Sports Path Innovation in Grassroots Football

Categorising Grassroots Football

Please see below a proposed Matrix to Categorise Grassroots Football. 

The first image highlights 4 squares based on two criteria - regularity and formality of participation with proposed titles 

The second image includes examples of common Grassroots Football/ Youth Soccer activities in North America, Europe and Asia

This is merely our interpretation. If you would like the PDF of both images you can download it here 

Download Categorising Grassroots Football with Proposed Titles

 

 

 

6 Simple Steps to develop online education for Coaches

The Guide is here Download SIX SIMPLE TIPS TO USE E-LEARNING TO SUPPORT COACH EDUCATION - COURSES AND CPD (2)

Create a Learning Hub...using FREE tools

 

 

 

As a new soccer season starts many more Head Coaches, Technical Directors and Directors of Coaching seeing the value using the web for the development of  both their  players and coaches. Whether termed a ' Learning Hub', a ' Virtual Learning Environment  (VLE) ' or ' Online Learning Networking ' the purpose is the same - to use the web to support face to face interaction

 

WHY do Head Coaches, Technical Directors (TD) and Directors of Coaches (DOC) use a Learning Hub?

 

Our research of tells us they use it for these reasons

1. To have a centralized space which allows for sharing materials, such as session planners, videos, curriculum, articles, ideas and best practices
2. To support the players and coaches to develop their knowledge and skills
3.  Players and Coaches can access the VLE in their own time frame and from a distance
4.  To encourage interaction between coaches and between players
5.  Easy to access and easy to use
6.  To improve the quality and uniformity of coaching e.g. common philosophy, consistent information
7.   It can be updated regularly

 

Increasingly - with regard to coach education - such Learning Hubs can also provide online social learning  supplement ( e.g. discussion forums )  to the new e-learnig courses provided  by US Soccer and/or NSCAA .

 

HOW?

The Suggested Sports Path Learning Hub using Google+ Circles

 

(See the Graphic of the Proposed Learning Hub >  Download Learning hub)

 

 

 

 

Critically the Learning Hub will be displaying a lot of video content and this should be available on all devices (Mobile, Smart Phones, Tablets, and PC's) 

 From research of 2,000+  coaches  and experiences with over 100 students on the Ohio University /NSCAA  Masters Degree Course we have found this simple 8 Step process to be the most effective in setting up a Learning Hub

1.  Start a Google + Circle .For information on using Google + see here and can you familiarize yourselves with the Beginners Guide to Google +  also here Having set up your Hub then invite your target group to join. You can set up a group for your club, for a team, for a group of coaches or a group of parents ...or all of the above! Use the discussion function of Google + to ask questions of your group and provoke them to engage with each other through this forum
2. Use Google Alerts and/or set up  a Scoop.it account to allow these tools to suggest new content for your Hub
3. Use Collections - the newly added feature of Google + to create topic files. 5 Tips to use Google Collections
4. Create your own Club /School You Tube Channel , Use Playlists to link your chosen videos together. More on Playlists here .Link the Google + site ( now THE HUB) to the your new You Tube Chanel via the You Tube link tab on your Hub
5.  Add Sub titles and Captions to personalize your video playlist e.g. you can select clips for individual players relative to their position and name reference them in the video clip!
6. Use any video clips from You Tube to set up interactive tasks and discussions via TedEdThis is an amazing free tool
7. Shoot video on your phone or tablet to upload to the appropriate area of your Hub and encourage your group to do the same
8. Recognize and Reward progress by providing Digital Badges to the Profiles of your group using Mozilla Badges

 

You now have a really exciting Learning Hub - you will need to nurture it for a few minutes each day but the biggest users - and providers of content - should be your group members. Constantly provoke them to add new content and discuss existing content .Very quickly you will be create a comprehensive interactive archive for your players and/or coaches and /or parents You can always use Google Forms for quick surveys of your group- you may want to know what problems they have in their learning and development  And  ...to develop your own webinars on to the Hub think of using Google Hangouts

 

Many coaches find out which social network the players use most (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,TeamSnap) and use such a social media as a BRIDGE to the Learning Hub - not as the Learning Hub itself

For some example please view the work of Ohio University Students here:

• Sarah Fawcett added captions and graphics in her collection of short clips shot by herself , added some captions and graphics here and then included these in a TedEd quiz for her players here
• Htut Zar has also used TedEd and has  been able to use all the functions of Ted d e.g. Explanation, Discussion, Follow Up Content to consolidate learning  See here
• Coach Noom  used Google + here very effectively

WHEN will be best time for your players or coaches to use the Hub?

 

Research shows these are the critical moments when learners most appreciate knowledge

 

So your Hub will be very much a resource which is used for 'Just in Time 'Learning

Remember research  shows that we learn

• 70% by DOING the job
• 20% from OTHER WORKERS
• 10% from courses and reading"

 

So make sure to blend the Learning Hub into real life situations and dealing with the problems your learners experience. [For more about 70: 20: 10 see this short video ]

 

 

If your club or Association would like assistance in developing a Learning Hub please email Robin Russell at [email protected]

 

Another Free Kindle + Free Offers + News of New Innovative Websites in the Sports Path April Newsletter

Another New Kindle -which you can get FREE as simple PDF

 

We  have launched another  new Kindle this week:

 Soccer Coaching and the Web: A Digital Guide to Support Player Development.

