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[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 Adam McEvoy, the National Development Manager at the Wheelchair Football Association, to discover his journey so far and to get an introduction into powerchair football. Well, hi Adam, welcome to the show, great to have you, how are you?
[Adam]
Very well, thank you, and thank you for the invite, it's great to be here.
[Louise]
It's really good to meet you and have you on the show. So what we'll do first of all is just find out a little bit about your role and what it is that you do.
[Adam]
Yeah, great. So I'm the National Development Manager for the Wheelchair Football Association. And they're a national charity and the lead organisation for the format of powerchair Football and also a disability delivery partner for the FA. And my role actually sits within the grassroots division underneath Phil Heap as the National Development Manager for Disability Pathway. So I'm effectively an extended member of the FA staff which is fantastic. My role is focused around all things grassroots development so be it the growth of new teams, players and competition at regional and national level and supporting that competition pathway, support for the volunteer workforce through courses in education and also the para talent pathway that we have as well and also alongside that role I'm a coach at a club level and also as part of the FA's para talent program coaching at a national emerging talent level and also the development squad.
[Louise]
Well, lots there.
[Jamie]
There is, fantastic. Thank you very much for that Adam, we appreciate that. But just before we kind of discover more about you and your experiences, as this is a coaching podcast, coaches could be on the way to training right now while tuning into this. So we always like to give them some great advice at the top of the show.
[Louise]
Yep, so we call this your arrival activity. We'll give you 30 seconds and we're gonna ask you to give us as many top coaching tips as you can in those 30 seconds. Are you up for the challenge?
[Adam]
I'm up for the challenge.
[Louise]
Good, that's what we like to hear. Okay, when the music starts, that's when you can begin. Okay?
[Adam]
Okay, first up, I think it's really important that you should greet all of your players when they first arrive with a smile, a high five, fist bump, welcome them in and show that you're really pleased to be there as well. Come into your sessions with an idea of what you want to achieve, whether it's planning beforehand or just a framework of what you want to work towards. Use that STEP principle that other colleagues have mentioned previously, different styles of communication to get your message across. Have a focus on developing your players as people as well.
[Louise]
Wow, really good. Did you get all of the ones off your list? That was really good.
[Adam]
I could say one more around reflection and just thinking back on your sessions but no, I'm pleased I got most of them in.
[Louise]
No, that was good. That was perfect.
[Jamie]
Yeah, brilliant. Thank you very much for that. Well, we'll dive into kind of the main section of the show now to find out a bit more about you. And we always start this section by asking, what was your first experience of football like?
[Adam]
So my first experiences of football were playing at home in the street in the cul-de-sac where I lived with a neighbour who was a few years older so a lot of my enjoyment comes from that street football element of playing with him and also going to the local playing fields and playing with my friends very much recreational and fun and Wembley knockouts singles and doubles and those types of games. And then progressed to grassroots football, playing locally. Probably wasn't the best player if I'm honest, but my passion and enthusiasm was always there and I played in a variety of positions and ended up, I think maybe because I didn't like to run potentially, that I ended up migrating further and further back and had a large period of time, certainly through my teens, going into goal and had decent hand-eye coordination. So that was good, but unfortunately I'm not the tallest, so I only ever played up to in my early 20s and then found coaching and was a better coach than I was a player. So that was how I started playing and then have migrated into coaching from there.
[Louise]
And when did your interest in coaching start? How did you get that interest from switching?
[Adam]
So initially it started when I was 16, 17, so at my local grassroots club in Gloucestershire we had an opportunity to undertake FA Level 1, which was fantastic. So the club funded that for us on the basis that we then would give back and put some hours in. So that coincided with me getting involved with, there was the establishment of a senior women's team that my sister played for. So I supported and assisted there. And that also morphed into supporting the goalkeeper where I was playing in goal and supported and did a little bit of coaching with her and that then led to me getting my level one, her goalkeeping coaching qualification to supplement that and that then built from there, went to university, undertook the youth modules which were absolutely fantastic and opened my eyes to coaching in a different way, did my level two which then supported me coaching, did a lot of work in the community at a local club working with junior players and the sixes and the sevens, got involved at the County FA and was supporting what were the player development centres and the PDCs for Worcestershire FA with the girls and that then supported that side of my growth and development. From there when I was at university had to undertake a disability module in my third year and as part of that we had to get some practical experience so I ended up going to West Bromwich Albion to the Albion Foundation and getting involved with the B1, the blind football that they had there. Loved it so much that I stayed on beyond the allocated hours and was acting as a coach and a guide and that opened my eyes to a whole different strand of coaching and it's set me on the path to initially employment and obviously the coaching that I do today.
