[Jamie]
Hello and welcome to CoachCast by England Football Learning, the coaching podcast that brings you insight from people across the game. Today we're chatting to Claire McDougall Robinson, an FA Coach Development Officer, to discover her journey so far and how she's helping to grow the women's and girls’ game.
[Speaker 2]
Hello everyone and welcome to CoachCast and as Jamie said, we've got Claire with us today. So hi Claire, good to have you on. Let's make a start by finding out a little bit more about you. Could you tell us about yourself and what it is that you do?
[Claire]
Yeah, that's fine. So I'm one of the Coach Development Officers at the Women's High Performance Centers. I'm based in Northumbria University, which is the top, top north of the country. We're literally looking at a collaborative piece around the university and the football association to help talented potential coaches within the women's and girls’ game, providing the support network, education piece and development deployment within and around the community.
[Jamie]
Well, as this is a coaching podcast Claire, before we delve in and find out all the intricacies about you and your coaching journey, listeners could be on the way to training right now. So we thought it'd be a good idea to give them some advice straight away that could help them at their next session that they might be on the way to.
[Speaker 2]
Well then call this your arrival activity. What we're going to ask you to do is give us as many top coaching tips as you can in 30 seconds. So there's a little bit of a challenge element to that. It could be just general or it could be based upon working in the female game. So we'll leave it up to you to decide. You ready for that?
[Claire]
Yep, love the game. So keep it simple. That's probably the best thing being adaptable because you know your numbers are going to change. They're going to go up or go down. So have a plan A, B and C. Games are good. I always love a game competition within the girls, especially in the girls game, but also give them some empowerment. So let them choose some of the challenges so it doesn't always have to come from you. So they can choose their own and try to help to increase that because that differentiated approach will help. Go back to games. Winning isn't a bad word.
[Speaker 2]
Brilliant. There was loads there. Loads of good tips there.
[Claire]
I like competition. We'll get that number later how many I gave there.
[Jamie]
Keep a bit of competition between everyone that comes on. That's a good idea.
[Speaker 2]
Now then, let's dive in and find out all about your coaching journey. But first we want to know what was your first experience of football like?
[Claire]
I'm of a certain age where women's and girls’ football wasn't, you know, open and accessible as it is now. So my first experience is literally watching my brother play. So we didn't have a girls team in terms of that. I wanted to play, couldn't play and just did every other sport otherwise. I think I was 16, 17 when I had my first ever game experience. So it's been about 24 years of involvement as a player. I'm not saying I was the best player. I certainly went through a stage of playing and wanted to do the right things, but what my body could do and what my mind wanted to do was two entirely separate. Hence why coaching became kind of the available option. But again, in terms of workforce and recruitment around that, it was a volunteer role. It was a support area around that. It was mainly tied into education. I was a teacher and then at a college and then I literally did the other bits around football around that just simply because there wasn't the opportunity to have that, workforce or full-time job or fundamentally we have to pay bills at a certain time of our age and life. But certainly from my point of view, I didn't have that down as a massive barrier because for me, I'm quite a self-driven person to go, well, what am I accountable to? What can I go and affect that and change and make sure that was helping to reduce those barriers as much as I can and go out there and learn and develop and try to reach and meet and network as many opportunities I could do to help be the best that I could be.
[Speaker 2]
Just going back to where you said that there wasn't really many opportunities to play. When this goes out, the tournament will have finished, but the women's Euros is currently on. Do you feel like international tournaments positively impact the accessibility of the women's and the girls' game? I mean, it's been fantastic to watch and hopefully has a brilliant ending as well.
