Compiling Player Development Plans has become a new part of my learning. It allows me to identify what a player excels in against each of the 4 corners, and therefore helps me to plan sessions with their development needs in mind. To view the PDP's for the season click on the players shirt above their initials below.
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MY
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A CULTURE OF TOGETHERNESS - WITH HARD WORK AT ITS CORE
Of my Psychological elements of my Player Development Plans, Attitude, Passion and Dedication are all things I would expect and you can see my players score well in. Whilst a lot of the squad require technical refinement I work hard with them to deliver the message that regardless of your ability level and you don't have to be perfect you have to give it your full effort and commit to the team. I can accept being beaten, its part of growing and developing - but I struggle when I see my player being out worked.
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When we have new players come on board I like to do things like "Open Mic" where I encourage the player to tell the squad some things about them, things they like, they dont like, and nicknames and I also have them bring a Joke to their first training session and tell the squad. I want my players to feel like a team, to be together and working hard for each other is at its core.
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There are players in my squad who struggle technically and struggle with the physcial element of football. Through effective profiling and producing PDP's I have been able to design sessions with the aim of improving this. Psychologically I also try and use visual aids to get the message across.
On the tactics board prior to a session I wrote this recently. The lads were doing some static stretching and I asked them to have a look at my Homework. When the session had finished and we were doing a de-brief I got the board out and and then what they notice about my homework. Unanimously they told me that the first 2 sums in my homework were wrong and that 2+2 is 4 and 3+3 =6.
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I challenged them and said ok out of 10 questions there I got 2 wrong. Non of you commented on the fact I got 8 right?
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I also made the mistakes right at the start of my homework and it didn't effect the rest of my homework, infact I carried on and it got better.
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I told them that when we play, when we train and when are trying to develop ourselves mistakes are part of the process. Dont focus on them, everyone makes mistakes. Continue to work and dont give up and there will be moments in games and in training where do excel. Help each other and catch each other in when we are doing soemthing well and support each other and celebrate that through ball, that well timed challenge, that defensive clearance and dont focus on the shot you dragged wide, the miss placed pass or the goal we have conceeded.