[Jamie]
How did you face the challenge of coaching for the first time?
[Adam]
Probably just through going at it head on and being a little bit naive and just not necessarily being aware of what those challenges might be. And it's that sink or swim moment of, oh this isn't working, what could I do to try and change it and try to be adaptable there? And I certainly think then moving into working with junior players at under 6 and under 7 when you could have the best laid session plan out on paper but if those young players just want to run around and they're not involved in engaging it whatsoever, everything goes out the window. So it's around being almost adaptable and on your feet to go, how can I try and bring this back in to try and salvage the session and I think that then helped with them moving into disability football and coaching that side of the game of trying to be that word of being adaptable and going okay well maybe I don't necessarily understand this format but using my previous knowledge learn on the job reflect back and think about what went well and what could be better next time and take that forward from there?
[Jamie]
Whereabouts in your journey did you first come across powerchair football for the first time then?
[Adam]
So I was fortunate that from university, I went into an employment role, an active partnership based around disability development, so moving into the sports development world and carried on my coaching and then from there I moved from Worcestershire down to Kent and went into special needs education, a school for students with physical impairments, and powerchair football was the most popular after-school activity. And because my background was football and I'd had some other disability football experience, that was my role to take on that challenge of supporting the players at the school, but also around growing and enhancing the provision. The challenge that we soon encountered was that some of the players at the school, when the students were getting to the age where they were going to be moving on and leaving, but they wanted to continue to play football, and that wouldn't be possible if they were moving on to the next stage of their life. So we had to come up with a solution and that meant that that school team turned into a community team. So we engaged with the local club, which was a three-star accredited club, Sevenoaks Town, and basically the meeting went really well of, we'd like to see if we could merge and become together, we will become your disability team. Then that opened the door for us to be able to recruit new players from outside the school. And then the club grew and went from strength to strength and that was over 10 years ago now.
[Louise]
Wow, sounds like a really exciting time to see that kind of grow and adapt and be able to bring more people into it. And it sounds like you probably did a bit more than coaching within that but what kind of things do you enjoy most about coaching?
[Adam]
I think for me, certainly within disability and powerchair specific, it's seeing the players grow as individuals by the nature of the format and the types of disabilities and impairments that our players have. A lot of them have life limiting conditions, so their life expectancy may only be 25 or 30. So by that nature, you want to try and find these players as early as possible to give them an enjoyable experience of football, but also it's more than just football. It's around the additional things that you can provide around the networks, the relationships, the friendships that can be created, the skills that football and working in the team can create, but also around supporting the families and the parents as well, because they're dealing with a lot of pressures of having a child, predominantly with a disability, and how you can support them and link them together. And it's just fantastic to see that, for example, I've had some players that I've known since they were 10, 11 years old, and are now young men in their early 20s that have gone through education, some have gone on to university, some are going into part-time employment and to see them not only grow and develop as players but also as young men and as young women fills me personally with a great sense of pride and achievement that we're helping to try and make sure that their lives and their football is as great as possible.
[Jamie]
Taking in everything that you've done in with your coaching experiences so far and you've really done quite a lot in your career, what advice would you give to your younger self to prepare them for stepping into the world of coaching for the first time?
[Adam]
I think it would just be to go for it, to whatever experiences that you encounter, they're there for you to embrace and to learn from. So whether they're good, whether they're bad, whether they're indifferent, they help create the person and the coach that you're going to become further down the line. So yes, if I was talking to myself at 16, 17 again, It would be to get involved as much as possible, try and enjoy it as much as possible, listen and learn from different people and try and take that on board and just try and pick up little bits of advice that you can then bring into life and to into your own coaching.
[Jamie]
And flipping that a little bit, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
[Adam]
I think for me it was really concise and really simple that I try and put into my coaching but also into everyday life is four words. Work hard, be nice And if you can do that as a coach, you can work hard in terms of your preparation, making sure that your sessions are planned and you've got an idea about what you want to achieve, you're giving your best to your club and to your players and to the families, but you're a good person and you're nice alongside that. I think that takes you a long way. And I also then try and instil that into the players that I work with as well around, yes, I want to try and develop you to be as good as you can be as a player, but also around being a good person, being respectful, being polite, being kind. It goes a long way.
[Louise]
With that being said, is there any advice or one piece of advice that you can give coaches that would make a positive impact on a player's journey?
