players but do
you have any general top tips to help
coaches keep their sessions fun and
engaging I think it’s the the second
they walk out onto the pitch what do you
do in your activation
some people like rondos um our physical
performance coach played um played
netball where they just that two
invasion game but it got really
competitive because the one thing we all
have in common in our environment is
football but when you actually take them
away from football and put them in
another sport it’s interesting to see
how that Competitive Edge dials up so I
think you can be um Innovative in the
way that you use different sports um
giving them a bit of ownership do you
want to go and do the rondos go and get
them going in um yeah there’s there’s
there’s loads of different things to
keep it fun but again people in our
environment are competitive so as long
as there’s some element of competition
that’s healthy and controlled then
you’re always onto a winner oh brilliant
thinking about your coaching Journey
would you what would you say has been
the most challenging thing that you’ve
had to face and how have you managed to
overcome it I think when I first stepped
in as my first position as a manager I
was the youngest WSL manager in the
league um and I didn’t know what I
didn’t know and I was um I didn’t
realize the power of
leadership um I didn’t
realize um how to manage my own
behaviors and emotions when under a lot
of scrutiny from fans from social media
um how to protect my family from that as
well because it upset them when they saw
negative things in the press or in the
media so I think that’s probably one of
the difficult things to face however I’m
really grateful I went through it
because I’ve got good cop strategies on
how to deal with it and um I learned a
lot from what I would call a good
Apprentice in the game to to where I am
now is there any chance we can have
you’ve got like some of those mental
strategies that you can have a bit of a
brief insight
into yes I work with a mentor got a
mentor that helps me um that’s from
outside of football so she helps me
reflect on myself um my Visions values
and beliefs so that I know who I am and
what I stand for and um I think you
mental well-being is really important to
actually find ways to escape the game to
top your energy levels back up I call it
putting the football away normally that
for me that’s on an international break
I’ll have a couple of days where I’ll go
on long walks or I’ll go and play golf
or just spending time with the family
just to top my energy levels back up but
I think in my first managerial position
I got consumed by trying to do so much
that I never actually um step back to
smell the grass and look outside the
window a little bit to see what was
going on okay and um what piece of ADV
so with all your experiences you’ve had
so far and being able to manage um
scenarios what piece of advice would you
give to your younger self now to help
them prepare for the world of coaching
for the first time I’ve been through
some challenging times um that felt like
they were going to last forever but what
I will say is tough times don’t last
forever but tough people do um because
no matter how tough times we’ll feel
whether that’s scrutiny from the Press
whe whether that’s just results whether
that’s questions from players um or
self-doubt those moments don’t last
forever and if you can get through them
and reflect you’ll be better for it and
I can certainly say through my journey
I’m a lot tougher um through those tough
times that I’ve been through and I’m
very grateful for them and just to wrap
things up do you have any advice for
people who might be thinking about
starting to coach for the first time and
any advice say like what kind of impact
that they might be able to have if they
decide to give coaching a
try um yeah I think if you’re getting
into coaching um do it for the right
reasons because you because you actually
enjoy it and you want to help develop
people um and don’t just jump for your
coaching qualifications it is part of it
but just make sure you’re putting the
hours on the grass I see a lot of young
coaches now that want to get the level
one level two level you wait for B you
wait for a within a short amount of time
but actually don’t put the hours in on
the grass and it’s so important because
that is just where you learn mistakes
from sessions challenges from players is
um and that will make you better with
your interventions when you come to at
the higher level brilliant thank you
very much for your time thank
you thanks for joining us Yaya um how
are you very good very thank you you
yeah all good thank you how’s today been
on the pro license um actually good
learning a lot um getting a lot of
information and I think uh pretty pretty
positive thinking about your experience
on the course as a whole how do you
think that developed you as a coach well
as a coach I think I get I get to to to
to to to know myself more you know and
um uh during this course I’ve been
involved for such a lot of month I think
uh it make me clear my idea what I
understand myself more and uh just shape
a bit more my My Philosophy on the games
and because now the games is moving so
