The Coaches Network Podcast

Hosted by Coach Yas

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🎙️ The Coaches Network Podcast — conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas (Yasar Latif) — UEFA A Licence coach, coach developer, mentor and doctoral researcher — The Coaches Network Podcast explores the people, experiences and ideas that shape how we coach, learn and develop . Since launching in 2020, the podcast has produced more than 380 episodes , creating a space for honest, thought-provoking conversations with coaches, athletes, leaders, educators and practitioners from across sport and beyond. Guests have included Shaquille O’Neal, Jack Wilshere, Sol Campbell, Tony Carr, Chris Ramsey, Mark Warburton and many others — but the podcast has never simply been about names or achievements. We go deeper. What shaped the person behind the practitioner? Which experiences changed the way they think? What have they changed their mind about? Where did their biggest learning come from? And what can the rest of us take from their journey? From coaching and player development to leadership, learning, expertise, culture and professional development, each conversation looks beyond the surface to explore the thinking, experiences and pivotal moments behind practice. Alongside his work developing and mentoring coaches, Yas is completing a Professional Doctorate in Sport , with his research focused on coach development and professional learning within academy football. That same curiosity increasingly shapes the podcast — asking better questions, challenging assumptions and creating conversations that connect research, experience and practice. Whether you’re a coach, coach developer, leader, educator or simply curious about how people get better at what they do, consider yourself a fly on the wall . Listen in. Reflect. Challenge your thinking. And hopefully take away a few ideas for your own journey. 🎓 Want to go further with your own development? The Coaches Network also provides one-to-one mentoring and coach development support for coaches looking to better understand their practice, develop their identity and philosophy, navigate career progression, or simply have someone challenge and support their thinking. For mentoring, coach development, collaborations or podcast enquiries: info@thecoachesnetwork.co.uk 🎧 Follow The Coaches Network Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches.

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1 hr 29 min

Episode 386: Max Johansen | Developing Coaches to Develop Players: Inside FC Nordsjælland

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Max Johansen, Head of Coaching at FC Nordsjælland, for a wide-ranging conversation exploring coach development, feedback, methodology, relationships and what it really takes to create an environment where both coaches and players can develop. Max’s coaching journey began at just 15 years old, when he and a friend took responsibility for a grassroots team. His first game ended in a 17–1 defeat, but rather than putting him off coaching, it sparked an obsession with trying to help players improve. More than two decades later, Max is responsible for developing coaches within one of European football’s most recognised talent-development environments. The conversation explores how his thinking has evolved from being consumed by the development of his own players to thinking more strategically about how developing coaches, methodology, learning plans and organisational culture can influence an entire player-development pathway. A recurring theme throughout the episode is the relationship between high standards and genuine care . For Max, an FC Nordsjælland coach can ultimately be described through two simple ideas: Set high standards for yourself, your team and everything around you — and get close enough to the player that they know you care. 💡 Key Talking Points • Starting coaching at 15 years old and losing his first game 17–1. • Why helping players improve quickly became an obsession. • The lessons Max wishes he had understood earlier in his coaching journey. • Why relationships give coaches “access” to influencing and developing players. • The danger of having all the answers early in your coaching career. • The Dunning–Kruger effect and recognising how much you still do not know. • Why coaches should deliberately surround themselves with people who challenge their thinking. • The importance of seeking environments where you are not the smartest person in the room . • How one simple piece of feedback about players standing in queues changed Max’s coaching. • Why meaningful feedback can stay with a coach for years. • Whether coach development has become too soft in its approach to feedback. • Creating psychological safety without avoiding difficult or direct conversations. • The difference between feedback that is a suggestion , an instruction and a non-negotiable . • Why coach developers need to be clear about what they intend the coach to actually do with their feedback. • Using the Johari Window to better understand blind spots and how other people perceive us. • Why receiving similar feedback from several people should make us curious rather than defensive. • Moving from developing one team to influencing player development across an entire organisation. • The personal demands Max placed on himself as a young academy coach. • Why becoming a coach developer allowed him to think more strategically about development. • The difference between results pressure and development pressure . • Why FC Nordsjælland’s genuine pathway into the first team creates accountability for academy coaches. • What an FC Nordsjælland coach looks like. • Setting high standards across coaching, preparation, facilities, learning and behaviour. • Why players need to know that the coach genuinely cares about them. • Developing coaches within a clearly defined methodology without removing their autonomy. • Why structure and freedom do not have to be opposites. • Using periodisation and age-specific learning plans while still allowing coaches to design their own practices. • Why FC Nordsjælland describes the coach as a teacher . • The difference between a style of play and a methodology. • How the club’s methodology connects academy development directly to the first-team game model. • Why methodology should start with understanding your environment rather than copying somebody else’s. • Building a collective playing identity while still protecting individual qualities. • Adapting a shared methodology across different football cultures within the Right to Dream community. • Balancing organisational alignment with coach and player autonomy. • Why a methodology becomes stronger when multiple people contribute to it rather than one person designing everything. • Helping players recognise information and triggers within the game rather than simply telling them what action to perform. • Why deliberate coaching and feedback remain important even within well-designed practices. • The importance of developing staff pathways alongside player pathways. • Why improving coaches may ultimately be one of the most effective ways of improving players. • Max’s reflections on prioritising his core task as a Head of Coaching rather than becoming involved in everything. • Why psychological safety may ultimately be one of the most important non-negotiables within a development environment. One of the strongest ideas from the conversation is that player development and coach development should not be viewed as competing priorities . If players are the end users of an academy system, then the quality of their experience is inevitably influenced by the quality of the people coaching them. Develop the coach, and you create the possibility of influencing far more players than you could ever reach directly. The conversation also provides an important challenge around feedback. Being supportive does not necessarily mean making every conversation comfortable. Effective coach development sometimes requires clarity, challenge and directness — but that challenge needs to sit within a relationship where the coach understands the intention behind it. And perhaps Max’s simplest description of effective coaching captures the balance perfectly: Set high standards. Get close enough that they know you care. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 29 min

