1. MoF Coaches Meeting Tuesday 29th March 2016 7.45pm to 9.30pm
Agenda
Player pathways in MoF
Last term’s Coaching Programme
Next term’s Coaching Programme

2. MoF Player Pathways
See handout

3. Last term: new Coaching Programme
“Both Danny and Boril have football skills which they wouldn't have if not training with you guys. That builds their confidence when playing in the park with other children! This, I find, is a very positive outcome”
Last term: new Coaching Programme
“Both Maisie and Louis have significantly improved their skills in the 4 years since they have been attending MoF sessions. Whilst they have significantly improved they have done so at a great pace because they love attending. Going to 'Ministry' is the one and only session every week that cannot be missed. It is the perfect way to end Sunday and the kids always get a great night sleep afterwards!!!”
“Great environment for learning football without the fear factor. Both of my older children play for teams and the fun seems to be drilled out of them early on, MoF teaches enjoying having the ball and the value of good control as well as having a calm approach to playing the game”
Overall feedback = positive
Better enjoyment scores from parents than any other previous MoF term (although only 29 responses overall)
“Aidan's confidence has grown during the programme and we can see real improvement in his skill and approach to the game. Cody has found a love of the game through it, having not shown any interest previously. He now joins in at school and really looks forward to Sunday sessions”

4. What did the coaches think?
Get coaches feedback on new programme:
a. Same group per week
b. Same topic per week
c. Using session templates
d. Coach-coach observations and feedback
Each coach to describe best non-SSG but opposed activity they used in the term
USE 1-10 SCALE
WHERE
0 = “Dreadful! Who’s idea was this?” to
10= “Brilliant! A work of great genius”

5. 1v1 Defending
1v1
Pass into Square player to score, then replace Square player.
Square player then comes out to play 1v1 against defender.

6. Mark’s thoughts Positive
I felt I got to know the children better, and sessions could be linked = better learning.
By end of term I felt some of my 5pm Red class had certainly improved in the topic.
Session templates worked for me, as kept a journal of my coaching (e.g. for future use)
Shaun’s feedback from observation was useful
Programme level: All groups working on same topic allowed easier and better comms with parents about what we are doing
Problem statements = good way to frame the session
Learning points
Both 4pm groups are different from all others and need a separate approach.
Programme level: More variety needed in activities we run and session types.
Better planning of child-specific interventions.

7. Mark’s thoughts (2) Shaun-Mark observations Interventions:
Best ones where one group watched another perform (I have since taken this on as a way of helping one group understand task and improve)
At whiteboard, pair up to discuss rather than Q&A
How to get all children listening in group discussions – where they sit is important
Challenging children:
Can give individual challenges or goals, but we need to then help children reach them
Chris-Pete observations
Interventions:
In group Q&A and discussion:
Give children time to discuss and think. Tell children: “I will be asking Tom, Matt and one other for their answers” before they discuss with partner.
Have the group face away from distractions.
Challenges and teaching:
When we help a child or give them some advice, we then need to stay with that child to check they use it, understand it, and improve

8. Specific parent feedback
Of 25 parents whose children have been attending more than 1 term:
Awful
Not as good
Average / no difference
Good / better
Brilliant
New Coaching Programme (overall) 1 5 12 7
Having same coach each week 3 4 11
Focusing on one topic for the term 2 10

9. Specific parent feedback
First theme: If same coach each week, then parents want discussion with them on child’s development
“Would be great to meet the coach”
“I think the challenge I have is in actually assessing its impact on my child's learning. Children are very poor communicators with their parents generally of what they've learned and what they need to work on. As parents, we don't get any personal feedback from the coaches on what the kids have learnt each week so it's really hard to assess the merits of the new approach. It would be really great if the coaches could either let each parent know (even occasionally) what their child has been working on and needs to focus on, or even if they just spent 2 minutes at the end of the session gathering the parents in for a 'debrief'. At the moment, I feel rather disenfranchised in terms of my child's learning and how I can get more involved in understanding what they've learnt and helping develop those skills outside of the session. I really love MOF and my kids do too, but in over a year of attendance, not once has any coach come over and said anything to me about my either of my children.”
“The boys are really enjoying it. They are still always wanting to go up a group when they see their classmates in other classes and I am never sure what to say to them. Perhaps a personal goal would help them be aware of the areas they need to improve”