fast and different way and you have to
adapt
and thinking about developing as a coach
what skills and attributes do you think
make a good
coach I think for me a good coach is
someone who is willing to to understand
the change and understand the
development because in the modern game
now I think in my opinion you have to
adapt understanding and try to execute
it you you have to be flexible if I can
say that because it’s not that easy
because the way the game is going for
are now I think in the future if you’re
not willing to develop uh understand and
adapt is going to be very very difficult
do you have any advice to help coaches
to be able to be flexible and adapt at
all well I think during my time during
my time as a coach since I retire I
think I have I’ve been able to touch a
lot of country just to learn and develop
I think for me the most the key area is
going to be uh try to be try to be
yourself and be be approach it as as as
as normal as possible because this
industry now is very very difficult and
complicated and and and as a young coach
now for me it’s just uh try to enjoy be
myself and uh try to do some I think
simple and thinking um about your
coaching Journey so far um what do you
enjoy most about it during my period in
uh in this country I’ve been like I was
saying before previously Ukraine Italy
Ukraine Russia England with the academy
Belgium later now Saudi I think
uh what I try what I try to to to
understand during all of that is that
what can make me a top coach and and if
you I can say better person because I
during all this period I tried to learn
myself because it was not that easier
because because you know being in this
kind of different country being in in in
in Russia you know it’s different
language and and uh and the skills
everything like that been help me a lot
to learn about football is a universal
games to be honest and you can get
players from around the world and if you
can able to communicate it properly to
them and get them your philosophy across
their minds clearly I think they will
deliver and you can be better and do you
feel your experience in different
countries has really benefited you early
into your coaching journey I think so I
think so because all the clubs have been
touching I’ve been be able to work with
European Asiatic and uh different
players for around the world and I think
the language the language can be a key
role sometime you know because in term
of the group when you talk to the group
uh it’s okay you can have you can use
one language but typically personally
when you want to have a face to face one
players and he have a difficulty in a
language you have if you’re able to
communicate in his language it’s going
to be much much easier and you’re going
to going to you’re going to have much
much timer thinking about the first time
that you started coaching what was that
experience like and how has that helped
shape you as a coach now no I think it
was it was it was different it was
different because being players and
after that after being players retire be
coaches he like I have to I have to give
did I have to get sometime give sometime
recommendation I have to be able to
deliver position I have to be able to be
patient with the players it was quite
difficult because in the first of all in
the beginning I was quite demanding
quite impatient and quite difficult at
time with the players I I didn’t
understand because for where I come from
and because as well for the quality I
got it when I was playing football I was
thinking like the way I understand it is
going to be much easier for them but
that was that’s I was wrong and that
that take me time and I learned that
when I was in Tottenham at that period
because uh by the way I used I use your
line to to you know to be to to to say
thank thank you thank you to to to to
the toown football club that have been
brilliant when I was there and going
back to the yeah to the to to the topic
is that for me helped me a lot in the
sense that I have to I have to
understand the player the way they work
and be patient and try to guide them and
if you have to repeat I can repeat 100
times but before I didn’t go to sing the
first time but now with more experience
I go that no do you have any advice to
help coaches kind of understand and get
to know the players well I think what
the advice I can give it to them is that
be be be patient uh be be willing to
adapt because sometime it might take
time and the patience the patien is very
very key and this and this work but
fortunately when you get to the first
team role as a manager as you know time
is is not is not the big things you know
is his points winning game is important
and it’s different you know it’s totally
different it’s where you your approaches
are if you want to go in Academy r or a
club will give you more times or a clubs
who going to get you you know what I
mean straight and there you know and
just judge you and your games that games
that g out G in and for me it’s just uh
patiency understanding and adaptation
that’s going to be key and what would
you say has been the most challenging
part of your coaching Journey so far or
was it the transition from player to
