Shows
Shouting From The Sidelines#50 Football Fitness For Kids: Everything You Need To KnowAre you still making kids run laps and do bleep tests to “get fit” for football?There's a better (and more enjoyable way).In this video, we break down:What football fitness actually means for kidsWhy long runs and isolated drills don’t workThe science behind children's recovery, VO2 max, and strength developmentWhat coaches and parents should do insteadHow to build football-specific fitness through play, games, and decision-makingWhether you're a grassroots football coach or a football parent, this episode will hopefully h...2025-07-1446 minShouting From The Sidelines#49 The Power of Play - The Missing Piece in Kids Football?Is play the missing piece in your child’s football development and overall well-being?In this episode, we explore why unstructured, free play is crucial for kids—not just for becoming better footballers, but for developing confidence, resilience, creativity, and social skills.From research-backed insights to real coaching experience in Leeds schools and sessions with toddlers to teen. We cover:⏱️ What’s inside:00:00 – Intro: Why play is overlooked in football01:30 – What unstructured play actually means03:50 – Football skill benefits backed by research07:10 – The rise in screen time + decline in...2025-06-1226 minShouting From The Sidelines#48 How to Help Your Child Focus Better in Football Without Overcoaching“Keep your knee over the ball!”“Bend your leg!”“Lock your ankle”If you’ve ever shouted these phrases from the sideline (or heard a coach do it), this episode will change how you give instructions when coaching football or playing with your child in the garden.We break down the powerful difference between internal vs external focus — and why telling kids how to move could actually hurt their performance.You’ll learn:Why telling kids what to do with their body pa...2025-05-2124 minShouting From The Sidelines#47 4 BIG Mistakes We've Made Coaching Kids Football (And How to Avoid Them!)As kids football coaches, we wish we'd known a few things when we first started.Over the years we've made plenty of mistakes.In this episode, we're sharing 4 of our biggest coaching mistakes and the lessons we've learnt which make for useful tips for grassroots coaches and football parents.This honest, practical discussion is perfect for youth football coaches, grassroots soccer volunteers, football parents and anyone involved in coaching kids.Foot-Tech Academy is a children’s football coaching school in Leeds. For more about what we do...2025-04-1625 minShouting From The Sidelines#46 A & B Teams in Grassroots Football: Good or Bad?Should young footballers be placed into A & B teams?Is it helping their development or holding them back?In this episode, we dive into the pros and cons of ability-based team selection in grassroots football, how it affects player confidence, development, and motivation, and what parents and coaches need to know.Key Topics Discussed:- Why do clubs use A & B teams in youth football- Do B-team players get left behind?- The impact on confidence, self-esteem, and development- Late bloomers...2025-03-1227 minShouting From The Sidelines#45 Why We Ditched Ladders & Hurdles for Real Football Speed & AgilityAre agility ladders and hurdles really making your child or players faster on the pitch?For Football Parents & Coaches - whether you're coaching a team or supporting your child’s football journey, these insights will help you maximize their development.In this episode, we break down why traditional speed drills don’t translate to real football movement and what you should be doing instead.What You’ll Learn:Why agility ladders & hurdles don’t improve true football speedThe difference between quick feet & real agility...2025-02-1027 minShouting From The Sidelines#44 How Much Football Is Too Much? The Balance Every Parent Needs to KnowAs parents, we all want to see our children thrive, but is there such a thing as too much football training?
In this episode, we dive into the delicate balance between helping your child develop their skills and ensuring they don’t lose their love for the game.
We’ll discuss the signs of overtraining, why rest and recovery are just as important as practice, and how to recognize if your child’s schedule is too demanding.
You’ll also hear insights into the value of unstructured play, trying multiple sports, and how to creat...2025-01-2226 minShouting From The Sidelines#43 Part 2 The Games-Based Model: What It Is & Why We Use ItPart 2 of our chat about the games-based model approach to children’s coaching.Here we discuss:How to use the game-based approach with beginnersHow kids learn the ‘skills’ they need without us doing unopposed ball masteryThe difference between football technique & skillIs there a place for unopposed football training?Why it’s so important to maximise the time you have with your playersEnjoy and let us know your thoughts.Links to reading...2024-12-0627 minShouting From The Sidelines#42 The Games-Based Model: What It Is & Why We Use It (Part 1)A few years ago we completely changed the way we coach at our football sessions.
We'd previously had a big part of our sessions made up of individual ball-mastery and 'skills' work.
In this episode we discuss:
What is a games-based approach to football coaching
What are 'constraints' and how we use them to make sure our players learn and improve for football
Why we stopped SAQ at our sessions
How to really coach decision-making
Why aren't all coaches using this method?
