The upcoming Silent Support weekend has got me thinking again about this subject. I coach U7 and U8 and I started off by being quite modest when it came to instructions from the sidelines. I have since encountered coaches from opposite ends of the spectrum and, if I'm being honest, have probably moved more from the 'passive' to the 'proactive' end as a result. I read a quote from Eric Dier recently who said grassroots coaches in Portugal didn't say anything and left the kids to learn from their own experiences. While, a search on here revealed the following quote from Pete Sturgess on the subject:

"We have been in discussions recently with some skill development experts and one view is that if you view the game as one that is continually changing (as each player acts, moves and makes their decisions), then the players are constantly being challenged with reacting quickly and making those decisions within an ever changing landscape. If we shout something on we immediately narrow their attention but by doing so we take away the opportunity for them to come up with another possible solution that is based upon the information they are perceiving rather than a random shout from the sideline. In the long run I know which will better prepare the players for the demands of the game. This is not to say we can never help the players during the match - the problem occurs when it is constant and begins to impact negatively upon the players own decision making and enjoyment of playing. If we plan appropriately, when training, the game design should set the football "game problems" and we challenge the players to find appropriate solutions through exploration and guidance from us if needed."

I am keen to get some opinion on this matter.