10. Specific parent feedback
Second theme: One coach is only Brilliant if they like the coach
“In my sons group for at least 2 weeks of the 1 hour session 20+ minutes was spent with all kids in the group huddled up listening to the coach talk - I know I timed it. This was too long - the kids looked bored and after the long sessions of instruction they still didn't know what they were doing. Comparing to the other group ( with Same topic ) with other coaches the instruction was done in smaller groups (whilst the remainder practised /played) - as we left and went home after these sessions he was not as excited and enthused as he normally is”
“I wasn't convinced that having the same coach each week made much difference - sometimes it can simply lead to a coach having a "fixed" idea about what a player can do. There are certain players I think who appeal more to the coaches, and perhaps over time start to get more attention.”

11. Specific parent feedback
Third theme: Mixed feelings on one topic
“I think focusing on one topic does make a difference because I've seen him start to think about defending and talk about it more. He watches matches on TV and notices how players defend so I think it gives kids who have short attention spans at that age the reinforcement of the message they need to remember something.”
“I think for the 4/5 year olds variety is needed to keep their attention. He said he found it boring because all they were doing was defending, defending and more defending. I think you need to play to all kids different strengths so some may lose interest if you focus on one topic for just one term.”
“A whole term on one topic might be a bit much for the kids and they may prefer maybe two topics (maybe every other week)in the term to have a bit of variety.”

12. Overall /summary A good start! Build on this:
Continue with same coach per group where possible
Separate 4pm classes from rest and work on different aspects
Interleave in-possession concepts with revision sessions on defending
Find ways of coaches meeting keen parents (ideas?)
Find better way of planning sessions – consider any template which coaches want to use?

13. Sunday Rota (1st half of term)
Session
Coach
4pm Red
Mark
4pm Yellow
Pete
5pm Red
5pm Yellow
6pm Red
Chris
6pm Yellow
Shaun
7pm Red
7pm Yellow
Cover
Michele
Discuss:
Tax and pay

14. Interleaving
‘Desirable Difficulties, Slowing Down Learning’ (video) – feedback from coaches
Dr Robert Bjork, Professor of Psychology
‘Interleaving’ video

15. Interleaving

16. Interleaving next term
14 weeks of Sunday programme
England FA DNA for Foundation Stage
4pm classes
Focus on:
Movement skills (ABCs)
Ball control
Good football behaviours (winning and losing, taking turns, listening to coach, working with others)
Understanding directional play (e.g. trying to get from A to B) and attack v defence
Aim is to prepare the children for the 5pm classes
5pm, 6pm & 7pm classes
In possession:
Feints and dummies
1v1s, also in SSGs
For dribbling, also for passing
Attacking rotations
Play and move, or pass and move
Off the ball runs and 3-player moves
Four player combinations
Out-of-possession
At least three revision sessions on Defending
Stay on the ball, master the ball
Connect and combine creatively with others
Positive, enthusiastic, intelligent defending

17. How will the 14-week term look?
First three sessions for all groups:
Fients & dummies
Attacking rotations and movements
Revision of defending (individual, pair and/or group)
After that, interleaved – within session; session to session
(But with two more Defending revision sessions, on same weeks for all groups)
Problem statements
Attacking (feints and rotations)
How to keep the ball
How to penetrate a defence
How to create space for team mates
Feints and dummies
How to beat a defender
How to create space for yourself
How to be unpredictable
Attacking rotations
How to keep the ball
How to penetrate a defence
How to create space for team mates

18. Coaches meeting Parents
How? BRAINSTORM IDEAS

19. Anything else?
Thank you for coming