coach definitely now you get it is it
was a transition because when I was
playing it was easier and I I was by
myself understanding looking after
myself now as a coach you have to look
at after staff look at after of the 25
players uh with different culture
different background you have to be able
to sit down sometime and uh be careful
why you say pass the message across to
make sure all the players understanding
similarly and the the most complicated
task I have it one time was challenge
myself I try to regroup uh all the
players in this on the one on the one SP
in one space and I show them something I
feel I feel it was the right things and
uh everyone have a different view of it
they was like some of them was saying
the SE that and some of them will see
different things and I was confused at
that time I was like how am I do that
you know and is is good do mean like I
have a lot of work to do and um and
understanding is very important everyone
cannot buy with your tactics or
philosophy what you have to do you have
to make sure uh if you have to take your
time or maybe get better slower to make
sure they understand where you want to
go with them what piece of advice then
to wrap this discussion up uh would you
give to someone who’s at the very start
of their coaching
Journey well that’s a good
question just um just in term of when
you retire for example from football
professional uh leate or you start in
your journey just be just be open just
be just try to to to to to try to to get
involved much as to get the player
involved as much as possible
to to get to get their to get their
understanding because some of time I’ve
been I’ve been a cross player where
there was in the back of the group and
when I just Tred to explain the decision
they always said yes but when they start
decision started some of them in the
back was like still don’t understand and
sometime the demo is really important to
show off first or maybe started the
practice you have to be involved in that
give them a moment that give them the
idea why you want to go and I think why
why we why why make us proud as the
coaches the player when the play
understand and when they develop and
when they progress that’s what make us
proud and I think for the beginning you
just have to be uh clear on that point
on that sense you know patience
adaptation and as well make sure they
understand it what you want it BR Yaya
thank you very
much now a slight change of scene for
anybody that is watching this rather
than listening and that is because we
bumped into our very own Ian baitman who
is a learner on this course so hi Ian
welcome back to coach cash because it’s
been a little while since you’ve been on
H how are you yeah no really good it has
been a little while I’ve been missing
you so yeah we’re back at it we’re back
at it can’t wait for No No Worries that
thank you very much for your time today
and appreciate obviously your time
working and then also being on the pro
license um I suppose we’ll start there
is how is the Pro license going yeah
it’s been brilliant we’re coming towards
the end now um but it’s it’s kind of an
18mon Journey um but no it’s been
terrific it’s been really really good um
I think some of the the the tasks that
we’ve been set sort of on course and off
course have been brilliant um and but I
think most of all it’s the the other
people that’s on the course with us um
is is the bit that probably makes the
course so you’ve got people coming from
different corners of the game um a lot
clearly working at the the the um I want
to say top end of the game is probably
the wrong word but actually real
specialists in the field whether you
know the managers heads of coaching
working in the male game female game so
that that mix of people that’s in the
room is what really makes the course I
think really quite special and is that
the main te like kind of your favorite
part of it or is the other task that
that you might have done yeah we’ve been
set some really good challenges across
the course so um we had one particular
task around sort of looking at um like
you you pre you how you going to spend
money and build a squad over a period of
12 18 months and basically set the
challenge you were given all the data
that was possibly out there and then had
to make the decision and present back to
the board um so that that was
particularly good and I think one the
task was really good working with people
that you’d never worked before um trying
to work on utilize everybody’s strengths
that was in the room um which you would
do in your day-to-day life and and I
think that’s what the course really
brings it’s about that leadership and
management when do you you know how do
you s work people out quite quickly and
and and figure out a way to get to the
results that you want to do and you know
everybody works differently um so you’ve
got to understand that quite quickly um
I think the other thing is going away so
having it it locks down time for you
because I think everybody’s really busy
um but it forces you to lock on to lock
some sort of time away to go after
certain things um so you know going
seeing some high performing team teams
operating I went up I went up hellin
