NEWS - NOVEMBER: COACHES TAKING THE NEXT STEP

The coaches have had a busy time of late developing their knowledge in order to push the programme forward. Staff coaches Nathan Walter and Steve Daniels have just returned from part 1 of their Level 2 Coaching Certificate course, where they would have had their eyes opened to new aspects of the game and also consolidated much of their existing knowledge. It was pleasing to hear that both received very positive feedback from the tutors regarding not only the Level 2 course but also regarding their suitability for pushing on to level 3.

Howard and Kristian have just returned from Scotland, having completed the next set of hours for the UEFA ‘A’ licence which, despite the cold, was another excellent learning experience. Tutorials were taken by Peter Grant (former Norwich City Manager) and Billy Stark (Scottish FA staff coach), and were very detailed in they aspects they were delivering. Peter Grant showed how to structure sessions to prepare a team for Championship football, with an emphasis on keeping the ball, under the high pressure defenders put you under in the Championship. He also emphasised that when his team lost the ball he wanted his team to press the other team to win the ball back as quickly as possible. The sessions he used were fairly normal possession practices but it was the detail he added which was really good, in getting his players into the habit of how he wanted them to play. However, from an FDS perspective the most important observation that Peter shared with us was that the best players he has worked with (Celtic, West Ham, Norwich City and Bournemouth) and encountered are the ones who do everything properly, whether it be the warm-up, stretches, practice or collecting the cones in. He mentioned that these players had the highest personal standards, which was what drove them to do things correctly at all times.

The other sessions demonstrated by Billy Stark detailed playing in wide areas in a 4-4-2 formation and again provided food for thought on this aspect, an important area in the FDS coaching philosophy and style of play.

An important belief of the FDS philosophy is hard work and commitment. As coaches we expect it of the players but we also expect it of ourselves.