[Claire]
Yeah, definitely. The platform, the visibility and then accessibility to go and watch and review. And I know we can probably, you know, there was a stadium that has been involved in around the Northeast, but was just over two and a bit hours away. Sheffield and Rotherham was still there in Manchester to go to, but it definitely set up a platform around watching players play. So having a player platform, but also having the managers and coaches role models around that. So you can see in the workforce now that are both female and male, all the top of the game are now two finalists are female managers have earned their rights to be there. So I'm now turning on the TV and you know, my first instant on that first morning of the first game at Old Trafford, I was a bit taken back. I'm like, Oh, hang on. We're on BBC Breakfast. We're on Sky News. And then now it's the norm. So definitely that media presence is helpful. And then being able to accessible to watch it on TV, being on the main channels and then even having family members and friends over in different countries, they can accessible watch it themselves. So it's not just within our country, the platform becomes worldwide. And having that tournament here is a massive privilege in terms of being in and around it myself, having been involved from the workforce, but actually having people being able to see it is just such a great visibility both as players, I think as a workforce as well as really helpful.
[Speaker 2]
Do you think it'll positively impact the grassroots game? Is that what you expect to see?
[Claire]
Hopefully, yeah. So not in terms of even just from a playing point of view. So that platform has to be the legacy around all the areas that we need to be able to support what happens next. So it's not just a one-off and then nothing ever happened since. So the legacy around more opportunities to play. And it doesn't have to be gender specific, just go play in a team. If you're good enough being involved in it. If you haven't got a girls team, go just play for a team. Be inclusive in that environment. And that's in terms of the workforce now, just to help coaches just step over that sideline. And then we've got some real great workforce around that in terms of the Football Association who helps those that are just stepping over the sidelines to just create an environment for kids to go and learn, play, have fun primarily in a safe and fun environment to go and do that. And then those talented coaches who I work with is to try and help them and aspire and be better in club football environments. And the ones above me is then trying to help those even get better and be involved in around England pathway work as well. And so there's great support mechanisms wherever you are in the game, wherever you want to be and those opportunities they can go and do that really.
[Speaker 2]
You've done quite a lot in your career and achieved a lot of things. Would you be able to give the listeners a quick overview of like different roles and accomplishments you've had so far?
[Claire]
I was in and around like European Under-19s Championships. I've worked with the England Women Def Football Team and we went and were European Championships and World Championships as well. So that's on the international front with a little side pathway around English schools. So I think that a girls Under-15s National Manager was helping girls who are probably bridging around England talent pathway to help them, but also as a workforce. Development support as well mentor. So those multidisciplinary team staff. So because I had that sports science background and being involved in around tournaments, giving them a bit of upskilling, whether it's from physios, goalkeeping coaches, assistant coaches, helping them not only their skill sets around on the pitch, but outside in terms of esteem and reassurance that, you know, they're doing some really good jobs. I was a technical director at Sunland. So I worked at Sunland for 14 years. And part of that, I was Sunland Ladies Manager and we won the WSL 2 as part of that team with the league, which was great experience for me to go and help and really challenge myself around a really strong team of staff that were there. And then that led me to this role. So I think I covered all primary roles alongside, like I said, I was a primary teacher. So I was a teaching sport, BTEC and foundation degree for 10 years at a college. So this is kind of other than my last two years at Sunland when I was full time, like this is kind of like a full time role opportunity that's come about, privy to trying to juggle three or four or five different jobs. My other main job is being a mum to a little three year old. So that's a definitive job. So I'm still kind of juggling, but it's only two rather than five or six at the same time.
[Jamie]
So if we go back right to the beginning again, what was it that started you on the journey for wanting to coach? I know you said it was kind of as a result of not playing. But was there anything about coaching that really interested you and then obviously taking it into teaching?
[Claire]
I think any, it was funny because I made a comment to a colleague the other day and my first ever job, I was selling men's pies and drinks at football stadiums. And within about a year, I ended up being a trainer. So I think I've always fell into kind of like leadership supportive development roles. I think that's always been part in terms of like my personality, helping others learn, want to try to do that, but probably didn't really pick up on that until I actually literally had that conversation with my colleague. Oh, I'd started, I did start it off then and I did want to help others. So I think there's a natural within me and who I am. I want other people to get better. Coaching fell into that. And then I kind of similarly teaching and coaching kind of aligned to each other in terms of a differentiated approach, different in looking at environments. And I think just the how process around the innovativeness, the games, people change, cultural change, social changes, but it's just probably about the who is different, how we help them out, those sort of fundamental things. But I think fundamentally the emotive side of I do like to win. I do like games, I do like competition and I think it did came with like a taboo word. But I think the key thing is around just about the how and the process to that.
