Tom Byer’s Post

One year ago, I stopped focusing solely on technical coaching. Instead, I started prioritizing mental resilience, building confidence, and helping players build their community within the sport. And no: This doesn’t mean ignoring technique. It’s not a “shortcut” to improvement. It isn’t only for advanced players—it’s for everyone. In fact, since I shifted my focus: My players have reported fewer confidence struggles. Their performance under pressure has noticeably improved. Many have formed lasting connections with others through the game. Once you realize that mental and social skills are just as crucial as technical ones, you’ll start seeing results in a whole new way. And one year later, I’ve never been more committed to this approach. The results are undeniable.

Priorities A huge shoutout to Rudy Geohagen for his invaluable support during yet another impactful coach development evening. This month marked the third event in our ongoing series, where we dived deep into the game from an out of possession perspective. We progressed through scenarios starting with 1v1s and building to 4v4s, examining both individual and collective defending for goalkeepers and outfield players. The focus remained on incorporating realism into practice design—ensuring training reflects the challenges players face in matches. One of the key debates on the night was the balance between repetitions vs realism in practice. While both have a place in training, there’s an inevitable trade-off when prioritising one over the other. Personally, I lean towards 6-7 repetitions of something that mirrors real game moments rather than 15-20 repetitions of an isolated, irrelevant activity. Ask yourself: • What you’re asking your players to do in training—would you praise or discourage it if it occurred on match day? • When designing practices, are you prioritising quantity of repetitions in touches or number of opportunities to make game realistic decisions? As coaches, how can we ensure that players aren’t just going through the motions but are instead preparing for the dynamic realities of the game? It’s not just about what we see in training but how it translates to performance under pressure. Our next coach development event is scheduled for January 2025, in the NW/N London area. If this resonates with you and you’re interested in contributing or attending, get in touch to be part of the conversation. #CoachYasThoughts #TheCoachesNetwork #CoachDevelopment #PracticeDesign #RealismInTraining #OutOfPossession

It’s too easy to hide!! As coaches I strongly believe we find it too easy to hide, this could be hiding behind the scoreline for example “well we are winning so we are doing things right”, “blaming players for mistakes or not been switched on” etc… (plenty more)…. Whether you are a volunteer coach to a paid professional, the fundamentals of coaching are still present. What needs to change - ⚽️ More of a focus on development as opposed to scoreline, asking better questions like what have you learnt in the game today etc.. ⚽️ Planning to improve aspects of the game utilising the principles of play in a proactive manner, stepping away from the reactive nature on basing training on your last performance. ⚽️ Improving coaching language to players, giving players other focuses instead of pressuring them to score a goal or to not concede a goal we can use better challenges that can help players develop. ⚽️ Not letting players go because they are not fast enough, not good enough, this happens everywhere grassroots to academies but the players are been coached by you so it’s not there fault it’s YOU (hard but true)!!

Thank you Alis Anagnostakis, PhD for sharing this document that should provide a clear distinction for coaches and inspired coaches-to-be on which program they should sign up. You can sign up or find out more information at this webpage. https://lnkd.in/gyMkb2TY #Coaching #VerticalDevelopment

Fancy a look at my Level 4 Psychology assignment? I've made it free to access on GDD Coaching. I dive into the world of player profiling and provide a full breakdown of the process I went through with my players! https://lnkd.in/diTS8cU9

We get many inquiries about our two core open programs - the self-led "Vertical Development Practices for Coaches" and the long-form "Foundation Diploma in Developmental Coaching" and quite often coaches are unsure which might be the best fit for their needs. Here's a simple comparison between the two. More in-depth information about both of these, as well as all of our other shorter programs, can be found here: ttps://https://lnkd.in/gjwgsEtr

We get many inquiries about our two core open programs - the self-led "Vertical Development Practices for Coaches" and the long-form "Foundation Diploma in Developmental Coaching" and quite often coaches are unsure which might be the best fit for their needs. Here's a simple comparison between the two. More in-depth information about both of these, as well as all of our other shorter programs, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gGff8uWu

Huge thanks to Emmanuel Boudine Portsmouth Football Club Foundation Phase Academy Coach for another insightful coach interview, sharing his experience in the game from France to England. His commitment to the craft of coaching was a clear reminder that without this a coach's growth is inevitably limited. Here are the top 7 points coaches need to takeaway: 1. Create a Supportive Environment Focus on building an environment where players feel safe to express themselves 2. Stay Highly Motivated & Open to Opportunities Be willing to take roles that aren't initially your "dream job" 3. Maintain Professional Standards Everywhere Commit to high standards regardless of the level you're coaching at 4. Build Genuine Connections with Players Understand that modern players need coaches who can connect genuinely 5. Focus on Player Development Over Results Concentrate on preparing players for their next stage 6. Commit to Continuous Learning Attend CPD sessions and webinars, embrace virtual learning opportunities and stay current with new coaching trends and methodologies 7. Be Adaptable in Your Coaching Approach Allow players to contribute ideas and influence sessions

The last part of this video is the part that drew the most attention on my other feeds. A shooting coach normalizing misses?? Taboo. But one of the most common corrections I give coaches is to avoid attempts to improve two things at once. If our learners are adapting a new skill, 1. They will miss a few more shots 2. Their ability to uphold the culture in the room will dwindle a little 3. Their emphasis on the other details will generally fall short It's our responsibility to give room for the reps to breathe -- to normalize a dip in results while building towards something greater. This is the magic inside of mastery -- we just have to be patient enough to sit back and watch it develop.

Taken from a on-court coach development workshop I delivered in Wales, here I work with 2 National 9 & Under Orange Court players on improving the consistency of the ball trajectory when rallying in the warm up. I use the invisible visual target of a ladder to explain the importance of maintaining the same height over the net and then use feedback on each shot to ensure the players have 100% clarity on the execution of their shot due to the target being invisible and more conceptual. What you don't see is then how I fade the feedback from me out gradually and pass the baton to the players to grade their own shots... I have found this is an effective tool with young players in helping them to learn fast. Check out more insights at www.SWNineteen.co.uk