Coaching Psychological Skills in Youth Football: Developing The 5Cs

> Aimed at coaches working with 5-16 year old players

> From two of the top authors in the field of psychological skills development

> Incorporates a complete 12 month development plan

Successful footballers are typically those who are best able to: regulate their emotions, fix their attention, utilise effective interpersonal skills, and remain highly motivated and self-assured in the face of consistent challenges. These behaviours are the hallmark of mentally tough, emotionally intelligent players, and can be grouped under the 5Cs of: Commitment, Communication, Concentration, Control, and Confidence.

The 5Cs, however, are rarely innate – they are a product of a player’s long term psycho-social development and, crucially, they can be coached and nurtured. The aim of the 5Cs program, in this book, is to show coaches how to develop these important psycho-social skills and help young players to understand how they can truly achieve their potential.

5Cs Soccer Coaching

Written specifically for soccer coaches of all levels, Coaching Psychological Skills in Youth Football details each C in a methodical and practical manner with real-world exercises for training and matches. The book is relevant to soccer coaches working with 5-16 year old players, with individual techniques and practices marked for appropriate age groups. By weaving these techniques into their normal coaching practice, coaches will help educate young players to optimise their motivation, discipline, composure, self-belief and teamwork. A complete 12 month development plan is included alongside a case study from a youth coach who has actually experienced the 5C journey.

Coaching Psychological Skills in Youth Football will build your confidence as a coach as you learn how to grow and apply a world-class knowledge of sport psychology in youth football.

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About The Authors

Dr Chris Harwood is a Registered Sport Psychologist and a High Performance Sport Scientist accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. As a leading academic and practitioner in sport psychology at Loughborough University he has worked within applied sport psychology for the past 20 years and devotes a special interest to the Psychology of Youth Sport. He has previously served as Club Psychologist for Nottingham Forest FC, and continues to coordinate and advise on the psychology support provision for a number of professional club academy programmes. A former tennis player and coach to a national level, Chris serves on the Football Association’s Psychology Advisory Board and acts as a Level 5 course tutor.

Richard Anderson, MSc, is an UEFA A-license football coach who has worked at several football clubs at youth and senior level. He is actively involved with the Football Association as a licensed tutor for their psychology development courses for coaches, as well as the production of psychology-based education resources focused on the application of psychological skills in team environments, through the work of the coach. Richard is also a former student within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. He graduated with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science in 2007 and gained an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2009.

Articles

Football Psychology

Coaching Psychological Skills: Introduction and Sample Soccer Coaching Exercises

Coaching Psychological Skills in Soccer: Sample Football Exercises (Part 2)

Authors: Chris Harwood and Richard Anderson

ISBN 978-1909125889 | 218 pages | colour title | Published March 4 2015 | £16.99 / $25.99

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Book Categories: Soccer, Soccer Coaching Books and Sport Psychology.