Episode 385: Alex Piache | Coaching the Chaos: Developing Intelligent Footballers

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Alex Piache for a wide-ranging conversation exploring football intelligence, player development, methodology, coach education and what it really means to help players understand the game. Having coached across 11 countries, Alex brings a perspective shaped by working within very different football cultures and environments. The conversation begins by exploring how the same game can be interpreted differently depending on the country, culture and society in which it is played — and why coaches need to understand the context they are working within rather than simply transporting methods from one environment to another. From there, the discussion moves into one of Alex’s strongest beliefs: before coaches become consumed by exercises, methodologies or tactical trends, they need to develop a deeper understanding of football itself. Football is presented throughout the conversation as an inherently situational and interactive game. Players are continually perceiving information, communicating, making decisions and then executing actions. For Alex, developing technique cannot therefore be separated completely from the context in which that technique needs to be used. 💡 Key Talking Points • How coaching across 11 different countries has shaped Alex’s understanding of football and culture. • Why the same game can be interpreted very differently depending on the environment. • The importance of developing a common language around what football actually is. • Why understanding the game should come before choosing exercises or methodologies. • Football as an interaction between perception, communication, decision-making and execution. • What Alex means by developing an “intelligent footballer”. • Why game intelligence includes what players do without the ball , not simply what happens when they are in possession. • The difference between experiencing football and actually learning from those experiences. • Why the game should be the starting point for player development. • How coaches can simplify football without removing the information players need to make decisions. • Developing technique within context rather than simply reproducing movements in isolation. • Why opponents, space, direction and intention change the meaning of a technical action. • Coach Yas and Alex debating the value of rondos. • Why Alex describes the rondo as the “mother” of positional games — and why he believes it is frequently misunderstood. • Why the effectiveness of a practice depends less on the activity itself and more on what the coach understands and how they coach it. • The importance of body profile, receiving on the back foot, angles, positioning and recognising space. • Why academy methodology should create behaviours rather than simply prescribe a game model. • Developing a clear club identity through repeatable behaviours across different practice formats. • Why coaches should give players tools to solve problems without making every decision for them. • The danger of coaching the player who already has the ball. • Why coach education should develop understanding rather than simply provide coaches with collections of practices. • The relationship between expertise and the depth of a coach’s own understanding: you cannot effectively teach what you do not understand yourself. • Why coaches need to become comfortable working outside their own control zone. • The difference between designing a practice that looks successful and designing one that genuinely creates learning. • Why mistakes are an essential part of player development. • The importance of trust, relationships and putting your coaching at the service of the player. • Why coaches need to keep challenging beliefs and practices they may have accepted for years. One of the strongest ideas in the conversation arrives when Alex challenges coaches to become more comfortable with chaos . Football is not predictable. The picture changes constantly. Opponents behave differently. Space appears and disappears. Players make mistakes. Solutions that worked five seconds ago may no longer work. Yet coaches can sometimes design practices around the things they can control because successful repetitions make the session feel effective. Alex challenges that assumption: If football is chaotic, coaches need to become better at coaching the chaos — rather than simply creating environments they can control. The conversation ultimately becomes a challenge to both coaches and coach developers to keep questioning what they know, explore the beliefs they may never have challenged and remain willing to discover that something they have always done could potentially be done differently. Alex leaves coaches with a simple message: We are lifelong students. Never stop learning. Keep listening, watching, observing and understanding — and try to become a little better every single day. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Continue the Conversation: The TCN Coaching Collective Looking for a space to reflect on your coaching, work through challenges and learn alongside other coaches? The TCN Coaching Collective brings coaches together for a monthly 90-minute online conversation facilitated by Coach Yas. Bring a real challenge from your coaching, explore it through questions and shared experiences, and identify practical next steps for your own environment. You’ll also have access to our WhatsApp community to stay connected, share resources and continue discussions between sessions. Whether you’re navigating a difficult coaching situation, questioning your approach or looking for fresh perspectives, you’re welcome to join us. 📩 To find out more or enquire about joining, email info@thecoachesnetwork.co.uk with “Coaching Collective” in the subject line. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 12 min