with um company called wack 2 with nine
Premier League referees and it was
fascinating one seeing wack 2 operate
which was the the main thing but
actually been and seeing um nine refs
and how they think and how passionate
they are about the game and how fit they
were it was like there was loads of
stuff which I wouldn’t have otherwise
gone out and and done that so um again
it kind of forces you into certain lines
which which you probably not wouldn’t
normally do
so loads of experiences there on the
course how would you say that those
experiences have helped you to develop
as a coach yeah um I think it it’s
particularly helping with my so my role
at the minute is a lot more around
managing a team of Coach developers um
it’s not much different managing 18 te a
team of 18 people than you would a squad
of 18 players it’s the same sort of
thing so um it’s really got me thinking
about my leadership and management
styles
um you know how do we get the best out
of those individuals that work within
the team um clearly it’s in a football
environment anyway um and at the same
time a lot of the delivery that’s been
done has has been around football um so
it feels like it’s a really good fit for
me so it’s leadership and management
based around football at the top end so
it’s it’s like keeps ticking all the
boxes for me speaking as developing as a
coach or in your point a coach developer
um what are the key kind of skills and
attributes do you feel that coaches need
to be a good
coach yeah so you know I think this is
this is any any sort of level um you
need to know about the players that
you’re working with um because and
everybody’s different so knowing John or
Joanne absolutely you know and and it’s
the football’s just part of it it’s you
know we’re trying to develop individual
people as well um and then you’ve got to
know coaching so how do you get those if
you know about the game then how can you
get those messages across um the bit
that kind of changes is is the
environment that you’re working with so
I’ve I’ve worked in Grassroots I’ve
worked in professional clubs I’ve worked
with England teams I’ve worked in
disability so actually sometimes that
context just kind of changes so what are
you going to dial up down down at the
right time and and and that brings you
back to then about understanding
yourself about actually what I’m a good
at what do I need to bring to the party
on this day that again I could have
worked in a you know preschool program
at my own son’s primary school and then
in the afternoon I was working with
under 16s at Bolton in a professional
club and it was like what you dialing up
what you dialing down at the right
moment in a time so it’s it’s just
having no skills really there might be
people who are just starting out on the
coaching Journey for instance whether it
be um the uh playmaker course um or
going on to their I2 CF um what sort of
like J did not necessarily been involved
in the game uh do you think that there’s
potentially transferable skills from
elsewhere in their life experiences that
can actually help them to to get into
coaching yeah no absolutely I think
parents are really well placed for for
um for for taking on coaching you know
you’ve it’s it’s no different you’ve
just got loads more sort of young
players generally in front of you than
um than just your own children um I
think about I think if you’re just
starting out it’s about just making
would you want to be the player in your
session that’s always the question that
I would ask myself um because you know
are are we doing things I would want to
do and then that’s generally about
finishing scoring goals and stopping
goals you know and it’s as it’s as
simple as that or is it a game so if
players are asking for a game you’ve
probably not give them enough of a game
if they want a game at the start give
them a game um and and if they’re happy
and they’re really enjoy it should be
that best moment of the week for that
child you know are they running across
out the car running across the carart um
to get to your session so I’m I always
think about what did I want when I was a
young player or even an older player it
was like is would this really engage me
uh and if you if you do that you
probably a lot of your troubles are
taking care of because the kids are
having a load of fun um and probably
scoring loads of goals but say everyone
loves scoring loads of goals
don’t um so kind of that engagement
piece is that close to your coaching
values and if so or if not like what are
your coaching values yeah no the the the
players it’s all about the players I
think everything that I do is around the
players again I think back to um you
know you have got a bit of a duty to
clearly make the players more skillful
make them the best that they can be um
you know that that’s that’s absolutely
critical but the being player centered
and putting them at the heart of what
you’re doing you know it’s not about me
as a coach um clearly the coach if if
results at top level don’t go W go well
then you know clearly there’s criticism
on the coach but I think um it’s got to
be players first um and and really
putting them at the Forefront of what
we’re trying to do um and that’s not