The difference between learning and performing
...and loads more.
...2024-11-1335 minShouting From The Sidelines#41 What To Do If A Player Is Being Left BehindOne of the hardest things for a grassroots football manager to deal with is when a player is being left behind...and it starts to become obvious.It is a difficult thing to communicate to parents but we offer some help and advice in this video on how to navigate it.Often times a young footballer being left behind in terms of improving comes down to 2 things.We discuss what they are and how best to handle each situation....2024-10-2317 minShouting From The Sidelines#40 What Not To Shout From The SidelinesSpend 10 mins at any junior football match and we all but guarantee you'll hear one of old cliché football phrases shouted from the sidelines.
But a lot of what is being said is of little use and, if anything, does more harm than good when it comes to the football development of children.
What are the things we should avoid?
And what should you be shouting, if shouting anything at all?
Listen now to find out.2024-09-1918 minShouting From The Sidelines#39 The Realities of Running a Grassroots Team'I would like to live in a healthier, happier world and I believe in using the power of sport to positively drive the changes to make this a reality.' - Jordan Liburd.
We sat down with our very own Jordan Liburd who has the very unique experience of running a grassroots team, being on a club committee, coaching at Foot-Tech, refereeing and also undertaking leadership roles within the FA.
On top of that he also works in biomedical research...a very busy man!
He's been...2024-08-211h 12Shouting From The Sidelines#38 121 Football Coaching - Is It Worth It?The demand for one to one football coaching is increasing - but is it worth it?
121 football training has been part of our business for almost 10 years.
We’ve coached all ages & abilities and have done upwards of 1000+ sessions between our coaching team.
We’ve tried and tested all sorts of different ideas, football drills and equipment.
Are they right for everyone?
What are the benefits (if any)?
We go t...2024-07-2445 minShouting From The Sidelines#37 What We Learnt From a Week With SC Braga AcademyWe recently spent a week in Portugal on an FC Evolution coaching course.
It’s the second FCE course we’ve done and it once again did not disappoint.
This time we had the added bonus of being able to watch and analyse training sessions with Braga’s u15’s delivered by Raymond Verheijen (ex Holland, South Korea, Chelsea, Man City & Barca coach).
We learnt loads on this course.
In this episode we talk through some of key takeaways that rea...2024-06-1729 minShouting From The Sidelines#36 The Relative Age Effect & Early Developers: What Football Parents/Coaches Need to KnowIn this episode, we look into the fascinating world of the Relative Age Effect and its implications for young football players.
We discuss the issues that can come for early and late developers and how parents and coaches can offer support.
We explore how birthdate can influence a child's athletic development, opportunities, and potential pitfalls in the youth football world.
Whether you're a seasoned football parent or new to the game, understanding this phenomenon is crucial for supporting your child's journey in football.
We'll also provide actionable tips to help you...2024-04-1528 minShouting From The Sidelines#35 Top 4 Reasons Your Child Isn't ImprovingEver wondered why some young footballers stop improving?
Well, you're about to find out!
In today's episode we unravel the top 4 reasons why some young footballers excel while others seem to hit a plateau.
Through years of coaching experience and countless interactions with young players, we've identified key areas where attention is needed.
But, have you ever asked yourself if your child is truly enjoying their football journey, or if they're in the right environment that nurtures their growth?
From discussing the critical importance of adequate training frequency to...2024-04-0120 minShouting From The Sidelines#34 Nurturing Football Passion: The Fine Line Between Parental Support & ObsessionAs parents, we want nothing but the best for our children, especially when it comes to their interests and passions.
But in the world of youth football, how do we strike the right balance between nurturing our kids' love for the game and inadvertently pressuring them to excel?
In this insightful video, we delve into the delicate balance of fostering football passion in children without overwhelming them with parental expectations.
Discover practical tips and strategies for creating a supportive environment where children can develop a genuine obsession for football on their terms so...2024-03-0130 minShouting From The Sidelines#33 Tips for Coaching Mixed AbilitiesHow to coach mixed-abilities - a question we get asked a lot.
Coaching football is hard enough but when you need to balance different ability levels it becomes even harder!
We have a lot of experience of this at Foot-Tech as we welcome all abilities and often times we have children who are late to football, which can make things even trickier.
In this episode we go through some of our best tips for coaching mixed ability football training sessions.
Some are obvious, some are maybe ones you haven't thought about.
Always keen to get the views of others so...2024-02-1622 minShouting From The Sidelines#32 How To Coach The Fundamentals (Properly)Are you a coach who still teaches dribbling, passing etc in isolation?
i.e. without defenders on in a game-situation?