Episode 384: Rusty Earnshaw | The Art of Coach Development: Curiosity, Challenge & Knowing When to Step In

In this episode, Coach Yas welcomes Rusty Earnshaw back to The Coaches Network Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation exploring coaching, coach development, expertise and the complexity of helping other people get better. Using Coach Yas’ own experiences on the Premier League Future Coach Developer programme as a starting point, the conversation explores what happens when coach development conversations do not go according to plan — and why those uncomfortable moments can sometimes become some of our most valuable learning experiences. Rusty challenges the idea that effective coach development is simply about asking great questions or providing good feedback. Instead, the discussion explores the judgement required to notice what is happening, understand the person and the context, and select the interaction most likely to help in that moment. The conversation moves between theory and practice, exploring challenge and support, curiosity, relationships, power, feedback, observation and the difficult question every coach developer eventually faces: When should I ask, when should I suggest — and when should I simply tell? 💡 Key Talking Points • What effective and expert coach development might actually look like. • Why coach developers are continually navigating tensions rather than applying simple solutions. • The importance of noticing what is happening before deciding how to intervene. • Why expertise may involve having multiple options rather than one preferred method. • Coach Yas’ reflections on a challenging coach development conversation during the FCD programme. • Why the coach developer and coach can experience exactly the same interaction completely differently. • Understanding yourself and how you “show up” before trying to develop somebody else. • Why relationships and context influence whether challenge is accepted. • The relationship between high challenge and high support . • Why being curious does not mean avoiding giving people answers. • The dangers of both extremes: constantly telling people what to do and endlessly questioning without ever helping them reach a solution. • Knowing when to ask, suggest, guide, tell or model. • Why coach developers should be prepared rather than simply planned . • The importance of agreeing how a coach actually wants to be supported. • Why more coach development may need to happen before and during practice , rather than relying primarily on reflection afterwards. • Using pre-mortems and “what if?” conversations to help coaches prepare for situations before they happen. • Why time pressure can negatively influence the quality of coach development interactions. • Creating coaches who are capable of asking for, filtering and experimenting with feedback. • Why coaches should become great learners — and find great teachers. • The importance of coach developers maintaining credibility through an understanding of coaching itself. • Why expertise in coach development is contextual rather than a fixed set of behaviours. One of the strongest messages from the conversation is that effective coach development is not about perfecting one style of interaction. Great coach developers develop the ability to notice what is happening, understand the person in front of them and choose from a range of possible responses. Sometimes that means asking a question. Sometimes it means offering a suggestion. Sometimes it means modelling something. And sometimes it means simply saying what you think. Rusty leaves us with a challenge that applies just as much to coaches as it does to coach developers: Become a great learner. Find great teachers. Develop options — and learn when to use them. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Continue the Conversation: The TCN Coaching Collective Looking for a space to reflect on your coaching, work through challenges and learn alongside other coaches? The TCN Coaching Collective brings coaches together for a monthly 90-minute online conversation facilitated by Coach Yas. Bring a real challenge from your coaching, explore it through questions and shared experiences, and identify practical next steps for your own environment. You’ll also have access to our WhatsApp community to stay connected, share resources and continue discussions between sessions. Whether you’re navigating a difficult coaching situation, questioning your approach or looking for fresh perspectives, you’re welcome to join us. 📩 To find out more or enquire about joining, email info@thecoachesnetwork.co.uk with “Coaching Collective” in the subject line. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 19 min