giving them free reign that they do
whatever they want sometimes it’s what
they need ra rather than what they want
um but actually they’ve got a voice in
all this they um they they clearly need
to to play a part in their own
development which is something that you
want to drive and make them better at
what would you say you most enjoy about
coaching um do you know what it’s
probably being around people and being
in that environment where you can and
this has been in that changing room um
with the players and and this is this
has been at any sort of level and is it
is it bter is probably the wrong but but
that Spirit of football feeling that
Spirit of football um going into battle
with your team alongside your team try
and help them to be the best that they
can be um that’s a real driver for me
and then and then clearly there is a
buzz about winning and and um and that
part part of competition um which I
think is why everybody plays you know so
um and it is a tough game you know it is
a tough to be a to deal with the ball
that’s moving around and people’s trying
to it’s a tough game but then helping
the players get better and then and then
seeing those players come through and
develop over time um is is brilliant and
I think when I do look back um again
with with not with some of the England
players that I’ve worked with in in
disability seeing those guys having day
at 16 and 17 years old and now 8 n 10
years later you know they’re playing and
the kids are on the court at halim you
know just seeing those those people get
married have children go from young
young men in well from children
basically into men I think that’s that’s
that’s as much as anything that happens
on the uh in terms of winning so it’s
nice just having basically the power of
coaches is that you can have such an
impact on on players lives yeah huge
huge and and I’ve seen that again the
Grassroots if you’re in ASDA and there’s
Lads that you’ve you know that were I
nice to see and you know they’re now in
the pushing the 30s it’s brilliant
because you’ve give them some real
traits to um you know it’s you you’ve
give them some things and hopefully
shape the life and give them some really
positive
experiences um and opportunities I think
that’s the big thing you can provide
those opportunities for the players that
help them grow in so many ways earlier
you mentioned like you’ve worked in
quite a lot of different areas of the
game reflecting all the way back to your
first experience of coaching what was
that like and and maybe what did you
learn from that that’s helped you to
develop um moving forward yeah so my
background I been fortunate um I got
into coaching it’s probably the best
part of 35 years ago now which seems an
awful long time but I can still remember
um did my prelim badge um but then that
first opportunity was given by a guy
called Tony wheelen who at man united um
and Tony ran some soccer camps and like
most new coaches it was like well is I
have the under sevens for a day and it
was like oh cracky I didn’t deal with
this on the prelim um spent the first
half an hour doing shoelaces as I was
doing them there was probably mayem
going off all around me but again go
back to what happened Tony says look
just put them in a game they’ll sort
themselves out lo and behold absolutely
the best bit of advice I could have
probably had so it’s f V5 or 6v6 and it
allowed me to settle and and and gather
my thoughts but do you know what
understanding how to manage and
entertain is probably the entertain or
was it survival for myself getting
through those first weeks in or first
days First hours first minutes was
critical and what it made me understand
if I can control all all sort of control
that group actually dealing with older
players dealing with adults later on was
was a walk in the park absolutely was
for anyone who’s approaching maybe the
first maybe it’s this weekend or maybe
it’s next week if it training rather
than Match Day anyone who’s feeling
maybe a little bit daunted by going into
coaching for the first time do you have
any advice for them yeah plan you know
have a bit of a plan in your head um but
then again and I think this is where
it’s really hard I think is you get more
experienced there’s probably there’s not
many things that you haven’t really seen
before or you you you pick up on the
cues really quickly you know if when
yeah if someone’s quite not engaged or
whatever so you learn that over time
that’s really difficult as a novice um
but I think what you can do is is keep
things moving quite quickly um you know
have three or four things in your mind
that you might want to do I would
definitely write it down um but again
that’s a bit of a personal thing even
now or my sessions I’ll have a plan
about what I’m going to do with some
sort of key um key messages that I’d
want the players to take away or key
things for individuals within that um if
I didn’t have a plan then I know it’s
probably going to go all over the place
so um and then just be adaptable that if
something’s working you might want to
carry on a bit longer no problem with
that and if it’s not working you know
shut it down go to your next bit on your
plan and just see how that works cuz
