The coaching blog

Notes from the touchline

Short, practical pieces for anyone coaching kids: what to do on Tuesday, what to say on Saturday and what to stop worrying about entirely.

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DevelopmentFitness training for children is just football, played more
Development24 December 20252 min

Fitness training for children is just football, played more

No, your under-10s do not need shuttle runs, and the beep test is not a session. What the research says about children and conditioning, and how to build fit players with a ball.

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DevelopmentGrowing pains, sore knees and the twelve-year-old who suddenly cannot run
Development17 December 20252 min

Growing pains, sore knees and the twelve-year-old who suddenly cannot run

A child who was fine in September is limping in January and nothing happened. It is very common, it has a name, and the answer is almost never to push through it.

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DevelopmentPractising at home without killing the fun
Development29 October 20252 min

Practising at home without killing the fun

Should kids do football homework? Only the kind they would choose themselves. How to nudge home practice that builds touch - without turning the garden into a second training pitch.

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