“If you want to get to the top, get used to the new normal.” – Liam Kelly The “new normal” created by the coronavirus lockdown has shut down the physical game of football for the time being, but QPR goalkeeper Liam Kelly explains how “getting used to the new normal” is a mental strategy he […]
“Wake up every day and be better.” – Kenny Miller Kenny Miller has made the switch from player to coach, but it’s not his intention to simply coach, he intends to become a top coach. In coaching as in playing, Kenny wants to be the best he can be. Winning is a Process As a […]
“He did put demands on his players, but I thrived on it and I always wanted to push myself harder.” – Kenny Miller Kenny Miller is as passionate about football today as he was when he first started to play as a youngster, and the passion he brought to the game as a player is […]
“As a coach, you are judged by the quality of your communication.” – Lee Johnson Lee Johnson has many years of coaching experience under his belt, but he knows that developing the skills you need to be a great coach is an on-going learning process, and as he describes it: “Coaching is an […]
“Always ask for advice, but never ask for a favour.” – Lee Johnson Lee Johnson, head coach at Bristol City, chose to embark on a career in football coaching at the age of just 24. He was still a player at the time and remained so until the age of 31, but he recognised that […]
“The job of an older man is to notice what a younger man has done well and point it out.” – Carl Jung All the best coaches have a desire for knowledge and discovery, but it’s not just learning that sets them apart, it’s applying what they learn. It’s fair to say that not everything […]
“Everything is practice.” – Pelé Football managers and coaches often ask, “How do you build resistance in players to deal with tough times and setbacks; how do you overcome adversity when coaching?” Well, resilience is not something you can learn through reading a book and it’s not something that can be learned through easy times: […]
“All learning has an emotional base.” – Plato If you’ve been playing football for 20 plus years and you now want to channel your passion for the game into coaching,often the most challenging aspect of the switch from player to coach is developing a different awareness of the game. The Helicopter View As a player, […]
“Back in the day, football was central to what was known. It’s what we did because there was nothing else.” – Hugh MacDonald Hugh MacDonald is a well-known sports journalist, but he got into journalism “by accident” rather than by design. He says, “I got into journalism by mistake. I’d been accepted by a university […]
“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh Ever felt your heart race when you misjudge your step on a flight of stairs or felt your ears virtually “prick” when you hear something go bump in the night? These physical reactions are part of your body’s natural response to danger, and they’re designed to […]