Are you a parent who watches their child's football training sessions and sees nothing but kids dribbling around cones or passing in two's?
It has long being believed that we need to teach young players 'skills', 'the fundamentals' before we can put them into a match.
But there isn't any research or evidence to say this is the best way.
There is, however, loads of research into how the fundamentals can be developed in a way that actually makes...2024-01-2922 minShouting From The Sidelines#31 Lessons for Every Football Parent - a chat with ex-pro Luke LyonsImagine playing professional football then having it all taken away in one moment.
Luke Lyons went from grassroots football to academy through to professional.
As as a youngster he was highly regarded at Leeds United and was part of the league-winning u18 side that had many players who have since gone onto big things in professional football.
He eventually played professional for Airdrieonians FC in the Scottish Championship after a short stint with Bradford Park Avenue.
Unfortunately, he had...2023-12-111h 18Shouting From The Sidelines#30 Help! My Child Won't TackleEasily one of the most common things parents ask us - how can I get my child to tackle?
It’s a tough thing to coach in football terms.
It can come down to mindset and mentality BUT the good news is there is something parents and coaches can do to help youth players.
It’s a little tip that can also be applied to many other areas in football, not just tackling.
Have a listen and comment with any questions.2023-10-1607 minShouting From The Sidelines#29 Our 2 Big Worries for Todays KidsWe've learnt a lot about child development and parenting in almost a decade of running Foot-Tech.
And we've learnt so much over the last 12 months when we've been going into primary schools to deliver PE.
It's been an eye-opener to see some general changes in children which we think are a concern for them now and most certainly in the future.
Listen to find out our 2 biggest worries and what parents can do to help.2023-08-1819 minShouting From The Sidelines#28 Why Kids Need to Play Multiple PositionsSo many youth footballers are made to play in 1 position which they are then led to believe is 'their' position.
Young players miss out on so much football development as a result.
Playing in multiple positions helps improve players technically and tactically.
Whether you're a coach or a parent listen to find out why this simple thing is so good for the individual player and the team as a whole.2023-07-2617 minShouting From The Sidelines#27 Does My Child Need To Be In a Team?A question we get asked a lot - does my child need to be in a football team?
A lot of parents are worried that if they can't get their child into a team then it may hamper their development or they may feel they aren't giving their child the best opportunity to progress.
This episode explains why you DO NOT need to worry so long as you're ticking a few other boxes in terms of the things you are providing them with.
We look at how, in some cases, joining a team could be detrimental to their enjoyment and...2023-05-2534 minShouting From The Sidelines#26 Is Winning All the Time a Good Thing for Kids?In this episode we discuss why winning all the time might not be the best thing for children in football.
There’s a fine line between winning as a team and improving as an individual football player.
We discuss some of the red-flags to watch out for when picking a team/coach for your player and what might actually be a better option for their development.
A must-listen for sport parents.
Foot-Tech Academy is a children’s football coaching school in Leeds.
For more about...2023-05-1211 minShouting From The Sidelines#25 Four Tips to Boost Your Child's Football AbilityLooking to help your child become a more confident with their football?
In this episode, we'll share four expert tips to help kids of all ages and skill levels improve their game.
Listen to understand more about some really simple, easy to do things that we've found to help children improve not just for football but their overall fundamental movement and confidence.
For any more advice just drop us a message and don't forget to subscribe to the show.2023-04-0417 minShouting From The Sidelines#24 What Separates Academy Players From The Rest?A question we get asked a lot - what separates an academy footballer from the rest?
We've been lucky enough to watch many academy teams both in the UK and abroad.
We've also coached players who are in or who have been progressed to a professional academy.
Check out this episode if you're interested to know what our thoughts are on the biggest differences based on our own experiences.2023-03-1615 minShouting From The Sidelines#23 Development Centres - Everything You Need To KnowDevelopment Centres...
What are they? What should you do if your child gets asked to go to one and are they worth it?
We discuss it all in this episode of Shouting From The Sidelines.
Football Development Centres don't all have great reputations and some are just not worth yours or your child's time.
Things are hopefully improving but there are still things that parents needs to be aware of.
#If you have any questions after listening to this just drop us a message.2023-02-1619 minShouting From The Sidelines#22 The Issues with Ball MasteryDo you teach them skills?
What about ball mastery?
These questions seem to be on the rise recently.
We think it is down to parents seeing more of those ‘Insta kids’ doing all kinds of flicks & tricks on social media.
They then assume that is what a good footballer looks like - most of the time they are wrong.
Ball mastery has been around for 20+ years but it has only recently started to creep more into grassroots team football.
