Shouting from the Sidelines – The Future of Junior Football Coaching

Big news this week in that Germany have completely revamped their grassroots coaching format.

This comes after a 2 year pilot scheme which recognised the need for a less formal structure, more fun and a ‘let them play’ mentality.

The last time Germany did something like this it was in response to England beating them 5-1 in Munich.

A few years later they won the World Cup and were producing some of the best players on the planet…So when they do something like this it is time to pay attention!

One game they will be introducing is Funino.

For most who attend our sessions you will be familiar with how we end a lot of sessions with a 3v3 game with 4 goals.

That’s Funino! It is something we have used for a while and it is great for development (more to follow on this in the coming weeks) and also great to see that we’ve already given our players a head start.

Ultimately there is a shift coming in grassroots football which will see a change in how we coach, what activities are used and a return to the ‘street-style’ we were familiar with as kids.

Those who don’t embrace it will not be doing right by their players and we’re pleased we decided to start implementing this stuff a while ago.

We talk about those changes, what it means for children in football and what it means for coaches.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

And remember to let us know your thoughts