April 15, 2026

Making sessions fun, enjoyable and meaningful with James Riches | S6 Ep22

25 minutes

Keeping players engaged throughout a session can be one of the biggest challenges coaches face.

When energy dips or attention wanders, it can quickly affect outcomes for players.

In this episode, James Riches returns to Coachcast to talk about managing training sessions and making them fun. We dive into how coaches can create environments where players are challenged while also enjoying practices.

Our conversation explores how coaches can get a better understanding of what players are experiencing outside of football and why it matters. James identifies the signs to look out for when players’ are losing interest, and shares plenty of coaching advice as the season draws to a close.

If you want your players leaving training smiling and eager to come back next week, this episode will give you practical ideas to help make that happen.

In this episode, we cover:

the difference between fun and enjoyment and why both matter.
what fun sessions look like
the signs that players’ enthusiasm for a session is waning
how to re-engage players when energy drops
recognising the unique needs of each player
different types of competition and how to use them positively
how to get honest feedback from players
Creating the right level of challenge for mixed-ability groups.
common coaching mistakes toward the end of term
and more…

Transcript on England Football community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/3OqH4N3)

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Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Community forum⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. Or leave them in the comments below. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!

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Editing and show notes by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Claricast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.(https://www.clarioncast.com/)

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