FACA Conference - The Future Game

So what did we learn from the FA Coaches’ Association Conference?
Sure, The Future Game exceeded expectations and we all went way feeling valued by the FA in our capacity as grassroots coaches but of what practical use was it?
Interestingly the best bits were from some of the less well-known names. And the eagerly-awaited on-pitch session was very disappointing.
Fabio Capello’s faltering English did not help his offering and Peter Crouch’s footballer-speak did not either. But, fair play, both of them turned up to offer their support.
Here’s the highlights, in chronological order:
Sir Trevor Brooking (FA director of football development) said: ‘If we can make somebody who is bad, not bad, then we’ve got someone who will stay in the game.’
He went on to outline a problem familiar to all grassroots coaches – well-meaning but ill-informed parental input.
‘I saw a youth match a few weeks ago and witnessed a young player praised by parents for shooting, off target, three times in a row when he had better options available. You can understand why the parents did it but it was the wrong thing to do.’
Action point: The way to combat this is making those parents better–informed. Perhaps we should hold a parents’ evening to outline the club’s philosophy of football and make them aware of basic coaching principles.
Eric Harrison, McDonald’s head of coaching, had some good advice for coaches. He encouraged us to talk to players one-on-one to get messages across effectively, watch football in a different way to a fan, watch the best players – the ones who always keep possession and encourage our charges to get in position when not in possession.
Thoughts: I think anyone who studies coaching will automatically find themselves watching matches in a more analytical way. I used to cover football for the Daily Mail and, while that is also a different way of watching the game, had little theoretical knowledge of the game despite years of season-ticket observation at West Ham in my formative years.
Now I know how much I don’t know. But that makes me eager to learn more.
Alistair Smith was up next. I’d never heard of him but this ‘Learning Advisor to the FA’ was brilliant and an inspirational speaker.
His blueprint for ‘how to be a better coach’ struck all the right notes.
He encouraged us all to stop copying other coaches and find our own way. Stop collecting sessions and coach from first principles, don’t cut corners – put in the hours. Avoid command and control approaches to coaching and get a mentor to help you reflect on your sessions.
Praise for progress, not perfection.
Create a positive learning environment, build in progression and challenge into your sessions, create problem-solving opportunities, reinforce what you want but make it safe to fail. Balance ego and task-related feedback.
I think most coaches follow these guidelines anyway but the ‘coach from first principles’ struck a chord with me. Delay, deflect, deny etc, rather than rigidly following a set session plan.
Steve Rutter, FA Coach Education Manager, gave a short talk on what he was going to be doing in the on-the-pitch session. After lunch we trooped out to the seats to watch his session.
It ended up in a 9v9 game and he intervened so often some of the players were getting bored and switched off – and they were adults and coaches themselves.
The 9v9 format was also not really applicable to the watching grassroots coaches who are much more likely to be involved with smaller-sided games. Since it was a display session I expected him to engage with the audience and explain what and why he was doing some of the things he did.
He did not do this and we went away feeling disappointed and that this was an opportunity missed.
England and Tottenham striker Peter Crouch lent his support to the day too. ‘I was lucky that we played in small-sided games when I was younger and you get more touches of the ball and that’s what we got,’ he recalled. ‘It meant we enjoyed football, and developed technical ability and it wasn’t always about winning.’
Capello was there as well but although he didn’t say much of consequence it helped to make us all feel wanted, important, valued. The FA had pulled out all the stops to get the event on and make it good. They succeeded.
Sam Allardyce, a man who was to be sacked a few days later as Blackburn Rovers boss, said that even in the professional game there was just not enough time to cover what he wanted.
This sums up how I often feel after a session: That I’ve not done enough and could do more.
He advocated changing the game to the summer to improve the development of young players and, looking out of the window now at another wet day with the prospect of matches being postponed at the weekend, I agree. We all know it’s much easier coaching when the weather’s good.
He said: ‘I know how important coaching qualifications are when it comes to developing youngsters and we need more coaches at grassroots level to ensure that players are at a good standard as they progress into more senior football.’
He also made an interesting point about the importance of giving young players the best coaches and revealed that Dennis Bergkamp works with the Under-11s at Ajax. Big Sam is an advocate of working on your strengths, not your weaknesses.
David Sheepshanks was next on the stage. I had just thought of him as one of those football-administrating businessman with an ego to massage – boy was I proved wrong.
He’s the former Ipswich chairman and is now Chairman of the St George’s Park Board.
‘You are the present, you are the future. You are the most important people in football,’ he said.
He went on to show us a slide presentation of St George’s Park, the 330-acre site near Burton-upon-Trent that will be the ‘university of football’ when it opens, hopefully, just before the London Olympics in 2012.
Sheepshanks added: ‘At the moment we have 68 players to every coach, by 2018 we want that figure to be down to 25. Eighty per cent of the coaches who learn at St George’s Park will be grassroots coaches.’
His enthusiasm was infectious. Does that matter? I think it does because if I was looking at pumping money or resources into the game and heard a presentation from Sheepshanks my only question would be ‘where do I sign?’.
The FA’s Head of Learning, Danielle Every, outlined plans for a new web portal for coaches - a best-practice resource for all coaches to dip into to expand their knowledge and understanding of the game.
I see no downside here as long as it gets up and running pronto.
Then Jamie Houchen, from FA Learning, announced the launch in August 2011 of the FA Licensed Coaches’ Club to support the teaching of football throughout England. At £10 a year it seems a bargain and ensures all qualified coaches undergo continual professional development throughout their coaching careers o ensure they stay up-to-date with changing methodologies.
Anything that improves standards and the standing of coaches has got be applauded. It should bring a professional ethic to the amateur coach. I would encourage all coaches to become members and it would be nice if we could say that all age groups at Wadhurst have at least one FA Licensed Coach.
Stuart Pearce was the last speaker of the day. We were all getting a little weary by now but the England Under-21 manager’s delivery was electric. If he asked you to go over the top to face the enemy you’d leap out of your trench breathing fire. The man is a true orator.
No words on a page can convey the understated strength of his speech but here goes.
He said: ‘I can’t underline the importance of coaches on players aged 10, 11, 12. But as coaches you must know yourself – your strengths and your weaknesses. Don’t rush when you’re trying to get from A to B and learn to coach on your feet. Prepare to be challenged, because you will be.’
He even went on to describe himself as a mere learner in the field of coaching because of his lack of years in the job due to his lengthy playing career.
I’d be interested to hear any comments on any of the above.