Featured Archives - Team Grassroots

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF COACHING YOUR OWN CHILD

GRF Admin 04/12/2019

At grassroots level thanks to all the help given by wonderful parent volunteers there is the scenario that the parent may end up being responsible and coaching their own child as part of a team. It is a wonderful opportunity for parent…

7 THINGS YOU CAN DO AT TRAINING TO IMPROVE PLAYER BEHAVIOUR

GRF Admin 29/11/2019

Try the FAs’ seven behaviour management tips at your next training session and observe the impact on your players. 1) Get started quickly Get the players on task quickly. By doing so, a coach can identify which players want to focus and…

Top tips: Grassroots Coaching practices

GRF Admin 28/11/2019

Les Howie, FA head of grassroots coaching, looks at five key issues for coaches to consider when delivering practices. 1. How do I ensure the players leave my coaching session with a smile on their face? Creating a positive learning environment with…

SEVERS DISEASE – Symptoms, Signs and Treatments

GRF Admin 25/11/2019

Severs disease is the most common issue I have seen recently with children. The majority of them currently play football extensively! It’s also called calcaneal apophysitis and its not really a disease, but an over use injury where by the growth plate…

‘Why do I only come on if we’re winning by loads or losing by loads?’

GRF Admin 18/11/2019

So why did I want to be a football coach and what did I think I would get out of it? The answer is not as simple as you might think. Actually it’s a bloody tough one to consider but I’ll try…

5 REASONS WHY YOUNG PLAYERS SHOULD TRY FUTSAL DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

GRF Admin 11/11/2019

Mike Skubala, FA futsal elite performance manager and head coach of the England team, outlines five reasons why grassroots coaches should take their players indoors to play futsal this winter. 1) Do you want better players? There is lots of anecdotal evidence about…

An alternative approach to talent identification

GRF Admin 11/11/2019

The most interesting aspect to talent spotting are those players that are continually left behind. The forgotten ones are almost always the youngest and smallest in a year group. In England, where age-groups begin in September few players born in the second…

10 Top Tips for Winter training from the FA

GRF Admin 10/11/2019

Over the coming months, many coaches will brave winter conditions to deliver coaching sessions to young players. Here, FA regional coach development manager, Martin Dighton, provides ten top tips to help fully engage with players when working outdoors. 1) Young children are…

The Expectations Vs The Reality of Grassroots Football

GRF Admin 10/11/2019

Over the years I have had the privilege of meeting some fantastic people through coaching here in the UK. I’m not talking solely about coaches, I’m talking about good honest people in and around the game who are players, parents, referees, club…

Over training in children – How to Spot the Signs

GRF Admin 07/11/2019

It might seem strange reading about over training in children. Especially in an age where kids are supposedly less active! But it’s a very real possibility. I run a sports injury clinic and have seen a massive rise in the number of…

THE FA LAUNCHES SHOOTING STARS PROGRAMME IN OVER 1,200 PRIMARY SCHOOLS ACROSS ENGLAND

GRF Admin 05/11/2019

The FA’s Shooting Stars programme has launched in primary schools across England – with the aim of inspiring girls to get active and learn the fundamentals of football. Inspired by Disney storytelling and produced in collaboration with the Youth Sport Trust and…

Are the Professional clubs getting scouting wrong with kids?

GRF Admin 16/10/2019

“Anyone who tells you they can spot a professional player at five years old is basically lying,” says talent ID manager Nick Levett, an expert in the eight to 11-year-old age group and one of several FA appointments encouraging clubs to improve…