For some, it is seen as revolutionary.
Fo...2023-01-1909 minShouting From The Sidelines#21 Mike Bates - The Atlantic GrapplerMike Bates is an ex-Royal Marine and also worked undercover in human intelligence for the MoD where he was an ops leader.
Since leaving he has become a successful business owner after opening Gracie Barra Roundhay Leeds, a Jiu Jitsu academy which has seen amazing growth.
On top of that he is also about to start the unbelievable challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean (solo) to raise funds for Leeds Children's Hospital.
Perhaps his biggest challenge is being a Dad.
We sat down to discuss his approach to parenting, how h...2022-10-1358 minShouting From The Sidelines#20 An Ex-Pro's Approach to Sports ParentingCurtis Bernard signed as a professional footballer with Barnsley when they were in the Premier League.
He went on to have a very successful career in the lower leagues and learnt a lot along the way.
He is now a parent to two girls who are both involved in different sports. In this episode he shares with us how he has adapted his approach based on what he learned from his playing days and discusses some of the issues he sees with kids' sport.
Curtis now runs a bootcamp business based in Leeds...2022-07-2837 min
Shouting From The Sidelines#19 Preparing Your Child for Football TrialsFootball trials can be great experiences IF players are prepared for what to expect.
In our latest podcast episode we give our best tips for preparing for trials and how your player can get the best out of the time they have.2022-06-3025 minShouting From The Sidelines#18 Why Multi-Sport is Key for Your ChildListeners of the podcast will have heard us bang on about the important of exposing children to a wide variety of sports at a young age.
We believe there are 3 things that can really help the overall athletic development of a child:
A chosen sport
A donor sport
Play
We discuss what all this means and the proven benefits.
As always, remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review.
2022-05-1825 minShouting From The Sidelines#17 The Future of Football CoachingDid you know that Germany have just completely revamped their approach to grassroots football?
They have introduced a lot of new things including adopting a game called Funino.
Funino is a game first developed by legendary coach, Horst Wein.
The style of game helps to develop junior footballers but also ensures a lot of enjoyment.
It is something, along with Horst Wein's other teachings, that we have implemented at our sessions.
There is a change coming and we will see a return to street football style games with a focus...2022-03-2322 minShouting From The Sidelines#16 When is the Right Time for a Child to Quit?We never like to see our children quit.
Resilience and character can be built by pushing through hard-times, but there comes a point where quitting might actually be the best option.
We discuss all this in this episode of Shouting From The Sidelines plus:
What to ask your child in these situations
How to approach the coach in the right way
Red flags to watch out for to know when the time is right to quit
Enjoy and let us know your thoughts.2022-02-0318 minShouting From The Sidelines#15 The Secret to Unlocking Children's Potential?What do sports superstars like Roger Federer, Kobe Bryant, Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Tom Brady all have in common?
You'd be right if you said they are all leaders in their chosen sports but...
Did you know they all credit playing a variety of sports as a child as a reason for their high level of ability in their chosen sport?
This is something we have been researching and looking into for a number of years and the info suggests that kids who are exposed to a variety of sports tend to do better both...2021-11-1729 min
Two Week Notice100th Episode! (Very special guests)This special episode runs through the history of the Two Week Notice Podcast - including previously unreleased footage. Guests on this episode include:
-Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional)
-Eddie Reyes (Taking Back Sunday)
-Tucker Rule (Thursday)
-Chris DeMakes (Less Than Jake)
-Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids)
-Travis, Aaron, Andy, & Luke (Piebald)
-Connor Lovat-Fraser (Boys Night Out)
-Josh Latshaw (BoySetsFire)
-Daniel Brummel (Ozma)
-David McWane (Big D & The Kids Table)
-Erin David Tate (Minus The Bear)
-Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake)
-Chris Hornbrook (Poison The Well)
-James Muñoz (The Bled)
-Joe Musten (Beloved)
-Chris Towning (Bury Your Dead)
-Chad J...2021-11-161h 52Shouting From The Sidelines#14 How To Choose The Right Football Team For Your ChildIn this episode we discuss our recent experience of taking a Foot-Tech team to a tournament.
We saw a few things which we feel need to be highlighted in order to give parents a a good idea on how to pick the best team for their child.
We discuss:
Why putting children into positions early is NOT the best thing for them longer-term
How constant instructions from coaches/parents can actually damage their learning
Why we need to simply let them play
...and loads more.
Have a listen and let us...2021-10-1232 minShouting From The Sidelines#13 Stress Management for Parents & KidsLife is generally quite stressful.
A parents life can be even more stressful!
