50 lessons from 50 issues of Women's Soccer Coaching

On the training ground

Our best technical and tactical advice, from nine elite and grassroots coaches.

1. Put fun at the heart of everything you do, Sharon Wates
2. Train how you play, Mark Swales
3. Improve your rondos, Jodie Whitford-Stark
4. Get the best from neutrals, Fawn Mulholland
5. Encourage a love of defending, Gemma Bell
6. Boost ball-rolling time, Nichola Greig
7. Use scores to boost training intensity, Lowri Hunt
8. Consider pitch geography in sessions, Ellisha Duffield-Goodyear
9. Prepare younger players for the demands of the future game, Tracey Kevins

 

 

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Go inside the mind

Get to know your players and help them to shine with these psych-social tips.

1. Understand what makes your players tick, Kat Nichols
2. Don’t compare players with others, Shay Haddow
3. Diversify roles and responsibilities to uncover players’ qualities, Martha Clayden

 

 

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Matchday messages

Everything from the build-up and half-time to subs and post-game recovery. 

1. Break the tension before a big game, Lucy Bailey
2. Get the half-time team-talk right, Katie Quinlan
3. Keep your subs engaged, Hannah Duncan
4. Redefine success for your substitutes, Kate Cooper
5. Playing with 10? Don’t chase the game, Katryna Cresswell-Lane

6. Manage players’ game preparation and recovery, Michele Nagamine 

 

 

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Our special issues

Tips from the various topics we have shone a light on over the last four years. 

1. Menstrual cycle: train smart, Esther Goldsmith
2. Endometriosis: advocate up, Steph Fairbairn
3. The menopause: supporting staff, Anna Allerton
4. Learn to coach your own children, Gemma Bell
5. ’Mom guilt’ set boundaries, Kat Mertz
6. Coaching in the men’s game: be confident, Lucia Abbate
7. Understand disordered eating, Dr Rebecca Robinson
8. Lead the conversations around breast health, Claire Farnbank-Harrop

 

 

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Goalkeeping advice

Getting the best from your number one both technically and psychologically. 

1. Tap into a goalkeeper’s psyche, Dan Smith
2. No specialist goalkeeper? Help outfield players feel comfortable in their position, Kevin Martin
3. Improve their distribution, angle play and footwork, Lisa Cole
4. Team your goalkeepers to talk, Justin Bryant
5. Understand that size doesn’t matter, Justin Bryant
6. Lisa Cole: integrating goalkeepers with the rest of the team, Lisa Cole

 

 

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Health and wellbeing

Keeping fit in the mind is crucial - not just for your players, but for you, too.

1. Recovery is vital for players - and staff, Kris Kumari
2. Encourage player growth and connection, Jenny Coe
3. Manage your own wellbeing, Simon Millington
4. Make sure players have time off, Dr Erin Henderson

 

 

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Player interaction

Learn how best to handle your squad on a one-to-one and team basis.

1. Identify and address performance anxiety, Kate Walsh
2. De-escalate conflict, Anna Nethery
3. Listen to players, Kate Jones
4. Support injured players, Ellisha Duffield-Goodyear
5. Develop an awareness of ’transformational’ coach, Tom Hartley
6. Bridge any generation gap with players, Wendy Arnett
7. Top tips for working with deaf or hard-of-hearing players, Amy Griffin

 

 

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Coach development

1. Get a mentor - and become a mentor, Katie Quinlan
2. Assistants: be the team’s eyes and ears, Fiona Walsh
3. Advice for all aspiring assistant head coaches, Sarah Lowdon
4. Flip your perspective to a ’growth mindset’, Ginger Parson-McGill
5. Develop your coaching philosophy, Alice Weaving
6. Advice for women to establish themselves in coaching, Jackline Juma