Episode 383: Justinas Gasiūnas | From Coffee Shops to the Champions League: Rethinking Goalkeeping

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Justinas Gasiūnas for a fascinating conversation exploring coaching, goalkeeping and a career that has taken him from Lithuania to England and across professional football in Europe. Justinas shares the story of leaving Lithuania after finishing his playing career and arriving in London with limited English, eventually working in a coffee shop while trying to find his first opportunities within football. What initially felt like one of the worst decisions of his life would eventually become one of the most important. From volunteering in London parks, opportunities followed at Brentford and Brighton before his journey took him into senior football across Europe and eventually to Saba in Azerbaijan. The conversation moves beyond Justinas’ career journey into a detailed exploration of how his thinking around goalkeeping has evolved, challenging traditional drill-based approaches and asking whether the practices we have always used actually reflect what goalkeepers experience in the game. 💡 Key Talking Points • Leaving Lithuania and starting again in England with limited English and very few contacts. • Going from professional footballer to working in a coffee shop while trying to break into coaching. • Why difficult decisions sometimes only make sense when we look back on them. • The relationship between luck, opportunity and consistently putting yourself in the right environments. • Volunteering in grassroots football and the opportunity that eventually led to Brentford. • The influence demanding environments can have on developing coaches. • How Justinas’ approach to goalkeeping has changed throughout his career. • Why the quality of repetitions may matter more than simply accumulating repetitions. • Moving away from practices because “that is how goalkeepers have always trained.” • Designing training around the information, pictures and problems goalkeepers actually experience within matches. • Why anticipation and reading the game are central to effective goalkeeping. • Developing goalkeeper decision-making within realistic contexts. • The relationship between specialist goalkeeping work and integrated team practice. • Why 11v11 might be the most representative practice — but does not always provide enough of the specific problems a goalkeeper needs. • Breaking the game into smaller scenarios without removing the context that gives those actions meaning. • The changing role of the goalkeeper coach within modern football. • Whether specialist coaches risk becoming generalists by continually taking responsibility for more areas of the game. • Why post-match analysis may sometimes benefit from allowing emotion to settle before reviewing performance. One of the strongest messages from the conversation is the importance of continually questioning the practices we inherit. Just because something has traditionally been part of goalkeeper training does not necessarily mean it is the best way to prepare goalkeepers for the game. Justinas challenges coaches to keep asking: What is the game actually asking the player to do — and does our practice genuinely prepare them for it? 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Continue the Conversation: The TCN Coaching Collective Looking for a space to reflect on your coaching, work through challenges and learn alongside other coaches? The TCN Coaching Collective brings coaches together for a monthly 90-minute online conversation facilitated by Coach Yas. Bring a real challenge from your coaching, explore it through questions and shared experiences, and identify practical next steps for your own environment. You’ll also have access to our WhatsApp community to stay connected, share resources and continue discussions between sessions. Whether you’re navigating a difficult coaching situation, questioning your approach or looking for fresh perspectives, you’re welcome to join us. 📩 To find out more or enquire about joining, email info@thecoachesnetwork.co.uk with “Coaching Collective” in the subject line. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 34 min

Episode 382: Imran Hamid | From Grassroots to Manchester United: Lessons in Coaching & Development

