The Sporting Resource

10/10/2026

After thousands of hours on the grass, the reality behind coaching badges is fairly simple.

1. A badge does not automatically make you a good coach.

⤷ It can give you theory, structure and a foundation to work from, but players still respond to how you communicate, how you connect and how you behave around them. The qualification matters, but what you do with it matters more.

2. A higher badge does not always mean better youth coaching.

⤷ There are excellent youth coaches with foundational qualifications and highly qualified coaches who struggle to connect with young players. Advanced licences can deepen your knowledge, but they do not automatically give you empathy, clarity, presence or automatically make you "great".

3. The qualification is not where the learning starts or finishes.

⤷ Courses can give you useful principles and a safer starting point, but experience exposes your gaps very quickly. Being on the pitch, getting things wrong, reflecting and trying again is where a lot of the real development happens.

4. Course content cannot keep pace with everything happening in the game.

⤷ Some principles remain relevant for years, while methods, language and ideas continue to evolve. A qualification can give you a base, but staying current usually depends on what you continue to read, watch, question and explore afterwards.

5. Badges rarely prepare you for the people side of coaching.

⤷ Parents, personalities, confidence, behaviour, club politics and difficult conversations can shape your experience just as much as the session itself. A qualification can help establish credibility, but competence in those moments usually develops over time.

That does not make coaching qualifications unimportant, as they can provide structure, challenge your thinking and introduce ideas you may never have considered.

The mistake is assuming the badge is the finished product and for most coaches, it is only part of the process. The gap becomes obvious once the course ends and you have to make everything work with real people, in real environments, with all the unpredictability that comes with coaching.

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We used an image of Tom Cleverley because the expression and gesture fitted the theme of the post visually. This is not a comment on his coaching ability, qualifications or career, and it is certainly not intended to demean him in any way. The image simply worked for the message we were trying to communicate.

10/10/2026

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10/10/2026

At an U12 game last night, the opposition coach was directing almost every decision on the pitch: “Pass now”, “switch it”, “shoot”, “play forward”, “pass here”, “Sent it”.

It wasn’t just the instructions, it was the tone, the urgency and the volume, with his voice dominating the game.

The players I coach came off saying, “That coach is annoying”, “I can’t hear myself think” and “Why are most coaches like that?”

That last question reflects their experience, although it doesn’t describe every coach.

We say we want independent thinkers, decision makers and creative players, yet how much room do we give them to develop those qualities when an adult is constantly telling them what to do?

If we direct every action, we shouldn’t be surprised when players wait for instructions instead of trusting their own decisions.

09/10/2026

Not sure who to follow on social media?

Want to avoid the crypto, betting, scam links or "how to be a millionaire under 30's" nonsense and learn from those coaches involved in football?

Here's a list of 67 and growing directory of coaches, platform’s and account that you need to follow:

Coaching Community: Who to follow

09/10/2026

39 session ideas, all ready for you to download!

Session Plans

09/10/2026

49,400,000 views across Facebook, X and YouTube so far in 2026, without ever paying for an advert.

I don’t want to make this all about numbers, but they help contribute towards showing that people are viewing what I share, although they can’t tell me whether something has helped.

My hope is that a resource, discussion or session idea supports someone’s coaching, develops their understanding or offers a different perspective. Occasionally, I'm allowed to shout from the rooftops about TSR successes, and I’m extremely proud of what I’ve built with The Sporting Resource so far.

Instagram and TikTok aren’t included in that total yet, so we could finish the year well beyond 50 million views.

Some people told me not to pursue this page, while others called it cringe. It’s taken seven or eight years of independent learning, experimenting, making mistakes and adapting to reach this point and I’m still learning.

Throughout that time, the aim has been to share resources, templates, advice, discussion and session ideas that people can use in their own coaching.

What I value alongside this milestone is the community that has grown around the page where people are willing to share experiences, question ideas, help each other and personally where I've met some incredible people.

To everyone who has read, contributed, shared something or told me how they’ve used it as massive thank you.

I'm glad I kept going!

09/10/2026

Watch before you coach.

This is aimed mainly at coaches working with U7–U12 players, although the principle applies much wider.

One mistake many coaches make is feeling they need to step in every few seconds.

• Bad touch.
• Missed pass.
• A player runs into traffic.

Straight away, the coach stops it and often too early.

What we need to consider is, not every mistake needs an instant intervention.Sometimes the best thing you can do is watch first.

• Allow the practice to breathe
• Let the picture develop
• Provoke the players show you what is happening or how they respond.

If you jump in too quickly, you can end up coaching a single moment instead of understanding the wider pattern on the ball, around the ball and away from the ball.