[Adam]
Yeah I think for me it would be to get to know your players, get to know, certainly when we're talking about powerchair specific and disability, get to know what they can and can't do because that will really help you be able to plan and deliver and develop. And it also helps to build those relationships and having good strong relationships with your players, I think is key, whether that's on the pitch or off the pitch, it just helps to foster something really positive. That's great.
[Jamie]
Yeah, brilliant, thank you for that. Now, when this episode goes out, the 2023 Fitfoot powerchair Football World Cup in Australia will be underway. And if you're actually listening to this episode on the day that it is released, which would be Wednesday the 18th of October, England will actually be playing the USA and Uruguay, so do go and check out how they've got on. So Adam, with the tournament being on, we thought this would be a great time to raise the awareness of powerchair football. So could you give us an introduction to the sport?
[Adam]
Yeah absolutely, so powerchair football is a pretty unique format of the game. It's played by players with high levels of physical impairment using electric powered wheelchairs to be able to manoeuvre and strike the ball. So in terms of the rules of the game, it's a four-side game and it's played indoors on a basketball court. It is played with a larger ball which is size 9, so a 33cm diameter ball. A maximum of 8 players in a squad,
[Jamie]
4
[Adam]
a side, so you can have roll on roll off substitutions with 20 minute halves. And we have a unique rule called 2 on 1 rule, which is a proximity based rule, whereby tackling is only one against one. If a third party comes in and they are closer than three metres from the ball, it's then an indirect free kick to the team with the one player. So that enables the game to flow and stops the ball getting stuck and becoming a bit like a scrum. And from there, players play the game and we have similar discipline procedures, so red cards, yellow cards, as within the running game as well.
[Louise]
That's a really good overview of the game. Is there any particular equipment or facilities needed other than the kind of the pitch and see the chairs?
[Adam]
Yeah, so obviously an indoor format, so we need that indoor sports hall facility and then taking it into account in terms of additional provision aside from the actual playing point of view, making sure that facilities have accessible toilets for players to be able to access during their sessions and during games. The chairs themselves, as you mentioned, are specially adapted to play. So they have a bumper that's attached to the front of the chair. So previously in the original iterations of powerchair Football, it was a day chair that had half a car tyre sewn in half and attached to the front of the chairs with string and with rope. However, I'm pleased to say that the game has advanced greatly since then. So we now have chairs that are specifically designed to play the game. You could say that they look a little bit like go-karts because they are quite low to the ground and they accelerate and they move very quickly. But that just enables the players to be able to execute the actions that they have in their minds on the pitch. So previous years, chairs have been a little bit slower and certainly in the last four or five years the game has adapted greatly with the equipment and it's just meant that the game has increased in terms of the speed and the quality and the skill levels of the players have just grown.
[Louise]
Are the goals the same or are they kind of... Because I was watching a video of it and it was like, poles? Is that always the same or is it something different?
[Adam]
So we don't have a crossbar and we don't have nets in powerchair football. We just have two upright posts that are six metres apart, primarily from a safety point of view, because if you go into a sports hall and you look at goals, normally they're sort of four feet high, and you can imagine a young player getting excited, scoring a goal for the first time, they score a goal, they celebrate, they keep driving and the health and safety of maybe hitting the crossbar is something that was changed so that it was just upright posts to go over the line and that's something that is another additional nuance to power chair football.
[Jamie]
Who can play powerchair football?
[Adam]
Effectively anyone with a physical impairment can play powerchair football. Ideally, it's aimed for those that have got higher levels of impairment, so maybe aren't able to access other forms of football. Predominantly, our Players are manual chair users or powerchair users on a daily basis But anyone with a physical impairment can play and then as the game progresses in terms of the level and competition We do have classification in place and that is designed so that the players with the higher levels of impairment can access and play the game. So at National League and international levels you have to have a minimum of two PF1s. So we have a classification system that is you're either a PF1 or a PF2, Powerchair Football 1, Powerchair Football 2. And effectively if you are a PF1 you have a higher level of impairment. And to ensure that the players with the most level of impairment can access the game you have to have a minimum of two PF1s on the court at all times. That means that they will then get that game time and that's, as I say, at national and international level and therefore PF1 players become highly valuable because teams that are playing this, they're searching for fantastic players that are at PF1 and some of the skills that these players can demonstrate is absolutely incredible.
[Louise]
That's really interesting to watch and one of those things kind of to keep an eye out for I guess and understand the different players and what the kind of levels they're at and stuff.