 Kindle Series Part 2:

'Developing a Network of Trusted Colleagues Online' 

 

 

 

 

This Kindle Guide focuses on these aspects

 

• Developing a network of trusted Colleagues
• Developing an Online Profile
• Collaborating Effectively with Colleagues
• Online Note Taking
• Using LinkedIn
• '10 Ways Twitter Can Improve Your Coaching' 

   

The price of the Kindle is $2.59  (£1.55)

-for details click here but you can obtain this Publication for FREE as a PDF if you complete this short 5 minute online survey here on which social media sites you use and how you use them e.g. Who do you follow on Twitter ?

 

We are dedicated to the idea of using the web to support the development of soccer players and coaches.If you missed any of our previous Newsletter please you can see them all in our archive here  To enroll on for the Sports Path Newsletter go here 

Academy Soccer Coach

  

Readers to our Newsletter will be aware of the Research we have conducted with soccer coaches to establish which is the most popluar app used by soccer coaches. 

The research showed that overwhelmingly the market leader was Academy Soccer Coach.

For details of their products click here The Web's #1 resource for soccer coaches  and see the video below

  

We recommend clicking through to see the range of excellent products they have for Grassroots and Professional Soccer Coaches

Quick Self Evaluation : Which sort of Soccer Program do you run ?

Free New Report of Elite Youth Development in Europe : club trained players, league comparison, league profile, international migration and youth talents

The CIES Football Observatory is happy to disclose the 6th edition of its annual Demographic Study on 31 top division leagues of UEFA member associations, 472 clubs and 11,653 players. The 96-page publication is divided in five chapters: club records, league comparison, league profile, international migration and youth talents. A free excerpt is available on the CIES Football Observatory website.

Research by Danish FA of 100 children's matches recommends 8v8 for 10-13 year olds

This research is based on a total of 100 children’s and youth matches, which were recorded, analysed, and reviewed.In total, around 600 U8 to U14 players participated in the study (including both boys and girls)

'We noted that although there were many ball possession per player in the 9v9 game  most passes occurred across the field - a type of passes which cannot be considered as particularly challenging for the players.'

English Version of Report Here  Download Spilleformer_Banestørrelser_Supplerende_undersøgelse_ENGLISH_2013_HV

Danish FA website including videos here http://www.dbu.dk/spilleformer

Free Chapter of New Book : ' Soccer Coaching and the Web: A Guide to support Player Development '

 

The basis of player development has always been face to face interaction between the coach and the player, but our analysis of feedback from over 500 practicing Soccer Coaches at all levels in Europe, Asia and North America, clearly shows that this is not the only way coaches are now engaging with players.

In this first ever Guide for Soccer Coaches on how to use the web to support the development of their players, we explore WHICH Web Tools coaches use, WHY and HOW they use them

The top 5 reasons given by these coaches as to why they use the web to support the development of their players are as follows:

1. The Player is encouraged to take  more OWNERSHIP  of their own  development
2. It’s an EXTENSION of the coaching session for the players
3. An opportunity to REINFORCE MESSAGES when they are away from the coach
4. It’s  an opportunity to provide ADDED VALUE to  the coaching they receive from our club and this DIFFERENTIATES us from other clubs
5. It maximizes the CONTACT TIME  the coach has with the players

 

The book is therefore grounded in – PRACTICAL APPLICATION and includes

- Over 100 examples quoted by coaches at all levels

- Recommendations for 200 FREE TOOLS

- References to over 250 FREE websites

Free PDF of Chapter 1 here Download Soccer Coaching and the WebChapter 1

Scott Armstrong Director of Coaching, Space Coast Utd. Soccer Club,Florida,posted this review on Amazon for the Guide:

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The book is a blueprint on how to establish a well functioning blog.It gives lots of very useful resources to find great information that encompasses how to set up the blog, what software to use and where to find useful and specific tools to find your information and then share it. I am in the process of starting my first blog and after reading the book I feel I can take my blog from the idea of what I want to present to adding my first post with useful info.The author has made this book very reader friendly and whether you are a novice or experienced blogger you will find lots of great ideas in this book for your players.I highly recommend this book’

Phil Abbott,Director Academy Soccer Coach said of the Guide :

'This Guide clearly provides coaches at all levels with a valuable resource on leveraging technology to develop their players and themselves’

 Jacob Daniel,The Director of Coaching for Georgia Soccer commented :

'A Great resource. This is an area in which I need to educate myself more so your book was timely'  

The Guide is now ready and can be seen here on Amazon  at $19.95 ( £12.48) but we have an special Introductory Offer of 20% discount for our blog readers.To take advantage of this offer at a special rate of 20 % discount then follow these simple instructions:

• Go to : https://www.createspace.com/4513337

• Click on ‘ Add to Cart’
• Enter this Discount code in the box provided - LGEAGQDP-  and click on ‘ Apply Discount’
• Check Out!

Everything you ever wanted to know about Digital badging and how to use this with young players

Great article here on Digital Badging http://online.qmags.com/TJL0513/default.aspx?pg=14&mode=1#pg14&mode1