 Here at the coaching manual we are always looking to help coaches of all levels develop into the best that they can be. Today we are focusing on all you beginner coaches out there. Starting out on your coaching journey can be difficult as there are a lot of different factors that you have to contend with. This video will provide 10 top tips on how you can develop and stand out from the rest. 1. Prepare your sessions Planning out your sessions in advance is vital if you want to succeed in coaching. Here are just some of the key things to consider. Think about what didn't go so well last week and incorporate practices that will improve these areas. Time can be limited so plan your timings for each part of the session so that you can cover everything that you need to. Space can also be limited so plan where on the pitch you will carry out each part of the session. Have a clear learning outcome. What are you trying to achieve from the session and what does success look like? There are plenty of useful guides on the coaching manual platform to help coaches when planning sessions. Follow the links in the description to check them out. 2. Warm up properly Making sure your players are properly warmed up for the sessions is vital. Firstly so that they are prepared for the physical activity and are at reduced risk of injury but also so that they are in the right mental space for either a match or training session. Again if you struggle to find suitable warm-ups for your players follow the link in the description to view our extensive guide to warm-ups. 3. Setting up a session Learning to set up your sessions quickly and efficiently is an important part of being a successful coach. So here are some tips on how to do so. Arriving good time. Getting down to training early allows you to set the first part of the session up. Equipment. Make sure you bring all the necessary equipment to run a session smoothly. Balls, pump, bibs, cones, whittle, stopwatch etc. Make sure you know your session and make sure you are familiar with all the aspects of your sessions so that you can execute it effectively. 4. Pick the brains of other coaches Asking questions of other coaches that you meet can be a very useful way of learning new things about coaching. It could be ideas for a session, advice on how to deal with a certain type of player or different delivery techniques. So don't be afraid to just ask questions of your fellow coaches. It could even be a coach from an opposing team as you may have liked the way they played and once again some insights. 5. Support your player's technical development Running a good session is only half the battle. If your players don't have the good level of technical ability required to carry out the session, not only will they become disheartened, but the session will break down. Coaches should encourage players to practice certain skills and movement in their own time so that they can reach a competent level of technical ability. A great way to do this is via the Top Techers app which allows coaches to set players individual challenges to complete at home in order to develop these essential skills. 6. Understand your players Despite your players being at similar age levels, they can be at differing levels of maturity and it's important to understand where each player is at. If you can gain a rough idea of this by getting to know each player and how they learn, you can then challenge them accordingly in order to maximize their development. Your communication and delivery could be slightly different from player to player. For example, some players may be more visual learners, so the use of a tactics board could be useful when describing a particular practice. 7. Set goals for a season Setting goals can be useful for your development as a coach, but can also prove beneficial for your players' development. Depending on the ability of the group of players you coach, goals can be very different. If you have a talented group of players, you could aim to win something by the end of the season or aim for something like a top three finish in the league. However, if you have a group of less talented players, you can set different types of goals such as seeing improvements in the technical ability of your players. One goal all coaches should have is for the players to enjoy themselves and want to continue playing come the new season. Worse, driving to win every game is important in football. Winning at all costs can sometimes come at the detriment of players' enjoyment. So, encourage your players to express themselves in their play and enjoy themselves at all times. 8. Develop a good relationship with parents Building positive relationships with parents is a big role that comes with being a coach, especially at youth levels. If parents think you are a good coach and that you are helping their child to develop, they can ensure your players are committed to the team every week. 9. Time for reflection It's important as a coach to set some time aside for reflection, whether it's after a training session or a game at the weekend. It doesn't have to be very long, but if you spent 10-15 minutes thinking about what went well and what didn't go so well, maybe even write some key things down. And finally, get out there and coach. It may sound really obvious, but the best way of learning what it takes to be a good coach is to start building up your experience on the training ground and on the touchline. Volunteering at your local club can be the best way to get started, so you can begin to understand how to engage with the younger players. The coaching manual has a number of tools, resources and content to support new coaches embarking on their journey in the sport. Follow the link in the bio to find them. Thank you for watching this video. We hope it has been useful for all you beginner coaches out there. If you would like to see more coaching content like this, then make sure to subscribe to the coaching manual channel and hit the notification bell to make sure you never miss an upload.