[Jamie]
And thinking about people and their differences, do you have any tips for engaging people so that they want to keep coming back and working hard for you? Or did you ever witness anything that any of your mentors did that you always wanted to replicate?
[Claire]
I think it was just knowing that you care. And that takes time. Do you know what I mean? So I know it does take time and you probably find a lot of coaches out there saying like, I do more off the pitch than I do on it. A little bit, because you do fine. And I think just the little one-on-one chats and I definitely learned that I've had the flip side of being the robotics that everyone's not fitting in a box. Everyone's not black and white. There's bits that are in the middle, but it's definitely to engage them in terms of who they are. I mean, if we went away for a little, told me to do every year a little festival thing, just to help the girls prepare. And we did a little side note around like things that we didn't know about them that we'd never know. And that was my first ever experience to go, wow, these kids are actually like got other stuff going on. And it helps you connect more with them to do that. And that really helps some of the relationship building, like even now. And I think you just relationship with them and their parents as well. They're the key 24 seven. So sometimes they might not always want to hear that conversation, but if you're honest and they just know you're just trying your best, that's all you can do. You are literally there, just create an environment, trying the best at what you're doing with everything, engaging them, giving them that empowerment to the players, to help them, to let them know that they care. We make mistakes, but as long as the fundamental values about why you're trying to do it, they're the key things and formatting the values around that it's for them. And that's what you're trying to do.
[Speaker 2]
I suppose both in, I'll ask this question in frame of coaching and teaching. Do you find that environment is key to help learning happen?
[Claire]
I think key things around learning is making environments that are suited to the people in front of you, not for you. I think sometimes as a prevalence, we probably think I'm doing this for me and my benefits actually it's for them. So what is it for them? But it's a kind of a bit of a catch 22 as well as like, what do they know? What are the wants and needs? Cause sometimes they'll go like, if you ask the players, what do you want to do shooting? What do you want? But then what are the needs could be two entirely different things. But then the cleverness around that is probably, well, I might set something up over a game where there's goals and that's what they want, but then actually I'm going to frame it around something else and the learning comes from that. I'm actually even be doing a defending session, but there's some shooting involved, but there's some links to it. So it's just kind of that cleverness around the kind of plan that it's, it looks like the game, it feels like the game, but then it's just helping them part of that process really understand that not everything's going to be nice. There is going to be times where it's going to be tough and it's going to be hard and you know, but there's reasons for that. We've got some real honest interviews from the players actually at times have been some difficulties You know and there's been some things that haven't gone well for them But they've got to get through that to be who they are and then we've got to have that as well I think an honest and vulnerability about ourselves the more vulnerable we are and the humble that we are in terms of you know I'm going to try something but it's going to fail or when I make a mistake the reasons why I'm trying it It's the key like the key things. I'm trying something but it might fail But actually the reasons why I'm doing it was for the right reasons if that makes sense So you just trying to figure things out.
[Speaker 2]
Could you tell us a little bit more about Northumbria University's? Women's high-performance center like your role within it and how the high-performance centuries is helping to grow the women's and girls’ game at all.