[Adam]
Absolutely And obviously as you rightly say with the World Cup, with the players that we have, when it's been, and obviously the games that are taking place, there'll be some fantastic levels of ability and skill on display. So yeah, some of these players are, despite all the challenges that they have on a daily basis when it comes to playing football, elite athletes with incredible levels of ability and skill.
[Jamie]
Yeah it has been astonishing, we've been lucky enough to watch some training sessions and some training matches in the Futsal Hall here at SGP and it's fascinating but also the skill level is fantastic what players can do.
[Adam]
Absolutely, whether it's our senior players or whether it's our teams that took part in Disability Cup Final earlier on this year to be able to showcase their skills as players and athletes on a wider level, be it the World Cup or the Cup Final as I say, it just exemplifies just the talent that they have and how regardless of the adversities and the challenge that they have day to day, when they come to football, they're footballers and we've got the ability to be able to put them into competitive opportunities, a full talent pathway and really challenge them to be the best that they can be.
[Jamie]
Is there an age limit for powerchair football at all?
[Adam]
So that's one of the great things about powerchair football is that there's no age limit. So it's an open age format of football and it's quite unique in that young players, so players of
[Jamie]
10, 11, 12,
[Adam]
can actually play at the same time on the same team as players that are adults in their 20s and 30s. So that open age format makes powerchair incredibly unique and the reason behind that is that there's no physical contact between players, so all of the contact and the tackling and the winning the ball is all chair to chair. So that is the reason why you can have players of all ages in one team. And a fantastic example of that is in our England senior team. So one of our players that's representing England and going to the, and playing in the World Cup is 13 years old. Fantastically skillful, incredibly talented, and he will be on a team and playing with teammates who are in their 20s and 30s. So another great individual aspect of powerchair football that brings everyone together, regardless of age, experience, anyone can get involved and play the game.
[Jamie]
Wow thank you, that's incredible that is 13 years old and going to a World Cup that's fantastic.
[Adam]
Incredibly talented player and hopefully will make a real great difference during the competition.
[Louise]
How can players get involved with powerchair Football if they're thinking about or want to have a go at it? How do they go about that?
[Adam]
Similar to usual networks, I would definitely encourage them to speak to their county FAs or look online through the county FA network to see if there is activity locally to them. Likewise they can also come and visit us as the Wheelchair Football Association on our website because we'll have a list of all the clubs nationally and we've got over 40 clubs and over a hundred teams so to be able to signpost and give people the opportunity to be able to play. But then likewise if there isn't activity locally to them, that gives us the incentive to explore that, to go well can we actually create new provision? And obviously that's a big part of what I do, and those are probably the two best methods to be able to do that but also around looking online and finding out more about the game itself, using some of the disability and the charity networks as well because we've got really good links and relationships with them around promoting the opportunities that might be available for players.
[Jamie]
You mention so many clubs and teams there, can you just go into a bit of detail in terms of what the pathway is like for players wanting to get involved and also what the league system is like in this country?
[Adam]
Yeah, absolutely. So we are in a great position here that we've got a really strong competitive pathway. So for players first wanting to get involved in football, in barricade football, they'd be going locally and get involved at club level, getting those experiences, training, playing amongst themselves, and then their first entry point into competition would be through our regional competition, our regional leagues. So we have six regional leagues across the country and as I say that then offers players and clubs to be able to get involved at that competitive level against other teams from across their region. From there, if they wish to then move on, we have our National League. So we have a two-tiered National League system and that takes place, all of our fixtures take place at central venues. So that our National League is our showcase league and event that takes place at a central venue in Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, over 11 weekends of the year. Two-tier division, we have a championship and a premiership. Twelve teams in each and those are our best teams in the country that are competing for promotion to avoid relegation and the high levels of play that we have and the players that we have are playing at the National League level. Alongside that we have our National Cup competition, which of course feeds into FA Disability Cup Finals weekend, which is a fantastic event to be part of. And then from there, from a club perspective, if clubs are winning our National League, winning our Cup, they then have the potential to go on to European level competition. So our equivalent of the Champions League, which normally takes place every few years, and that's against teams from France, Ireland, Scotland, some of the best and league winners in their respective countries come in to fight out to be European champion there as well
[Jamie]
That's incredible that what's the provision like in other countries by the way compared to England just kind of paint a picture for our listeners
[Adam]
Again, we are in a fantastic position here in that we have great numbers of teams and clubs in England and other than France or the United States We're one of the the most populated countries in terms of teams and players Which is brilliant England are actually the only nation and the FA are the only national association that funds staff dedicated to developing powerchair football. So in other nations it's very much led by parents, carers, volunteers. So the success that we've had over the last few years and the fantastic work and support from Phil and the grassroots division has meant that we've managed to grow the game both at grassroots level but then also linking in with the the Paratalent team to be able to establish the talent pathway to then feed into that England team to then ultimately try and win Euros and one World Cups.
