With so many away, yet another grassroots football tournament – how many can they do in a season, and another game for our first age groups, we were down to just 1 hour of coaching this morning. Well, we did 90 minutes and played some mixed ability games by jumbling all the age groups up and putting in rules to allow everyone to have some fun.

We also gave several of the older players the chance to shine today when asked them to coach the first part of the session! They had no notice we were going to ask them, all they got was a session plan, see below, and then we stood back! Huge respect to Ava and Erin for having a go, they did brilliant, and we were all so impressed. It is not easy coaching, and they did amazing. The club is in save hands, and it looks like I can retire from coaching next season…

Notable Player of the Session

1st Session – Beth F – Another of our new players and she starting to get to grips with futsal. She is happy to sit at the back and be an awesome defender, but we keep asking her to try going forward and today she did. Her confidence is improving each week, and the improvements are not going unnoticed by the coaches – top job Beth!

Final thoughts of a coach – I love challenging players, not just in a playing situation. Today, due to the numbers I had this mad idea of asking the senior academy players to delivery part of the session. I didn’t know what they would say, they could have said no, or just run away but they didn’t and what a job they did, so very impressed. They gave out key points, managed the players, offered praise and support when needed and even managed a progression or 2. Trust your players, they will always amaze you, surprise you, make you smile – boy today was one of those mornings…

I love talking to people when they ask what I do for a living, yes, I have a real job, working in the model railway industry, but coaching is a passion. No, I don’t get paid, we run the club to offer opportunities to females of all ages to keep active. No, the club is not my full-time role, although at times it feels like it is. No, I am not motivated by cups or awards, I do it for the feedback from the players and parents – each week one player always without fail says thank you, she is going to be an amazing young lady in the future! Yes, I beat myself up after each session thinking what I should have done better, why I forgot that, did the players get anything out of that… Yes, I absolutely hate charging for what we do, but futsal is not cheap, the ladies’ team alone last season cost over £8000 to run. Yes, I would love to do this full time, but I have a mortgage and bills….

Coaching is not easy, like any profession it takes time to get good at it. Am I good, that’s not for me to say, ask my players and parents. I think I’m better than average, I know I need to learn more about the game, plan better, give better feedback, in fact everything but one thing I know I can never be accused of is not giving 100% – the club and players mean the world to me, and I will do everything I can to keep this going as long as possible. My heart go out to all the amazing people, throughout the country, that run futsal clubs – you are legends, and long may you endure all the hardships we go through, because without you the sports dies…

Coach Chris