[Claire]
Yeah, so we have well our main role now is to recruit from within terms of a student workforce So in terms of the student productivity is to provide them with opportunities to network in and around the community based clubs So my localies I have Sunland and Durham regional talent clubs and then foundation clubs to go and try and help build a workforce And give them some employability structure. So within the studentship is to provide that support and opportunities. That's the key thing It's giving them some opportunities for that The wider being around that in terms of high-performing and talent coaches bit is to have kind of four key areas around Helping those high potential coaches within the women's and girls’ game So there's a specific goalkeeping center that we have from that there's like a twin track approach to it Where there's a player development pathway and a coach development pathway to help coaches get better. So I employ an FA coach mentor Specifically goalkeeping because we've got to sometimes realize where our skill sets are and where they're not So goalkeeping is not one of mine Even though it's a passion about me and they work for me to help coaches get better So they come in and they coach the girls who are come through on a coaching center the players get better because they get good coaching from goalkeeping coaches and Secondly the coaches get better because they get the experiences with the players that are there in front of them. So that's one area The other areas that support around the coaching network around the National Leagues So around we class that as tier 3 and tier 4 providing some regional national coach development Opportunities and support to them with the initial insights around some of the games or an example What we've just done is provided a coach development workshop wrapped around some Euro events So we've just an account attacking for example within the female game give them some insights How does that help them within their context and then also help them support around practice design models and helping them Another works around some performance coach program about talent coaches and helping them with some one-to-one support in addition to Can just wrap around the elite talent pathway program So helping coaches specifically within regional club workforce around our area and support what we need So hopefully everyone can know basically where you were fit and sit within the game with your grassroots coach a youth coach Talented coach or a pro coach within the game and specifically the women's game, you know who your support is From I think and I feel reflective of that because when I was a coach Can I was like where was my support? Where did it come from? And when I was you know, whether it's going through so I had to go out and seek and find So we're now we're regionally set where I cover from East Riding County FAA Of course in the Cumberland FAA from the north region So I have five counties that I cover as well as the makeup of the clubs in and around there
[Speaker 2]
How can like players and coaches then get involved with the high performance center?
[Claire]
So one or two ways for one is it there a student the university? So they're probably we've got a strong cohort of sport coaching students but even not just the result could offer things around like business event marketing like we are now looking at talent management programs where We need nutritionists. We need psychologists. We need performance analysts. So, you know, we're not just looking at coaching There's a one area. We know it's one but actually some of the offers and opportunities is around the that whole multidisciplinary team So we know that workforce is needed So if you're involved in either elite talent pathway nationally club I'll see the goalkeeping that is a one if you want some specific help and support and then obviously there's that whole performance coach program So it's specifically designed where they fit into that if you don't fit in that model There is someone else there you can go to through a provision of the county affairs coach club support programs And officers that are either both me in terms of the National Courts Development Workforce or the courts development officers that are kind of running in our areas that work on that recruitment Grassroots support and areas as well. So we offer anything from Especially now post-covid is online workshops. We're trying as much as I can I would love to be on the grass one-on-one But we have only so many hours in the day and so many travelling miles to do as well And so the hybrid of support network is there to help community practices where we can as well So actually sometimes the support doesn't all necessarily come from me It's the network of coaches within themselves that help each other and that's you know So hopefully that network can kind of being help but literally yeah If you want to help support the opportunities are there that's probably the key thing to it But then go to your local women's high performance And like I said, we've hopefully got enough now that kind of grass the whole of the country Through those ten that there should be someone there to help and aspire and support those that are involved in the women's game Primarily as a workforce, but then to help them, you know, that's what you want to be We will provide stuff on for your mentee ships internships, Opportunities shadowing games workshop games wrap around events that we've just done. Like I said with the euros So hopefully we can give them a diverse learning Environment to kind of help to engage because not everyone to sit in a classroom Some people want to be on the pitch and see things as well.
[Speaker 2]
Sounds like it'd be really good opportunity to get involved in something like that So as you've coached across various levels and different age groups What would you say the key differences that coaches need to have in mind if they start coaching? Older players compared to younger age groups?