[Jamie]
Brilliant, thank you for that. What about coaches then? How can they get involved in powerchair football?
[Adam]
Again, getting in touch through county FAs or through coming to us directly. Certainly we'd love to be able to signpost coaches to get involved at club level because it's a fantastic eye-opener. And I think the skills and the soft skills that you develop through working in disability football as a whole I think makes you a better coach. I certainly feel that I'm a better coach now through the years of experience that I've had working in disability football that if I was to move back into other strands of the game that I'm a better coach now because of it. I certainly think it helps to build understanding, empathy, communication skills as well around how you get your message across to players, dealing with parents as well, which works across all elements of the game. But yeah, I certainly think that getting involved and contacting the WFA, which means we can then support coaches to get involved at a local level and then we've got big plans in place to try and upskill and educate our coaches going forward and then hopefully then put that on a wider level to be able to release digital assets and content for coaches in other strands of football that can just learn and understand what powerchair football is from there and if they want to get involved there are different routes and opportunities for them to do so.
[Louise]
You mentioned a couple of kind of skills or things that people might think about as a coach But do you think there are any other skills or attributes that coaches would need to work in powerchair football specifically?
[Adam]
I think an open mind, because I think, because it looks so different from other forms of football, maybe that can be seen as daunting or intimidating, but actually it isn't if you're willing just to, as I say, have an open mind and get involved. You'll soon learn that actually what you know already in your football knowledge, and that's exactly the same as how I started, you just then adapt that and tweak it to a powerchair context. Yes, you won't necessarily work on activities and sessions that work on heading the ball, because the ball stays on the floor. But the same principles around passing, shooting, defending, everything that you know, you can then transfer across into a powerchair format. So being open-minded and just being willing to say, I'll have a go, I'll get involved, I'll learn on the job, I'll try and engage with other more experienced coaches to learn, and that then I think then starts the enthusiasm and the appreciation towards powerchair and disability football in general.
[Louise]
Do you ever have, as people join, like when they're younger, if it's the first time playing, do they often come with preconceptions about what they're able to do? And like, is there like a bit of a barrier to kind of get them into feeling comfortable in the game and like actually achieving as much or is it kind of or even with the parents like wondering whether is it okay for the player and stuff?
[Adam]
I certainly think that dealing with and speaking with the views that the parents might have Certainly because of some of the impairments that our players have, the parents will be very protective naturally. So allowing their son, their daughter to be able to then go off and be in an environment where it's a lot quicker. There is some elements of contact so the chairs might come together or you might bump into the wall because you're still getting used to the control of the chair and for the parent to not then step in to try and see if they're all right and to allow them to just to go and to be a footballer and a young person. It takes a little bit of time for some of the parents to begin with, but the players I think once they just get into it, they're away. Normally first experiences are really positive because they've never had an experience of moving quickly before, fast acceleration, hitting a ball, oh there's other players and other people here that are like me, they're normally absolutely fine and easy to deal with and they just enjoy their experience. And it's the parents that then take a little bit of time to get used to it. But then from there, once they see that young Johnny is enjoying himself and is actually safe and will make sure that they're strapped in and they're in a sensible, safe position in the chair, that then starts to relax them and they feel comfortable and confident that they're enjoying it. And then we then try and encourage the parents to just go and socialise, maybe have a cup of tea outside, go and speak to some of the other parents and families and start to build relationships that way.
[Louise]
Yeah I can imagine that being like really rewarding seeing that all evolve and kind of just seeing the enjoyment for the player but also the parent just stepping back.
[Adam]
Yeah, we've had players and parents and families that have gone on holiday together but they didn't know each other until they came to football. Or we've had relationships between players that have developed, we've had a couple of marriages, we've had a couple of births, which had they not come together through powerchair Football would never have happened. So yes we have the elements of our format that are highly competitive and mean a lot to the players and to the clubs and their focuses on winning but also there's that huge family element to our format of the game or in bringing the people and the families and the players and extended family members together because they've all got those shared experiences and being able to influence and support the new players and the new families coming in to set them on their journey, hopefully an extremely positive one, is something that we all collectively, myself and colleagues and members of the WFA, we all get a lot out of.