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Imran Hamid for a conversation exploring his journey from grassroots football in South West London to coaching within the academy at Manchester United. Imran reflects on the people, environments and experiences that shaped him as a young coach, from seeing coaches who looked like him growing up, to volunteering in grassroots football, travelling across London for opportunities and continually putting himself in environments where he could learn, experiment and make mistakes. The conversation explores what it really means to develop players and people, the importance of understanding the individual behind the player, and why coaching cannot simply be reduced to what happens on the grass. Imran also shares insight into his experiences at Manchester United, where developing technically confident, creative and courageous players was underpinned by an environment that encouraged players to take risks, express themselves and learn through mistakes. 💡 Key Talking Points • How role models shaped Imran’s belief that coaching could become a career. • Why grassroots football provides such an important learning environment for young coaches. • The value of volunteering, travelling and putting yourself into different coaching environments. • Why coaches need opportunities to experiment, make mistakes and discover what works for them. • The importance of developing the person, not simply the footballer. • Why understanding a player’s background and experiences can change the way we support them. • The difference between developing players across grassroots, academy and elite environments. • Why technical development should give players the tools to solve problems rather than simply reproduce movements. • Creating environments where players feel able to take risks, make mistakes and go again. • Developing brave, confident and expressive players. • Why psychological and social development cannot be separated from technical development. • The importance of understanding context rather than simply copying what successful academies do. • Why different experiences can make coaches more adaptable and better able to connect with players. • The realities of navigating opportunities within professional football. • Why coaches should continue developing themselves beyond coaching qualifications and what happens on the pitch. One of the strongest messages from the conversation is that becoming a better coach is not simply about collecting qualifications or reaching the next club. It is about accumulating meaningful experiences, understanding people, remaining willing to learn and continuing to develop yourself even when the pathway does not unfold exactly as you imagined. Imran leaves coaches with an important reminder: Aim high. Keep learning. Develop yourself holistically… and don’t allow the obstacles in front of you to decide how far you can go. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Continue the Conversation: The TCN Coaching Collective Looking for a space to reflect on your coaching, work through challenges and learn alongside other coaches? The TCN Coaching Collective brings coaches together for a monthly 90-minute online conversation facilitated by Coach Yas. Bring a real challenge from your coaching, explore it through questions and shared experiences, and identify practical next steps for your own environment. You’ll also have access to our WhatsApp community to stay connected, share resources and continue discussions between sessions. Whether you’re navigating a difficult coaching situation, questioning your approach or looking for fresh perspectives, you’re welcome to join us. 📩 To find out more or enquire about joining, email info@thecoachesnetwork.co.uk with “Coaching Collective” in the subject line. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 21 min

Episode 381: Mark O’Sullivan | The Recovered Expert, Ecological Dynamics & Coach Learning

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Mark O’Sullivan for a wide-ranging conversation exploring ecological dynamics, learning, expertise and what all of this actually means for coaches working in the real world. Mark describes himself as a “recovered expert” and throughout the conversation challenges some of the assumptions that can sit underneath traditional ideas of coaching, coach education and player development. Rather than presenting ecological dynamics as another methodology to simply copy, the discussion explores it as a lens through which coaches can better understand learning, behaviour, skill and the environments they create. The conversation moves beyond terminology and theory into the practical realities of coaching: what we notice, what we choose to intervene on, how players learn, how context shapes behaviour and why becoming a better observer may be one of the most important things a coach can develop. 💡 Key Talking Points • Why Mark describes himself as a “recovered expert”. • Ecological dynamics as a way of understanding learning rather than a coaching recipe. • Why there is no simple copy-and-paste approach to coaching. • The importance of context when trying to understand skill and behaviour. • What functional skill actually means in practice. • Why coaches may need to become better observers before becoming better interveners. • How perception, action and the environment interact during learning. • The limitations of breaking learning down into isolated parts. • Why player exploration can be an important part of development. • The tension between nonlinear learning and the linear structures often found within coach education. • How coach education can sometimes simplify complex ideas in order to make them teachable. • The difference between knowing about coaching and actually being able to coach. • Why expertise should not necessarily be viewed as arriving at a final destination. • The value of curiosity, experimentation and remaining open to having your thinking challenged. One of the strongest messages from the conversation is that good coaching is not simply about finding the right practice, the right intervention or the right answer. It is about developing the capacity to observe, interpret and respond to what is happening in front of you. Mark leaves coaches with a simple but powerful challenge: Be curious. Practise observing. Allow your players to explore… and allow yourself to explore. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Continue the Conversation: The TCN Coaching Collective Looking for a space to reflect on your coaching, work through challenges and learn alongside other coaches? The TCN Coaching Collective brings coaches together for a monthly 90-minute online conversation facilitated by Coach Yas. Bring a real challenge from your coaching, explore it through questions and shared experiences, and identify practical next steps for your own environment. You’ll also have access to our WhatsApp community to stay connected, share resources and continue discussions between sessions. Whether you’re navigating a difficult coaching situation, questioning your approach or looking for fresh perspectives, you’re welcome to join us. 📩 To find out more or enquire about joining, email info@thecoachesnetwork.co.uk with “Coaching Collective” in the subject line. The Coaches Network Podcast Conversations that inform, challenge and inspire coaches. Hosted by Coach Yas. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 19 min