[Claire]
I think as we look at coaching the terms your environments like it's a really key to try and be Like inspirational skillfully and set an environment that allows them for empowerment I think that key thing is always in there but an older age group We should have a skill set to do that and be able to work it out and let me do it a young one We have to help them through that because they're probably going to definitely make mistakes. You know, they're learning and cognitive element of that is I'd say far less because they can still do a lot of things that sometimes I think we take a bit of ownership too much On but it's probably the process of the how It's just building the box in between where they all the group have got those blocks and they just need to fit the right ones in The younger one maybe just don't have that box just yet And we're just trying to help design of what it needs to be but square it's round of its rectangle I think that's probably my best analogy to do that. I think all of them know fun Yeah, all of them love games all over kind of competition probably in terms of how that engagement is different You know how you connect with them will be that slightly different to it But then managing failure and managing mistakes, it's great for the winning, but also like how do we manage those that don't? Like what do they do? What's their reflectiveness? How do they chat in terms of that? Do they huff? Do they get into mistakes psychologically if they don't win, you know, they disengage So if you want to try to help them get through that at points as well Like sometimes I've known some adults that just literally become disengaged if they don't win and it's like well actually not going to win everything So we need to help that skill set out, you know so deliberately in sessions that I would give them wrong decisions and Poor referee and to go in just to help them and they'd see the red mist come And you're going to try and help them to get out of that red mist to do it But no, I think the building blocks are there with the older ones, but definitely they're not definitely not always there So you might find a little bit of gaps But they should be able to pull things together and build it up The younger ones we might just help to formalize those blocks and can help them out So still problem-solve and so they can put that in there But still being them part of the who and the what on the journey is part of that [
[Speaker 2]
Keeping on kind of like the top tips theme Do you have any advice for coaches who are dealing with the balance of developing players? But also chasing results and we put in this to you because it might maybe it might be something you've experienced with Sunderland ladies
[Claire]
Yeah, it's the type of coach that we are we have to understand that transactional is needed at times like results need to be there So it's nice to be like it's about the process and how and it's not important about winning That's why I said winning still important. It's about the how so I think when the key wrap around all that bit It's probably reflectiveness and practical implications and accountability the benefit now You just pick up a smartphone and you can film and record and that's literally accountability in terms of what we see and actually not About what do you think about the game and that's their subjectivity of what they know? So actually did you see X Y and Z so there's a real accountability now like what they've done how they've done it And there's a bit of not necessarily hardship, but in terms of that, you know, if you've passed succession rate It wasn't as high as what it needed to be then why like why is that not happening? What's the real realism to that? And I think the key thing to all that is about making environments of their training is really realistic and relative to the game What it looks like? So, you know, there's many a time a coach said all it works in training, but they can't do it in a game Then I'd probably question what does that training environment look like? So has it have you still got the same stresses on it? Have you still got you know, if I'm giving them a bag of 40 footballs to have shooting practicing Well, actually you might only get eight shots in a game. Well, that's not then relevant and put to it You know the simplicity is of actually of how and what and where we're doing it is We don't need rocket science within the sessions as long as you keep it Does it look like the game? Does it really sit to the game and that should then help them through and then that Reflective model in terms of the why is then the helpful matter to keep the challenge process to it Yeah, developing players is a definite for me in terms of help them to make mistakes But I think the key things like everyone says that oh they were like making mistakes But then what they say and sometimes their body language around that's like across my arms my body language is different So the many coaches that might be around me being my coach development, like I don't like the word unlucky It's only some of the symbols our language, you know, they've had a shot on goal or unlucky Well, unless there's a beach ball or a cat that's run on their pitch. It's not unlucky It's probably a wrong decision or like some technical information that needs to be better So it's really again go back to that accountability around what's the why did you make me take that shot earlier? Why did you need that extra touch? Well, actually you could have hit it first time, you know Because as we're seeing now within some of the you but some of the insights that we're getting, you know If you don't take a first-time touch, you're going to score a goal So you don't need so if you're going to take another one, you're going to reduce your percentage of actually scoring a goal So at times we've got to be really accountable around to try and help them what it looks like Help them to refine it and make them educate and understand like the why And that's really prevalent to the women's game because women would like to know why so, you know Keep it simple and make it look like their game Like viewers is looking at the minute like tournament football and national football But that's not a six seven eight year olds game That does not doesn't look what they look like on a Saturday or Sunday So just be mindful what their game looks like?
