FOOTBALL COACHING MANUAL PDF

Acknowledgements

This football coaching manual was adapted from the Coach2Coach Programme developed for the Right to Play organization by Mr Steve Watson, Footy4Kids, United Kingdom.

It was originally produced for the Right to Play’s Middle East programme. IPEC would like to express its gratitude to Mr Watson, Footy4Kids and Right to Play for allowing the Coach2Coach Programme to be used as a reference for this resource kit.

For coaches who have access to the internet and would like to know more, the web site www.footy4kids.co.uk is highly recommended.

It is bursting with ideas, drills, hints, advice, tools and games, and provides useful ideas for coaches working with young children and inexperienced players.

IPEC would also like to acknowledge and express its sincere appreciation to International Service’s “Coaching for Hope” project and Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club in the United Kingdom for allowing the reproduction of sections of their football coaching manual Goals without goalposts!

How to use this manual

The purpose of this coaching manual is to serve as a support tool for coaches implementing a football-based project for children engaged in, removed from or at risk of child labour.

It is aimed in particular at coaches who might not be able to call on local football clubs or local or national football federations for help, particularly in terms of their own training and development.

The manual lays out some key points and activities and suggests some coaching drills that can be used during training sessions. However, the manual only scratches the surface of the many different ways that exist of coaching children to play football. There are so many possible exercises, activities, and coaching hints and tips that it would be impossible to bring them all together in one place.

The intention of this manual is to stimulate coaches’ learning and hopefully be the start of something that will remain behind long after the project has finished.

Throughout this resource kit, it is constantly emphasized that the involvement of local, regional and national football organizations should be sought in project activities, particularly in terms of the training of football coaches and obtaining appropriate resource materials, including coaching manuals in national languages, as well as the necessary equipment, such as footballs, training cones and training bibs.

The involvement of these football organizations is addressed in more detail in the module Mobilizing communities and partners.

In contacting football organizations, particularly local clubs and national federations, coaches should seek support in training for themselves to improve their own skills and capacities and should also look for additional ideas for football coaching drills and games to use with children and young people.

If resources and handbooks are available, coaches should make extensive use of these.

In addition, if access the internet is possible, an internet search with “football coaching drills” as the subject is highly recommended.

There are literally hundreds of web sites that provide additional support for coaches from a wide range of sources, including football clubs and national federations.

In addition, the Education and Technical Department of FIFA has developed a coaching manual for young children aged 6 to 12, the FIFA Grassroots Manual, which can be downloaded from the web site: www.fifa.com.

This manual helps coaches, teachers and each adult involved in youth football to better teach the game to children, understanding and taking into account the specifics of training young children.

Among other aspects, the manual stresses the importance of festivals, skill exercises and small-sided games.