[Jamie]
Sounds like it's so important to be such a kind of like that bright environment, like a really positive environment there. And do you have any top tips for coaches listening for developing that bond between parents and coaches and players to get that nice environment that you're after?
[Adam]
I'm a big believer in honesty and transparency. So for example at the start of a season having a meeting with with the parents and talking about what it is the plans are for the season. So whether it's new players for the first time entering into league competition, talking to the parents about what the expectations are from them, what they'll get from myself and us as coaches, what the expectations are from the players as well, and around going on a journey together. Likewise to speaking to the players and the parents of players that are at more of an elite level, and actually what the expectations are, the standards are for our players that are playing in the National League and around progression and supporting the growth from season previous to what we're trying to achieve from the next season. Being open and having that dialogue with them, I think just helps everything to be clear. And then from there I think there's that understanding of, okay, this is what we're going to get from the coaches. And then I think that helps to embed that relationship. And it might not always be that it goes positively or some players may move on naturally as they do in any forms of football, be it for whatever reason, but being open and honest with everyone around what it is that we're trying to achieve and how we're going to try to get there. I think he's a great tool and something really, really simple that a coach can implement, whether it's for our format or any format of football, I think it just helps to have that ability to be really clear and build those positive relationships with the parents because certainly for our younger players parents are key because they are bringing their son, their daughter to football. So having them on side and showing appreciation to them and for them. So at the end of the season, having a, for example, a club get together where obviously you're highlighting the successes of the year and praising the players, but also special mention to the parents, the mums and dads, the carers, because without you, this club doesn't exist or this activity doesn't run, it's something that it's just a small way of saying thank you and just helping to cement and build those positive relationships.
[Jamie]
Yeah it's really important to do that at all levels of the game. It really is and kind of keeping on the road of you've given us more advice. We keep peppering you for more top tips. But to help our listeners kind of envisage what it would look like, and there might be some listeners who are interested in powerchair football and want to give coaching a go, what should a training session look like in powerchair football?
[Adam]
I think first and foremost is can you make a training session fun? Can you make it enjoyable so that the players go away having enjoyed themselves? I think the key things would be to make sure that, and this links to many other strands of football, lots of ball rolling time, so making sure that the ball is in play and there is lots of fun activities for the players in terms of whether it's looking to get in the ball movement with passing, shooting skills. I think in terms of creating a session that's firstly fun, it's got to be fun and enjoyable for all of the players to make sure that they leave the session having enjoyed themselves. Definitely good to have an overview of a plan in mind and a framework as to what you want to achieve from the session. I'm a big believer in making sure that you have lots of ball rolling time, having the ball in play. So regardless of what your topic or your theme is, making sure that the ball is in play for a lot of the activity of the day. Making sure that when you are speaking with your players, it's full of encouraging feedback, using different styles to be able to get your message across to the players, and also around making sure that everything is safe. So making sure that the players are in their chairs, seat belts are on if you need additional support, so headrests or harnesses, making sure that everything is in place to make sure that the players are in the optimum position within their chairs to be able to play as well.
[Jamie]
And do you have any other advice, might not just be specifically on training, but for any coaches that are wanting to get involved in powerchair football, picture yourself going into powerchair football for the first time, What do you think coaches need to know to be prepared for that experience and to be able to provide a fun session for the players?
[Adam]
I think having an overview of the game, so understanding that it is a two-dimensional version of the game and that the ball is staying on the floor and you're using the front of the chair primarily to be able to manipulate the direction of the ball so that you know that it's going to be very much movement orientated and ensuring that you get an idea as to how the chairs work as well. So I'm a big advocate of coaches, especially new coaches, getting into the chair at some point because of the speed and acceleration that the chairs have. The sensitivity that they have means that when a player first gets into a chair, they're not necessarily used to the speed and the acceleration. And that's exactly the same for a coach. So if a coach gets into a chair, it's five minutes at the start, five minutes at the end, and starts to build an appreciation of what the chair can do that then will help influence and support them with what it is that they might do in their sessions going forward. And it's great fun as well. It is great fun to be able to get in a chair and spin around and hit the ball. So that then gives that coach that appreciation of, oh actually these chairs are actually quite quick and turn on a sixpence. Okay, how is that going to influence what I do with my players and how I can get my message across to them. So definitely having a go is key.
