Good coaching starts with a plan. But how far ahead should coaches be thinking, and how do you build sessions that help players improve over time?
In this episode, Vinny Halsall returns to Coachcast to explore how coaches can plan and deliver effective short-term coaching programmes.
As part of the grassroots coach development team, Vinny shares practical strategies to help you save time, connect player learning between sessions and adapt your plans as numbers change and your players develop.
If you’re looking for a more structured approach to planning sessions, this conversation will help you create programmes that keep players engaged while supporting long-term development.
0:00 – Intro
1:45 – The “five Ps” of preparing a programme.
2:51 – Understanding the ingredients of a coaching programme.
4:48 – What is a short-term coaching programme?
6:39 – Why should you plan more than one session at a time?
8:34 – How to save time when planning.
11:06 – Choosing the right theme for your programme.
14:12 – The "Play What You See" strategy.
16:08 – Linking learning between sessions with the three Rs.
23:08 – What to remember when planning programmes.
25:27 – What “G.O.O.D.” session design looks like.
26:38 – The “three Os” for adapting to unexpected numbers.
30:44 – Building ownership and decision making into your programme.
35:06 – How to know if your programme is working.
38:15 – What to change when a programme isn't working.
47:02 – Adapting programmes for different age groups.
50:21 – Why "less is more" when planning programmes.
53:26 – Vinny's message for coaches.
55:59 – A whole-part-whole session idea.
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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/) and post them there. 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 Coachcast@thefa.com.
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