[Speaker 2]
Looking back at your experiences then Claire, can you talk to us about varying like the team's diet? Giving them a good volume and variety of games realistically
[Claire]
So giving them a problem or the context of it, but allowing them a freedom to express themselves to have a go at things So I know at the minute there is the term of the Russo, but doing the Russo You can see kids now trying to back heel it in the goal I mean, I was literally mid having a go at why she's had another shot And it's blocked and then she's suddenly back heeling it in and she's meant to play her in the goalkeeper At the same time while I'm watching I'm like, all right, that's better While I'm screaming and loving the goal going in Now has probably Russo failed at that many a time beforehand? Probably yes So actually we need to be, you know, going back again about the manager mistakes to it all But how she came up with that, she's got to have had that construct in her head So inspiring them is actually just to give them some ownership in terms of like he might be the problem I might want to get you from A to B, but to that bit in the middle Like be creative in terms of how you do that Like how do you want to get there? How does it do it? Is it again being relevant to the female game as well? So we've now got names of people coming about and seeing them So, you know, kids aren't just saying it's the male advert of it Which I'm not going against the male advert of the game That's why I came up and around But now we have that platform for the woman's game Like use them and if you've got them great deliveries and shots and strikes So, you know, if it's a Medo, it's a strike If it's a Russo, it's being creative If it's a Fran, it's a dribble Do you know what I mean? now be relevant in terms of the players to create some creativity and we can probably help the players explore that and not try to kind of like pigeonhole them in sort of these little boxes and that's what I'm going to let you do. We're just going to pass the ball all the time. We'll actually just be expressive in who you are and enjoy it. And funnily enough, enjoy it. Enjoy it. That's the enjoyment, that's the inspiration of it. Just going out there and enjoying it. Giving them accessibility to it. The opportunity to go and do it in school, out school, on a yard. The benefit of football, you don't need a lot of equipment doing. So it's like literally a ball, two courts, if that, you know, a wall, is she going to annoy whoever the neighbor is on that wall unless you're looking at it's going to be on a garage. There's not a lot of equipment that is necessarily needed for that so we can inspire ourselves with the games. And many times I remember when I was literally kicking the ball about with my brother, we just made up games at the back garage. It was a garage, so it wasn't someone's wall. Thankfully we weren't annoying neighbors at that time, but we'd make up games just to try and like hit certain spots on the garages and stuff on there and play like wooden soldier and literally just throwing quick enough you're going to get hit. So it seems really wrong at this moment in time, but it's like kids games, you know, making up games as well can be quite as creative as what they are.
[Speaker 2]
Love that. We've got one more question really and then we'll go into the next section. Basically for the listeners, what would your advice be to any aspiring coaches that might be tuning into this and thinking that they want to give it a try?
[Claire]
You can. It's probably my key thing. You are your own self, you know, advocate of that. Go out there. There's plenty of clubs out there that are wanting a workforce, needing a workforce. And certainly there's a cohort of players that have played, have come through. And from our bit, like I said, I was self-driven because it was like, well, there's only me that's going to stop me from doing what I want to do. And yes, there's a bit of context around some things on there. I had good family support and good role modelling on the kind of like, just be who you want to be. Like, you know, if you're going to get that opportunity, it's down to you. But I mean, now there will be so much more localized opportunities to that. And not even just the women's game, like just go and help the game be its game. And then if you find that you're a little bit talented and you want to help some support, County FA's have some great coach CBD opportunities. And then like I said, those high potential coaches, hopefully I'll get to see you transitioning, coming and being involved. And there is now professionalization in the game, which is great. Like now you can go and see it and be it and do it full time. So my job, I've just had the best time in my job and hopefully Sunday we'll literally finish it off for this last month. I've been in and around the game, helping the workforce get better, utilizing the tournament as it is to see it, see the game, learn about the game, learning myself about the game around people and dealing with it. It's a great social, you get so much back from it all as well. To have the kids just say the thank yous and the gratitude and that they literally, if it wasn't for you in a workforce, there wouldn't be them there. And we're only one part to it. And I've had many conversations about how lucky enough that the players that are playing there in that squad and some who are in and around it, I know them. But I'm one cog from PE teachers, from family members, from everything else who can put it into them is to get them into the pathway where they want to be. We are one little bit to it, but without that one little bit of jigsaw piece, who's to say what would have happened and provide the opportunity to them. That was some really good advice there, Claire.