Episode 380: Liam Bloye | Identity, Experience & Leading Coach and Player Development

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Liam Bloye , Head of Coach & Player Development at Cambridge United FC . With experience across England, the US, and Australia, Liam shares honest reflections on leadership, learning through experience, and what it really means to support coaches, players, and parents within an academy environment. This conversation explores the balance between professional identity and personal life, the value of varied experiences over time served, and the ongoing challenge of creating alignment without complacency in coach development systems. 💡 Key Talking Points Liam’s journey through coaching roles across different clubs, countries, and cultures. Why identity beyond coaching matters — fatherhood, perspective, and balance. The difference between years of experience and quality of experience . Why complacency is one of the biggest threats to development in football organisations. How exposure to different environments shapes adaptable, reflective coaches. Measuring whether coaching is actually “working” — beyond assumptions and tradition. Creating aligned identities without stifling individuality in coaches. Supporting parents as stakeholders in the player development process. Finding better ways to genuinely impact coach growth while keeping players at the centre. 🧠 “You can have 20 years of different experiences — or 20 years of doing the same thing over and over.” – Liam Bloye 📣 Whether you’re leading coach development, working in an academy environment, or reflecting on your own coaching journey, this episode will challenge you to think more deeply about experience, identity, and how we truly know development is happening. 👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 💬 Join the conversation — how do you know your coaching is actually working? #CoachDevelopment #FootballCoaching #CoachEducation #LeadershipInSport #PlayerDevelopment #ReflectivePractice #TheCoachesNetwork Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 17 min

Episode 379: Dr. Stephen Harvey | Teaching Games for Understanding, Game-Centred Approaches & Coaching as a Reflective Practice

In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with Dr. Stephen Harvey , a globally respected coach educator and researcher known for his work on game-centred approaches , Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) , and reflective practice in coaching. Stephen brings decades of experience in sport pedagogy, coach education, and applied research. Together, they explore what it means to teach the game through the game , the value of inquiry and questioning in practice design, and how coaches can thoughtfully integrate theory into real-world coaching moments. 💡 Key Talking Points Stephen’s journey into sport pedagogy, research, and coach education. The principles and philosophy behind Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) . How TGfU shifts coaching from instruction first to problem solving through play . Designing practice tasks that reflect real game context and decision-making . The importance of questioning over telling — helping players think, not just react. How coaches can balance structure and freedom in practice. Integrating reflective practice and theory to improve coaching impact. Practical examples and Q&A driven insights on implementing game-based approaches. Why coach development should be rooted in curiosity, evidence, and ongoing learning. 📚 Resources & Further Reading Explore Stephen’s work on Teaching Games for Understanding at the FIFA Training Centre: 👉 Science Explained — TGfU Overview https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/environment/science-explained/high-performance/train/stephen-harvey-teaching-games-for-understanding.php 👉 TGfU Q&A with Stephen Harvey https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/environment/science-explained/high-performance/train/stephen-harvey-teaching-games-for-understanding-qa.php These resources expand on many of the ideas discussed in this episode and are excellent companion material for coaches looking to implement TGfU principles. 🧠 “The coach’s role is to open the game for the learner — not to close it down with instructions.” – Dr. Stephen Harvey 📣 Whether you’re a grassroots coach, academy practitioner, or coach developer, this episode provides actionable insight into teaching through play, fostering decision-making, and using questioning to unlock player understanding. 👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 💬 Join the conversation — how are you using game-centred approaches in your practice? #CoachDevelopment #GameCentredCoaching #TeachingGamesForUnderstanding #TGfU #FootballCoaching #ReflectivePractice #CoachEducation #TheCoachesNetwork Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 36 min

