Coaching insight and tips from the professionals PDF

This free booklet contains tips for grassroots coaches from the professional staff at Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspurs, Derby County, Crystal Palace, Charlton Athletic and many more ..

How did you get into coaching?

When I stopped playing professionally I had to pick a career that gave me both enjoyment and direction in my life.

Coaching football seemed the only logical path as I had spent my whole life playing and studying the game.

So far so good, however, I am now looking at other areas, writing and business to compliment and aid my career.

What is the best thing about working for Chelsea?

Everything about working for the club is good.

Firstly, I am a lifelong supporter and for my family it is a massive thing that I work for the club we all love.

Everyday is filled with excitement and challenge.

For me it’s the most important thing in my life and I'm very lucky to be working in a job and club that I love.

What do you enjoy most about coaching?

There are two main things.

First is developing young players and teaching/guiding them to improve.

This is the real joy for any coach. To see young players improving and developing their talent through hard work and training is something special Second is the competition to build a team and outwit the opposing coach.

The two don't always bind together because in youth football you need to concentrate more on 1 and less on 2.

When coaching adults professionally 1 and 2 work hand in hand.

Which current coaches do you admire and look to for inspiration?

I study lots of top managers and the styles of their teams.

From watching passages of play and goals you can see common traits in the team’s play that must have been derived from coaching sessions.

The coaches that inspire me most are Mourinho for the Chelsea link, Hiddink, Benetiz, Wenger and Ferguson.

All five coaches are students of the game.

However reading Rinus Michel's book is a coaching course on its own and shows just what a visionary he was.

Who has had the most influence on your career as a coach?

I have followed lots of coaches without necessarily being given too much guidance.

Therefore, I would give credit to my family for their support in believing in me and all the players I have coached who continuously force me to improve myself in order to improve them.

I would also like to thank Damian Matthews for being a true friend in football.

What do feel are your main qualities as a coach?

This is a tough question to answer on myself.

I would like to think that I am viewed as having lots of passion and enthusiasm for my job and that I communicate well with a range of players (age, sex, and ability).

I work very hard at being adaptable so that the sessions run smoothly and I am fortunate in that I have strong vision and imagery skills that enable me to design lots of practices.

How would you recommend someone improve/become a coach?

We can always improve our communication with players.

I'm addition we must design practices that inspire the players and that are fun.

If it feels good then do it, if it doesn't then don't do it.

That is a quote that I live my life by and never more so than when I'm planning sessions for kids.

In coaching and all other walks of life, personality and enthusiasm outweigh ability. If you have both, then you will be very successful.