[Jamie]
It's a great tip and it's really fascinating isn't it, that just helps with observation and putting yourself in that position to really understand the sport compared to just, you know, just kind of watching it happen. That's a really, really good tip there. If a club then really wanted to provide powerchair football for their community, how would they go about it?
[Adam]
It would be engagement. If they want to get involved, it would be engagement obviously at a local level. So with the county FAs and then also bringing the WFA and myself into the conversation as well around how can we look to create provision. Then we'll look to work collectively sourcing a facility, obviously trying to make sure that we have players to be able to play and get involved and then we can also support with equipment as well. So one of the key things we do around club development is we have a certain number of chairs that we are able to loan to clubs, which is massive to be able to start activity and provide activity on a regular basis. That equipment can then be provided for 6, 9, 12 months to be able to give the club and the activity the time to then start to be embedded, but also then work behind the scenes around what can we do to make this activity sustainable, where can we source additional equipment? Because then from our point of view, we then look to withdraw that equipment and replicate the process somewhere else in the country. And then we work collectively to be able to make sure that that's the case. And we've had some great successes with that, with obviously the club network that we have across the country and we'll also support to make sure that clubs can be sustainable financially as well because we appreciate that it isn't jumpers for goalposts so there are some costs involved and trying to make sure that those costs can can be covered and then from there it's how we can then support the clubs and the coaches, be it through our education to give an insight into the game, the different nuances in relation to the rules and how, as we've spoken about earlier on, how they can adapt their knowledge and their coaching to be able to deliver those enjoyable sessions for players. And then from there, are they interested in competition? If they are, fantastic. We can provide those routes for you to be able to get involved and start that process.
[Louise]
So if someone was just listening right now, would you just recommend them going to your website as a starting point, just to get more information, I guess, if they're still pondering it and they want a bit more information, where would you send them?
[Adam]
I think probably three routes. So it would be to obviously go via your county FA to be able to find out what the provision and the information that they have on their websites. Come to our website to be able to get maybe a little bit more detail and a bit more depth around the game itself and what we can, as the WFA, what we can do to support and provide that additional expertise. But also I think using YouTube from a visual perspective, well what does it look like? Actually now there's a lot of content around what the game looks like and seeing it before actually seeing it first hand, but seeing it online to be able to give you a bit of an understanding as well, I think is probably the three things that I would actively encourage people to do.
[Jamie]
And I suppose, as we mentioned earlier in the episode, this is going out during the World Cup. We need to ask you, are you looking forward to it? Like, what are your thoughts ahead of the tournament?
[Adam]
Very much so. Absolutely. So obviously this World Cup was meant to be in 2021. So obviously with COVID and all the implications there, our last World Cup was 2017. So there's been a bit of an extended delay. So very much looking forward to the competition. Fantastic for the players to be able to go to Australia and experience going to the other side of the world to be able to play at the highest level. It should be the highest level in terms of the standards of play that we've ever had. And I think England as current European champions, so another little fact for everyone that I'm on this podcast delighted to say that actually the powerchair side were the first team to win a major competition after
[Jamie]
1966.
[Adam]
So alongside the Lionesses as current European champions, it's a badge of honor that we're really proud of. And I think that England have a great chance of being victorious between ourselves, probably France and the United States as the three best teams in the world at present. I'm hopeful and optimistic that England have a great chance of at least reaching the final and the way that England try and play, so with it being four a side with those three outfield players and a goalkeeper, England try and play a quite advanced and attacking style of play where they actually look to bring the goalkeeper into play when we have possession. So trying to utilize all four players to be able to move the ball. Whereas a lot of other nations they will have their goalkeeper and maybe more of in a fixed position, so maybe staying within the penalty area, whereas the style that England look to play is a bit more attacking and create more chances, score more goals, so if they can implement that strategy and that style of play effectively, then they stand a really good chance and I guarantee that they'll score some great goals along the way.
[Jamie]
Yeah, no, looking forward to it. Do you want to explain a little bit to the listeners and those who are a little bit unaware of it, kind of the structure of the tournament? So please correct me if I'm mistaken. So it is all this week and we are playing today if this was the first day this episode goes out we're actually playing twice today so could you kind of it just explain the structure of the tournament for us?
[Adam]
Yeah so with powerchair, with it being two lots of 40 minutes, with games certainly in National League 11 obviously internationally you play two games a day so hence obviously the fixtures that we have today and with this current competition all the teams are going to play each other to find out where they place and then they'll be placing games thereafter. So ideally England will finish as high as possible to then give them the chance to move straight through to the semi-finals and then obviously hopefully progress to the final and be victorious.
