Coachcast

Community questions: your coaching questions answered with Lee Brown | S6 Ep11

Coachcast

Show Notes

In our first-ever community questions episode, we’re answering your coaching questions.

We’ve gathered coaching questions from across our community and social media channels, and Lee Brown returns to Coachcast to answer them directly.

We’ve squeezed in as many of your questions as possible, covering several aspects of coaching, from training to game formats to matchday.

With practical advice drawn from extensive coaching experience, Lee helps you approach common challenges with confidence.

And if your question didn’t get answered in this episode, send them in to us either on the community, on our socials or drop your questions in the comments section, as we’ll be answering more in the next community questions episode.

Covered in this episode: how to deal with imposter syndrome as a coach quickly creating the right environment in training keeping young players engaged and focused tips for supporting neurodivergent players improving sprinting, finishing, and decision-making giving players the confidence to try goalkeeping the best way of teaching the offside rule to young players giving feedback in the heat of the moment keeping subs engaged on matchday handling parents and carers coaching from the sidelines and much more… ⁠⁠⁠Transcript on England Football community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/490Bjh9)

————— Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Community forum⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. Or leave them in the comments below. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!

Already listened to this episode or the previous seasons of Coachcast? We’d love to hear from you! Pass on your feedback by contacting us via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Skill Square: Effective dribbling drill - https://www.tiktok.com/@englandfootballlearning/video/7537702086880939286

LEARN MORE ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Learning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://learn.englandfootball.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://community.thefa.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Learning on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCisPO86aEIhWRTnTS1vrSVw ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Learning X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://twitter.com/EnglandLearning Email - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LISTEN ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://open.spotify.com/show/4sA9fHoldaH1x5Wn3vdmsB ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coachcast/id159180480 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - https://www.youtube.com/@EnglandFootballLearning

Editing and show notes by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Claricast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.(https://www.clarioncast.com/)

More from Coachcast

Oct 14, 2026

Matchday is about more than just what happens during the game. It's an opportunity to enjoy playing, build confidence and feel part of the team. To get the most out of matchday, though, it’s a coach's job to create a positive experience. Zahid Patel, regional manager for the grassroots workforce, returns to Coachcast to explore how coaches can create a more positive matchday experience for players and everyone else involved. Zahid shares practical ideas that coaches can use before, during and after matches to support players and encourage parents to do so too. If you’ve got a matchday coming up, and want to ensure the experience is a positive one for your players, regardless of the outcome, this episode is for you. In this episode: 0:00 – Intro

Sep 30, 2026

What can the latest game insights tell you about how you coach? You don’t have to coach the top levels of the game to get valuable insights from how the game is played at the top levels. Luke Saunders and Jess Saunders, FA game insights analysts, join us in this episode to explore what the latest insights from the top level of the game can teach grassroots coaches. We dive deep into what the data tells us about possession starts, transitions, finishing and much more. Luke and Jess explain how you can use these insights to create more realistic and effective practices for your players. Whether you're planning your next practice or looking for new ways to challenge your players, this episode gives you practical insights you can start implementing today. Covered in this episode: 0:00 – Intro.

Sep 16, 2026

Are you getting the most out of your players? The format of the game can have a huge impact on how players learn, make decisions and enjoy football. Understanding why each format exists can help you create better learning experiences every week. In this episode, Chris Welburn, coach development manager, explains the thinking behind each format. You'll learn which formats are right for which stage and help build your players’ decision making skills. We also explore how to create the right environment for learning and how to help players get the most from every stage of their development. Whether you're planning sessions or for matchday, this episode will help you get more from every format. Access the webinar: https://learn.englandfootball.com/ongoing-learning/Grassroots-Webinars/2627/develop-my-players-across-different-game-formats Get the Know Your Format guide: https://futurefit.englandfootball.com/futurefit/faqs/where-can-i-find-out-more-about-the-changes-to-youth-football/index.html FutureFit Hub: https://futurefit.englandfootball.com/futurefit/ Covered in this episode: 0:00 – Intro.

Sep 2, 2026

Every coach has an impact on the players they support. What kind of impact are you having? In this episode, Preeti Shokar joins Coachcast to explore what it means to be a positive role model and why it matters. Preeti coaches the Derby County U18s with a focus on analysis. She shares practical advice to help coaches create fun learning environments and support players in training and on matchday. Whether you're coaching your first session or preparing for a new season, this conversation will help you understand how your words, actions and behaviours can shape a player's experience of football and leave a long lasting impression. Covered in this episode: 0:00 – Intro.

Aug 19, 2026

A session that’s fun, safe and welcoming is one that ensures players not only want to come back for more every week, but also continue to develop. And in this episode, Andy Somers, senior manager for grassroots coach development, shares practical advice on planning and delivering sessions that are fun, safe and welcoming for every player. From helping children feel excited to attend sessions, to adapting practices and responding positively to mistakes, Andy explains how even the smallest actions can have a lasting impact. Whether you’re new to coaching or have years of experience, this episode is full of practical ideas to help you create an environment where players feel confident and motivated to keep coming back. Covered in this episode: 0:00 – Intro.

See all episodes →