Try this instead:
1. Let it run for a little longer.
→ Give the practice time to show you whether it was a one-off mistake or a repeated problem.

2. Observe before you speak.
Ask yourself:
→ Is anyone struggling?
→ Who is coping? On, around and away from the ball
→ What keeps happening?
→ Is it a player problem, or a practice problem?

3. Intervene with a reason.
→ Step in because you have seen something that matters (also consider how you intervene), not because the session plan says this is the point where you coach.

4. Don’t confuse talking with coaching.
→ Speaking more does not always mean coaching better. Sometimes it just means more interruptions.

5. Trust the practice.
→ If the session is designed well, the activity itself will often reveal the problem for you.

There's also the notion and temptation to feel useful by always saying "something", but good coaching is not about speaking the most.

It is about recognising:
✅ Letting the practice flow
✅ When to observe
✅ Hold back from "stop/start" approach
✅ When, How and Why to step in with something clear and useful

This does not mean standing back and ignoring the session or the players for the entire session, just means being more deliberate within our coaching practice.

The challenge is not just what you coach, it's also when you coach it. Sometimes the best intervention comes after a short period of observation, not before the players have had the chance to repeat the action, solve part of the problem, or show you what the real issue is.

Watch first, then decide if the moment actually needs you. As a coach, do you think you step in too early, too late, or about right?

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Sir Alex Ferguson is used in the graphic because his coaching environment often reflected delegation, observation and trust in staff and players rather than constant interference. The wording above is TSR’s interpretation for beginner coaches and is not a direct quote from Sir Alex Ferguson.

This specific image is owned by Getty Images, under the copyright of Manchester United via Getty Images.

09/10/2026

Who should we include next?
Want to be included?

Just get in touch and we’ll sort it out 🙌🏻

Coaching Community: Who to follow

08/10/2026

If you’ve coached, you’ll laugh because these are painfully accurate.

• You plan for 14 players and coach 6, with two arriving late and one leaving early for a party you didn’t know about.

• The pitch lines are so faded you end up coaching “between the muddy bits.”

• You do a pitch inspection that mostly involves removing dog poo and pretending the glass isn’t yours.

• One goal has no net and the other is held together by string, pegs, and optimism.

• You bring cones, someone forgets the balls.

• You redesign the session while carrying goals out of the car.

• You spend longer packing away than coaching.

v The weather app says “dry.” but the pitch says “absolutely not.”

v Your facility has no toilets and the floodlights switch off bang on 9pm.

• You wash the kit at home and return it still damp because it’s rained all week.

• You say “freeze” and absolutely nobody freezes.

• WhatsApp messages saying “running late” arrive after kick off has already happened.

• One player forgets boots, another forgets shin pads, and one forgets both and looks shocked.

• You explain the same idea three different ways and still get asked “are we doing a match?”

• The best learning moment of the session happens by accident.

• You finish packing away and realise you never stopped coaching the whole time.

• Parents think coaching is the hour they see, not the rest of your week.

• You spend five minutes explaining an activity and someone still asks, “Which goal are we shooting in?”

• You shout “well done” so often you forget who you’re praising.

• You referee, coach, manage behaviour, and tie laces all at once.

• You say “last one” at least three times and everyone knows it’s a lie.

• The best sessions look messy, loud, and slightly out of control.

• The biggest win is a child asking “are we doing this again next week?”

• You do it anyway, because somehow it’s still worth it.

🛡️ Can you think of any others?
→ Tag another coach who’s lived this

08/10/2026

Did you know that the Football Association of Wales (FAW) has a campaign called 'Behind the Line, Behind the Team'?

The initiative aims to tackle negative sideline behaviour in mini and junior football, helping children enjoy the game in a safer, more positive environment.

One of its practical recommendations is for clubs to introduce a physical exclusion zone, creating a designated area for spectators away from the touchline.

The campaign also focuses on educating coaches, parents and spectators about their behaviour, including criticism, intimidation and the pressure placed on young players and referees.

Of course, putting a barrier in place doesn't automatically change behaviour. The expectations, education and willingness to challenge poor conduct are just as important.

The FAW has also produced a free resource pack covering spectator behaviour, codes of conduct, exclusion zones and reporting concerns.

You can explore the initiative here:
→ https://faw.cymru/safeguarding/behind-the-line-behind-the-team-campaign/

I'd be interested to hear where you coach, whether that's in Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland or further afield, and whether a similar initiative has been implemented at your club or within your league.

📍 Has it made a noticeable difference to the matchday environment?

The FAW have relaunched the Behind the Line, Behind the Team campaign to eradicate negative sideline behaviour in mini and junior football.