Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 145

'Ownership', 'leadership', 'self-led' – we hear these, and similar words, a lot in soccer.

Essentially, they all seek to capture the various ways in which we as coaches try to equip our players to compete and thrive, both on the pitch and in life in general.

We want them to be able to take up space, form friendships and bonds, understand that things aren’t always going to be easy, work out how to overcome the not so easy things – the list is almost endless.

And that list is probably the reason I love the game so much.

Soccer gives everyone involved the chance to learn, test things out and challenge themselves in ways that will be beneficial to them in their lives.

 It’s almost like soccer is a microcosm of the world itself. Maybe think of that the next time you’re doubting yourself or the work you do as a coach!

Two articles in this issue provide some really good specifics about how we can support our players to develop these skills that they will use in their lives in a football context.

Hannah Duncan, content editor of our companion title, Women’s Soccer Coaching, shares ideas on how to promote player ownership.

These include letting them set their own personal challenges, giving them a say in activity rules and giving them a platform to speak.

On a similar note, Jonothan Page shares his tips on creating leaders in your group.

We also have two brilliant three-part sessions. The first, from Chris Butt, looks at winning 1v1 battles. The second, from Jason Brindley, gives defenders the challenge of having to protect the goal when outnumbered.