what works one day might not work the
next so just don’t write it off in in
after one go so many great tips there
for coaches to take away would you give
any other advice potentially to kind of
yourself at at the start of your own Co
coaching Journey
um yeah there was um enjoy yourself
enjoy it’s not serious it’s you know
you’ve got to be having fun as well as
the players have been having fun um I
think what it did the start of my
journey it really sort of just triggered
something in my mind that I thought this
is what I want to do um which which it
probably wasn’t expecting and to be fair
to Tony at that time he he he gave me
some outstanding advice and um to be
fair to me he gave me my first
opportunity he picked up the phone and
phon somebody else at Bobby Charon
soccer schools to get me a second
opportunity the following week um and
and he his kind of thing was like he
says football’s a really small world um
he said what you got to do is make sure
you work super hard um and um and don’t
do anything Daft do not let me down was
his words and I still see him now and it
it still makes us both chuckle that that
actually yeah I’m still trying to not
let Tony down and I’ve got that running
in in the back of my mind um yeah I
think I I just loved it I absolutely
loved it I still do um still love the
game and I think it’s it’s that um
having that passion and that energy you
know bring that to the party because
actually it’s the most magnificent game
in the world so um you know let’s let’s
try and help players that get that sort
of that again that Spirit of football
let’s let’s get them feeling that and
hooking them in Forever have you well I
suppose what’s kind of been the most
challenging part of your coaching
journey and how did you overcome it um I
think I think like a lot of young people
you want to rush through things at the
start and then um I realized then
probably actually slow down a bit and I
did slow down so I did lots of work in
schools um did lots of work in
Grassroots across all did lots of work
all over the world really fortunate um
with with particular the Bobby chant
stuff took us all over the world doing
things so you saw lots of lots of
different um lots of different ideas and
places and cultures and what have you um
I think one of the big challenges was
then not being an ex player going into
into the world that I working now um so
I can’t put my league league appearances
on the table I can’t put my England caps
on the table um but I think that that um
just drives you on to be even better at
what you’re doing so I did understand
about players I did understand coaching
and I knew that I had to sharpen up
about learning about the game so then
that makes you be a student of the game
so I think you’ve got to be self-aware
enough to understand look I’m I’m really
quite good at this but I need to work at
at that so um and then you know if
that’s a challenge and you you go after
the challenge in the right way well
actually what there’s nothing to to stop
you being an expert in that particular
field as well um and I think that that’s
that goes for everybody um you know
recognize what the challenge is and then
take it you know embrace it and go after
it front it up and let’s you know go and
try and fix the problem brilliant and
now finally to wrap things up so
appreciate you taking your time away
from the course um I’m going to kind of
put you on the spot a little bit here
you’ve given us loads of great advice
but if you was to kind of rank your top
three coaching tips what would they be
yeah I’m probably going to bring it back
to player coaching and the game again um
I think it’s know your players okay
because if you don’t know your players
um then it’s really difficult to if you
don’t how the tick it’s it’s it’s really
hard to know how to push the
buttons um I would say um in terms of
coaching play loads of game like stuff
so make sure that it’s opposed
directional Oppo um it’s got goalies and
it’s got goals you know if you’ve got a
set of goal post out make sure that
there’s finishing going off in it um
because that’s the bit that that
everybody loves um you know whether it’s
scoring goals or stopping
goals and then the last bit is yeah is
is understand what’s happening in the
game you know we’re surrounded by um the
the games on TV like all the time you
can TW you can go on Twitter people will
listen you know to this sort of thing
this so much material out there soak it
in um but then you’ve got to filter
about what’s what’s right for you but
but just yeah study the game a little
bit and and the last bit really is if
you’re working with younger players it’s
not about 11v 11 let’s not rush to that
let’s really look at like the small
numbered stuff help the individuals
within it and understand that their game
you know game for younger people is a
bit different than the game that we see
on Match of the day on a Saturday night
yeah absolutely really good tip to end
on as well at small sided games more
touches more involvement more enjoyment
100% brilliant Ian thank you very much
and good luck with the rest of the
course yeah thanks for having me cheers
thank you thank
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