Around one hundred coaches working within the 5-12 age group benefitted from a range of ‘Foundation Phase Workshops’ run across Essex in September and October.

These workshops are interactive, looking at the key messages of the England DNA Foundation Phase, an online resource specifically developed to support coaches working with young players. There were both theory and practical elements highlighting some of the headline principles when working with players in this age group, including:

* rationale behind the ‘What, Why and How’ when working with young players
* links to the FA ‘4-Corner Model’
* the impact of coaching behaviour
* developing a positive learning environment

The first of four workshops took place at Beauchamps School in Wickford on Monday 5th September, followed by another at Philip Morant School & College in Colchester on Thursday 27th. Ilford’s Frenford FC hosted the third workshop on Wednesday 10th October, with the final date at Springfield FC in Chelmsford on Saturday 13th.

Essex County FA Coaching Development Officer, Andrew Crowl, was delighted with the response of local coaches to this CPD (Continuing Professional Development) offering:  “We’re keen to provide as much support as possible to coaches working within this key age phase. For the children, these formative years are pivotal to their development and establishing a love for the game.”

“For the coaches who give up their time to help the children, we want to make sure they have access to key information which will help them to create the best possible environment for the children. Coaches were able to share a number of challenges they face when working within these age groups and discuss possible solutions moving forward.”

“I’d urge coaches to sign-up to the ‘FA Coaching Community’ for free at www.hivelearning.com/thefa then search for ‘Foundation Phase DNA’ to access free resources. This is a great tool to share with other adults supporting the development of young players.”

Pete Sturgess (FA Foundation Phase Technical Lead) will be heading back to Essex on Monday 4th February (venue and times TBC) for the second part of his ‘Foundation Phase Roadshow’. For more information on this, and additional CPD opportunities, keep visiting our website, follow @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and search for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.