[Speaker 2]
Thanks for that. So the next section that we're going to take a look at is our community questions. So we have a lot of coaches who go on our England football community platform and they ask lots of questions where they're having challenges that they're trying to face in their coaching practice. So we often get asked about how to create a good environment, but with your role in mind in the High Performance Centre, could you tell us how you would create a high performance environment?
[Speaker 3]
I could give you some insight in terms of what we're doing with the goalkeeping center. That could probably help.
[Claire]
It's a weekly where we have both parent and player education. They have an individual learning plan, so that's key as well. So they're individual learning what the things that they want to learn. And again, going back to that kind of accountability, the coaches will then deliver the session to both parent and to player because fundamentally goalkeepers sometimes it's a hardship of a position because if you make a mistake, it's a goal. And fundamentally they're kind of measured upon just the ball going in the back of the net at times. So we're trying to help educate parents in terms of also the players and then the curriculum in terms of delivery. So whether it is dispersal around different phone techniques, kicking, the different ways of elements of it, or handling footwork, dealing with crosses and that of such. So I think the key thing from our bit is to try to help educate the parent and the carer in terms of what they're looking for and the players as well. Then looking at the session, how is that linked to the learning plan? Then, you know, they'll do a warm-up and pre-rehab work to help. And I want to say prevention of injury because I actually just want them to play longer. I think we say that it's like a negative way of doing it. So all the kind of pre-work around strength and conditioning and support and girls particularly around that kind of cue angle bit around knees and hips and you can see it's athletic, it's athletic ability. Now as the game's moving on in environment, giving them that in terms of pre-work, they will actually do some S&C conditioning on the pitch as well. So we do some bit of work around that in terms of those fundamental foundations to help build strength around glutes, hips, knees, ankles and around mobility. And then the delivery part in terms of high performance is giving them the key thing is actually the coach to ratio to the players. So the eyes and lens on that. So literally the coaches will work probably like one to three, one to four and the mentor oversees that and they get to observe and be really like key in terms of how they see what the coach and the tools are acquiring like the nice tools bits to it. So we've got GoPos, we've got Veo cameras, we've got analytical things where we can give some eye and view and again what we see and how we help them. But in terms of obviously that kind of like high performing thing is really the detail in terms of it. So sessions aren't necessarily like fancy and lots of things and complicating things. It's just the simplicity of some of the sessions can be the most powerful but it's actually the detail and information that's involved within that. You know what we see, what lens do we look at. So actually one coach might have one element that they're helping support with and we do a co-coaching bit where someone else is complimenting that and that's helpful and utilized hopefully in some kind of like outfield sessions as well. So we utilize that within the goalkeeping and then once the session is done they go and review and reflect which is really important as well. So what went well, what would be some even better ifs and what would we change next time. But we also do that as a workforce as well. So it's can we help player empowerment, can we get some peer feedback so it's not necessarily always the coaches as well just for examples. So where they're taking some ownership and education around each other and say well you know it's not just good, what is it, what does she do, like is it footwork, is it actually decision making to make it that type of save. The communication, what you're communicating, how you're communicating it which is a key one especially with the goalkeepers. Not in front of 70,000 people because it's pretty loud on there at times but fundamentally it's how do we help that. It's a body language communication rather than actually verbal all the time as well. So they would do that and the parents are part of that review and reflection as well. So that sit in the car element where they just walked off and there wasn't that kind of classroom pre and post then the conversations would be completely different. So the feedback we've been getting from parents and players