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Football Coaching Resources
Our list of tips, professional development and essential reading for coaches
Football is a sport that is always evolving and that means that as a coach, you need to stay ahead of the curve. The best coaches are those with their fingers on the pulse, who have a wealth of football coaching resources and who are constantly re-educating and reinventing themselves to include the latest ideas, practices and style within their sessions.
The big question then is how does a coach stay relevant? How do you increase your knowledge level as a football coach to ensure that you are delivering the best possible sessions to the players under your charge? How can you continue to develop and evolve?
Thankfully, there are plenty of football coaching resources out there, ranging from online soccer coaching advice, to magazines, to football coaching books. We’ve put together a list of some of the best resources we’ve found, with access to everything from coaching tips for youth football to professional development and coach education.
Online Coaching Resources
Grassroots Football Coaches Library – extensive resources for anyone involved in grassroots football, from coaches to parents to players.
The Boot Room – the English FA’s coaching and learning resources website, advice on qualifications, training, session plans, drills, training activities and more.
The Coaching Manual – this comprehensive site for coaches has videos, drills, coaching session plans, advice on team management and lots more
Keep It on the Deck – online football coaching and player resources
Better Soccer Coaching – a free website offering all sorts of tips and advice for coaches covering all aspects of the game, from drills and session plans to advanced strategies.
Footy4Kids – skills, drills and more, including advice on managing parents, health and safety and planning coaching sessions.
Changing the Game Project – initiative aimed at promoting youth sports through providing resources and support to coaches and parents
Barça Innovation Hub – tools for coaches to help them implement training programmes based on the methodology of FC Barcelona
Our own blog – we regularly post news, interviews and tips from the world of football coaching, keep checking back for updates!
Football Related Books, Magazines and Articles
FourFourTwo – While many magazines fall by the wayside as we increasingly live our lives online, the ultimate footballing monthly Four Four Two continues to thrive. Packed with fascinating player interviews, features on quirky footballing incidents from the past and a look at the sport from around the world, it remains a must-buy each month for football fans everywhere.
As well as all that, Four Four Two also happens to be an excellent football coaching resource. Each edition features a section called The Performance Centre in which different professional players and coaches offer advice on aspects of the game.
Ferguson’s Formula – Analysis of the leadership style and approach of the former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and how he started from the ground up to build one of the most successful football teams in the world.
Our Biggest Mistake: Talent selection instead of talent identification – Fascinating article about the difference between talent selection and talent identification, and why identifying and nurturing talent is vital for your team’s future success.
Coaching Podcasts & Interviews
Interview with Patrick Ladru of Ajax – Former Ajax youth coach Patrick Ladru talks about the coaching programme at the world-renowned De Toekomst, Ajax’s youth academy, which has produced some of the world’s top football players.
The Grassroots Football Coach – UEFA A Licence Coach Developer, Mark Rivers, meets up with local and national football coaches to discuss their journeys in the game.
The Soccer Coaching Podcast – a regular podcast discussing issues that affect soccer coaching at the foundation and youth development stages.
My Football Coach – Former Premier League technical coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst talks to some of the leading lights in youth player development.
Our Podcasts Page – our own page with podcasts and media appearances by our network of professional footballers, coaches and trainers.
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