Amanda Greenslade, PE officer for The FA, shares her thoughts around how you could support players during the lockdown. She also poses some important questions for you to consider. 

As the weeks of lockdown continue, clubs and schools have had to become creative to support their teams. The initial reaction in March saw many deliver online sessions such as quizzes, and ball control and physical development sessions. But it has been challenging for coaches to keep things new and engaging for the player 

It has also been a challenge to ensure that sessions delivered online are safe and follow safeguarding best practices. This often became the first hurdle for many to overcome but was (and is) very important for coaches, clubs and schools to follow. 

The initial questions to consider when planning sessions include: 

• Who are the audience? 
• Why are they attending the session? 
• And what do you want them to get out of the session?

The answer to all of these questions will greatly influence how and what you deliver. 

Here are some work and session ideas that I have seen delivered: 

• Physical strength and conditioning sessions including key fundamental movements or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to aid fitness and injury prevention, so players are ready for when the season returns. 
  
  
• Ball mastery sessions encouraging close ball control and changes of direction. 
  
  
• Social quizzes for enjoyment and keeping the team connected. 
  
  
• Problem-solving group tasks such as escape rooms to help improve team cohesion and decision-making. 
  
  
• Psychological growth mindset sessions to educate players on how a growth mindset can influence their performances. 
  
  
• 1 to 1 player reviews to check in with players and parents and discuss future targets. 
  
  
• Nutritional sessions including cook-a-longs.  
  
  
• E-games tournaments on FIFA or using apps such as HomeCourt. 
  
  
• Technical challenges including the skill of the week such  
  
  
• Running and cycling challenges to maintain an element of competition

As amazing and well-received as the above sessions have been, I have been questioning the impact and benefit of them over the last few weeks, especially with youth players. 

The vast majority of children are being schooled at home and are engaging in live lessons online. Should we, therefore, be encouraging them to do more online sessions? 

Most children in secondary schools are spending up to 5 hours a day in front of the screen. Is asking them to spend more time in front of the screen a wise thing to do? If physical sessions aren’t being offered, when they would usually have their weekly football practice, will our players go back to playing on their phone or game console to fill the time? 

Should we suggest our players spend more time outside with their family members? If yes, we should create some ideas for those that need them. 

When I look back to my childhood, the emergence of games, and their variations, is what engaged me in football and developed my love of the sport. Can we, therefore, encourage our young players to create their own games (like ‘one-bounce’) individually or with family members? Can we inspire them to make up different rules for the games and share them with their peers? As a coach, I just want to see my players outside playing in their gardens, streets, and local parks with their family members, enjoying the game. 

In these strange times, I am also starting to wonder if this is a good opportunity for us to try and embed the culture we want to see in our young players?  Can I encourage my players to take more ownership of their own development? Can I pass on the tools quickly and briefly that allow them to make progress in their game? Can I remove the need for me as the coach to be showing them skills or practices every week in an hour online call?  

I understand that some players will need social interactions to stretch and challenge themselves. But when you consider those top players who spend hours and hours by themselves mastering their trade, I wonder if we could begin to influence our players to follow suit. I suppose this all links back to the original question of why are we doing these sessions? Is it to keep the team socially connected or to continue our player’s physical and technical development? Or provide some tools to allow them to take ownership of their own development during this time?  

Plenty of food for thought...

What are your answers to Amanda's questions here? Can you think of any others to add to the list? How are you engaging with your players? Let us know in the comments below.