Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 99

As coaches, we sometimes have so much to say that we can forget to ask and listen.

It is a point made by Mark Jenkins – the youth coach featured in this week’s Q&A and accompanying podcast – and a thread which runs throughout this issue. 

One of Sam Snow’s top tips for working with players with ADHD, on page 3, is to speak to the player and their parents about how they learn and what would be helpful to them. Sam’s article is the first in a series on working with neurodiverse players. 

 On page 7, sports psychologist Matt Shaw shares insights into how you can get the most of your players by asking better questions, touching on three types - pre-questions, hinge questions and elaborative interrogation.

The interview with Mark on pages 9 and 10 looks at the work he’s doing to plan for next season at Weston-super-Mare AFC academy, where he is the U15s lead. His approach involves (you guessed it!) asking his players a lot of questions.  

He wants to find out who they are, where they are at and what they need so he can build the best plan for them. 

It’s a good reminder to all of us that we create a space for the needs of our players, not the other way around.

Finally, our main feature this week is on passing. Alongside two practices for you to use we have got a short collection of coaching points – and questions for you to ask your players – to employ when working on this vital skill.