was really positive around kind of what they've learned, their education, the chats and discussions now become more informative, educational and really leaning towards actually because really that the whole learning should come away from us because they're only with us for like an hour and 15 minutes. When they're back out there in the clubs, hopefully that will help evolve into there and then they take that learning plan away with them as well. And like I said, the first is the coaching workforce group. So my bit is to help the coaches get better and develop is to help them provide the environments and we review and reflect ourselves and see what can we do better, what can we be doing. And I'm really privileged to have a really good group that works with me who really just want to learn to be better, you know, and be better in terms of what they do to then help players. So they want to get better pretty much for the players themselves and that kind of like cyclical learning of that. So you can have all the gadgets, you can have all the technology, you can have all the bits and be fancy around it. But in terms of really high performance is knowing the detail and knowing what's there in front of you that is linked to them and their game and how they are and knowing them and then that information and lens and support and you know, but fundamentally to get to that point, you need to have experience and you get out on the grass and go and do it and being around people and learning around the right people as well to have that openness to go and, you know, to go and do that. And for me, that's what I want to do is to help that workforce get better so our players get better. I am learning and you know, I constantly still learn because the game is ever growing. The game is now at a point now where it will change and evolve and cultural evolve, people evolve, social ways, how they interact, how they learn, they want to evolve. I'll take on technology and I'll learn about that and I'll try and utilize it best where we can. But the crux of it is the humanistic part of the interactions, the connections, the bits where we build the relationships is the human side. So that will always be prevalent to, yes, the technology will be a lovely add on, but all those interpersonal skill sets are the key things that help that environment get better.
[Speaker 2]
Brilliant, that was absolutely fascinating. Thank you very much for that, Claire. Well, we are coming up to the end of the show now, but regular listeners will know that that means it's time for a Swift Session.
[Jamie]
So like at the top of the show, this is another 30 second challenge, but this time we're going to ask you to describe a session idea, but in 30 seconds. So it may be one that you've tried before or one that you're thinking of trying. We'll set up a timer that will let you know when your time's up. So are you ready for the challenge? Okay, so the timer is on, and your time starts now.
[Claire]
Well, it's a finishing session, like crossing, but actually we're going to look at how more female games crossing is done. So inverted V, so it's two 18 yard boxes, a little V line funnel line, so the players will drive inside and they will look at either sweaty pullbacks, little driven ones, little decision makers on how they can link and combine to go for the next round. As well, it becomes prevalent more and more in the women's game. So it should help strikers, crossers, seven lines and tens in a game and goalkeepers to help defend.
[Jamie]
Pretty good. Right on the whistle.
[Speaker 2]
Is there anything else you'd like to add to that at all?
[Claire]
There's probably more detail around it, but no, hopefully people got an idea of what the session was. It sounded good to me and just right in there, definitely. Well, thank you very much, Claire. I really appreciate your time coming on, and it's been fascinating listening to your experience and getting lots of top tips from you.
[Claire]
Thank you very much. And hopefully, yeah, some insights for people to help and get them get better. But I've enjoyed that. Nice challenge for me.
[Speaker 2]
Thank you. Brilliant, mate. It's great to hear. Right, that's all we have time for today, but don't forget to check out the episode description for all the links to our platform. There, you'll be able to click through to the England Football Community. This is where you can post your coaching questions for us to discuss on the podcast or just simply connect with loads of wonderful coaches. Yeah, we'd really love to help you out with your coaching questions. So please do go and have a look. We'll be back soon with another episode of CoachCast. So if you haven't already, hit that subscribe button to make sure you don't miss an episode. And from all of us at England Football Learning, thanks for listening.