[Jamie]
Brilliant, thanks for that. Here's hoping and obviously as European champions we're hopeful that they're going to continue that form and we'll have a good chance of progressing really far. We've took a lot of your time so far and it's been really insightful so thank you very much for that. I suppose if we're just looking back at everything we've discussed, Can you summarise the key top tips that you really want coaches to take away from this discussion?
[Adam]
I think the key top tips would be, as I said earlier on, to be open minded. Yes, it looks different but the principles of the game are the same as other forms of football. And just be willing to get involved and to have a go, whether it's reaching out and wanting to get involved in an existing club or to explore whether or not there's a feasibility of establishing new provision. We welcome support from any coaches wanting to be keen and to get involved so that I think is absolutely key because that shows that mindset of wanting to be brave and to say I don't necessarily know everything to do with this format but I'm happy to get involved and to see if I can have a positive impact. So that would be the key thing for me
[Louise]
That's really good. Thank you. So what we would like to do is ask you for a coaching challenge So we're asking our guests to set a challenge for our listeners something they can go out and try based on what we've spoken about in this episode. Do you have a challenge that you'd like to set for our listeners?
[Adam]
Yeah, I think I've got a nice coaching challenge actually, which shouldn't be too much of a difficult thing for coaches to try. I'd like coaches, having listened to this now, to go onto YouTube to see if they can bring up and get some activity and see the game in action, look at it and understand how the game looks and see the links to the format that they're involved with, and then potentially talk about it. Say, I've watched powerchair football, be it through their social media, or be it through England Football Learning on their website, make a comment and just talk about, I've seen this fantastic format called powerchair football and these are some of the things that I noticed. Can they do that and have a go?
[Louise]
Sounds fantastic, yeah. It'd be really good for people to go onto the community and maybe start a conversation on there or start a forum or just share what their experience is, like you say.
[Jamie]
Yeah, sharing the experiences and like what this podcast is doing, what we're here today for is to raise that awareness. So a great challenge to set for our listeners. Adam, we are coming up to the end of the show, but our regular listeners know that this means it is time for our swift session.
[Louise]
Yes, so like the top of the show, it's a 30-second challenge. This time we're asking you to explain to us a session idea in those 30 seconds. If it's related to powerchair, fantastic. Are you up for this challenge?
[Adam]
I'm gonna have a go, yes.
[Louise]
Okay, so I'll set the timer up and your time starts now.
[Adam]
So a pitch that is split into three vertical zones, 4v2, 2v2 in the middle zone, with two wide players in the outside zones. They're always playing for the attacking team. So lots of opportunities to create passing opportunities, shots on target, and then you can adapt that, maybe increase it to a 4v4, and it can become more of a counter-attacking session but 4v2 as a basis to begin with is a great fun game lots of shots on target.
[Jamie]
Brilliant, got it in!
[Adam]
And breathe!
[Louise]
Is there anything else you'd like to add in to kind of give more context or anything now that the time is finished?
[Adam]
I just think it's a great game whereby you can provide, as I say, lots of attacking opportunities and opportunities to pass the ball because you've only got two defenders and then potentially as the players excel you can then tweak it and use the step principle, maybe make the zones a little bit narrower to give less space or maybe bring in additional players to make it more competitive maybe if to a 4v4 and it might even evolve to becoming a different focus and maybe become a defensive or a counterattacking session but using that 4v2 as the basis for it is a great game that players really enjoy.
[Louise]
Fantastic.
[Jamie]
Brilliant, thank you very much for coming in and telling us all about powerchair Football Adam, We really do appreciate it and it's a really good introduction to it. So hopefully listeners, you can take that introduction, go away, learn more about it and hopefully get involved, find opportunities to get involved would be fantastic. So yeah, thank you very much, Adam. It's been great having you on. Hopefully you've enjoyed being here.
[Adam]
It's been fantastic. I really appreciate the opportunity to be involved and discuss powerchair football.
[Louise]
Brilliant, thank you.
[Jamie]
Brilliant, thank you very much. Right, well that is all we have time for today, but don't forget to check out the episode description for the transcription of this episode and for all the links to our platforms. There you will 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 to connect with loads of wonderful coaches.
[Louise]
Yep, we'd love to help you out with your coaching questions so please do go and check it out. We'll be back soon with another episode of Coachcast so if you haven't already, hit subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode. From all of us at England Football Learning, thanks for listening.