Episode 378: Ruben Ward-Lindsay | Coaching in Alternative Provision, Foundation Phase Priorities & Rethinking 1v1s

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Ruben Ward-Lindsay , a coach working across academy football, semi-professional men’s football, and education. From his role with Watford’s U10s to his coaching at Biggleswade United and his full-time work as a PE teacher in alternative provision, Ruben brings a powerful blend of lived experience, empathy, and practical insight. This conversation dives into what coaching really looks like on the ground — working with young people who’ve experienced adversity, navigating Foundation Phase priorities, and challenging traditional ideas around 1v1s and session design. Ruben shares honest reflections from both the academy and AP worlds, exploring transferable skills, behaviour management, and what young players actually need to grow. 💡 Key Talking Points Ruben’s coaching journey across Watford Academy, Biggleswade United and alternative education. What coaching in alternative provision teaches you about patience, empathy, and behaviour management. How working with excluded young people develops communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. Why understanding the “whole child” is essential in both teaching and coaching. The importance of context when coaching 1v1 situations — and why generic 1v1 boxes often miss the mark. Position-specific 1v1s: creating realistic, match-like pictures that reflect actual demands. Foundation Phase priorities: Passing & receiving as the most frequent action in the game. Consistency versus capability — and why U10s can do things but not replicate them yet. Finishing: unopposed, in the box, and from realistic scenarios like cutbacks. Comparing Foundation Phase (U10s) with YDP demands (U13s–14s): biomechanics, decision-making, and consistency. Why coaches must think beyond isolated practices and consider what players were doing before and what they’ll need next . 🧠 “Passing and receiving is massive — it’s the most frequent action in football. The difference at U10 isn’t ability, it’s consistency.” – Ruben Ward-Lindsay 📣 Whether you're a Foundation Phase coach, working in education, or navigating multiple environments, this episode offers grounded, practical insight that will help you rethink session design, player development, and how to support young people more effectively. 👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 💬 Join the conversation — how do you create realistic, position-specific pictures in your coaching? #CoachDevelopment #FootballCoaching #FoundationPhase #CoachEducation #PlayerDevelopment #YouthFootball #TeachingAndCoaching #TheCoachesNetwork Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 hr 13 min

Episode 377: Kurtis Millan | Individual Development, Player Autonomy & Coaching for Impact

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Kurtis Millan , an individual development coach currently based in Sweden at Hammarby IF. Kurtis shares his unique journey from coaching in Ireland and the U.S., to working with players across multiple levels and cultures, combining professional experience with a learner-focused coaching philosophy. This conversation explores player autonomy, the value of different coaching approaches, and how focusing on relationships and individual needs can create meaningful impact. Kurtis offers practical insights for coaches looking to develop players holistically, refine their approach, and embrace diversity in coaching practice. 💡 Key Talking Points Kurtis’s journey: coaching in Ireland, America, Northern Ireland, California, and now Sweden. How personal experiences and unconventional paths shaped his coaching perspective. The importance of allowing players freedom and autonomy — football is a player’s game, not the coach’s. Why every coach brings a unique role and function — there is no single “right” way to coach. Focusing on the learner’s needs rather than imposing a coach-centric view. Practical examples of how to create impact through relationships and understanding individuals. Reflection on a sports psychology exercise highlighting what makes a coach memorable: respect, empathy, and personal connection over tactics alone. Encouraging coaches to embrace individuality — for themselves and their players — and to leverage their strengths for greatest impact. 🧠 “Don’t approach the session as a coach. Step into the mindset of what the learner needs. We’re lucky — we get to teach football.” – Kurtis Millan 📣 Whether you’re coaching youth, academy players, or individuals in development roles, this episode highlights the power of autonomy, relationships, and learner-focused coaching. 👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 💬 Join the conversation — how do you balance player freedom with structured coaching in your sessions? #CoachDevelopment #FootballCoaching #PlayerAutonomy #IndividualDevelopment #YouthFootball #CoachingImpact #TheCoachesNetwork Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy