The question this week comes from an anonymous grassroots coach: 

He asks, “Should I recruit stronger players?” 

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Q&A: Should I recruit stronger players?

Welcome to the PDP Podcast.  Each week we publish a new episode where we answer your coaching questions, or we conduct an in-depth interview with a top coaching innovator.Learn from the world's most innovative player developers.  Join our community at playerdevelopmentproject.com. Submit your coaching questions to us on Twitter (@playerdp) or Facebook (facebook.com/playerdp).

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In this Q&A;, PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright is joined by PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts to discuss some of the core skills that are critical for young players to develop, how we can support them and some practical ideas for you to implement.

Don't forget you to head over to playerdevelopmentproject.com to find out more about our new online courses or to sign up for a monthly or annual membership to access all of our coaching content.

What Is the Value of Coaching Soccer Skills?

The Foundation Phase broadly covers the ages of 8-12 in youth soccer and is a crucial period of experimentation and skill acquisition for young players. So what game formats should we use in order to give them the best opportunities to learn, enjoy the sport, and develop? Below, we look at the range of formats available to coaches and consider how we can incorporate them into our training and games programs to give kids a variety of positive experiences playing soccer. 

Read more here.

Which Game Formats Should I Use in the Foundation Phase?

Leadership is an inherent part of coaching. In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright is joined by father and son coaches, Keith & David Mayer for an in depth discussion on the topic of authenticity and leadership. Keith and David Mayer have just released their second book, The Lone Wolf: A Story About Assumptions, Authenticity & Action. Some of the key concepts from the book underpin this conversation with Keith, David and Dave diving into the following areas:What is authenticity?The coach as a role modelHow can coaches be authentic in their approach?The importance of self-awarenessMental health and it's place in sportPlus much moreIf you enjoy this discussion, you can buy Keith & David's book on Amazon and don't forget to check out their previous PDP Masterclass Discussion on Building Connections by clicking here.`

Become a better coach by joining a supportive global community of coaches sharing ideas and learning together. Check out the PDP Membership here.

Authentic Leadership: A Conversation with Keith and David Mayer

In this podcast, PDP Co-founder, Dave Wright sits down with Andrew Watt, Youth Development Phase Manager at Fulham FC, to discuss how the Premier League club supports players across the U9-U16 age groups.

Andrew provides insights into the Fulham Academy’s principles, his views on talent identification, the different approaches to coaching children from U9s all the way through to U16s, and how to manage the transitions to different game formats.

For the full video discussion head to playerdevelopmentproject.com or click here to be taken straight to the post and don't forget you can sign up to PDP on a monthly or annual membership to access our huge range of learning resources.

Insights across the age groups at Fulham FC with Andrew Watt

The question this week comes from Gav through the PDP Slack Community:
Gab asks, “How do you support players with self reflection?”

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Q&A: Should I recruit stronger players?

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