Now we are seeing that kids are also becoming increasingly stressed-out with with everything from school to sports.
We sat down with Sophia Taylor from Apollo Nutrition who is an expert in all things mental-health, nutrition and stress management.
She shares with us some great tips on how we can all manage stress to make our lives that little bit easier and also help our children along the way.2021-09-2241 minShouting From The Sidelines#12 Why We Are Starting Girls Only GroupsWe've been doing our bit to help girls football ever since we started.
But we now know we can do more and this has led to our decision to start our first-ever girls only groups at our weekly sessions.
In the episode we discuss:
Why now?
Why we haven't done it before?
When it will start
Enjoy!2021-08-1813 minShouting From The Sidelines#11 How To Build Resilience in Your ChildResilience is one of the most important things for our children.
It will help them in and out of sport and there are ways we as parents can help.
In this episode we discuss:
Why you don’t need to worry about your child catching up at school
Why comfort zones are so bad for children
Tips you can use to help grow a more positive mindset for your child (and you)
2021-03-1840 minShouting From The Sidelines#10 Why We Started Foot-TechThis was a request by one of our members.
She thought it would be good to know how and why we started Foot-Tech.
Nick and I sat down to talk all about it including what still drives us and what the future holds.
Enjoy!2021-01-2947 minShouting From The Sidelines#9 Creating a Black Belt Mentality - A Chat with Martial Arts Expert, Ricky LamBecoming a Black Belt means more than just fancy kicks and punches.
It's about a journey of building confidence, perseverance, resilience and character.
It doesn't just apply to martial arts, either.
Creating this mentality in our children will help them now and in the future. But how do we do it?
We chat to Ricky Lam, a martial arts expert and owner of Premier Martial Arts, who has trained 100's of black belts and met 1000's of parents and children along the way.
He tells us what separates the...2020-11-1347 minShouting From The Sidelines#8: Are You A Joystick Parent?Joysticking is becoming more common in children's sport.
In this episode we discuss:
What joysticking is
Why you need to stop doing it
What you can do instead
As always please leave your thoughts and feedback.2020-08-2728 minShouting From The Sidelines#7: Freestyle Legend John FarnworthWhat can we say about John Farnworth?
He is a prime example of what happens when you focus on consistent practise and hard work.
John lived his dream of becoming a freestyle football world champion and has since gone on to be the host of Match Of The Day Kickabout (amongst other TV appearances) and has also broke several world records including juggling a ball across the Sahara Desert, up Mount Everest and across the largest frozen lake in the world!
Above anything else he is a humble guy who loves helping children fall in love with sport.
On this e...2020-07-2956 minShouting From The Sidelines#6: How To Help Your Child Be More AthleticGlen Thurgood is an expert in making people faster and stronger.
He has worked in professional football and rugby and was part of the backroom team when Northampton FC beat Liverpool at Anfield in the FA Cup.
Glen shares his knowledge and explains why all children need to be doing some sort of speed and mobility training to help them in sport and every day life.2020-07-211h 14Shouting From The Sidelines#5: Leeds Rhinos Women's Head Coach, Lois ForsellLois Forsell has achieved more before the age of 30 than most do in their lifetime.
She won the treble with Bradford Bulls, captained Leeds Rhinos and played for England at 2 World Cups.
She shares her story and has some amazing advice for parents and children in sport.2020-06-3057 minShouting From The Sidelines#4: What's It Really Like In An Academy?What is it really like in an Academy?
What does it take to get there?
We spoke with Arran Horton, Former Leeds United Academy coach and now Director of Football at Visakha FC; a professional team in Cambodia.
Arran gives some brilliant insights into Academy life, the difference between good grassroots players and elite Academy players and loads more.2020-06-1547 minShouting From The Sidelines#3: England & Former Leeds Rhino's Head Physio, Andy BarkerAndy Barker has had the unique experience of many years in the dressing room of the one of the best Rugby League sides of all time, The Leeds Rhino's.
Andy was head physio during their greatest-ever period of success and has worked with some of the biggest names in the sport.
He now works with the FA helping the international England teams from u15 to u20.
He has some fascinating insights into elite level sport and what it takes to get there.
He also talks about how kids can best help themselves reach those levels, injury prevention for children and muc...2020-06-0942 minShouting From The Sidelines#2: Leeds United Women's Captain, Bridie HannonBridie Hannon is the captain of Leeds United Women and is one of a few people who can say they've lived their dream - to play and captain your hometown club playing the sport you love.
Bride talks to us about how she got to where she is, how playing against boys helped her, the future of the women's game and loads more.
Enjoy!2020-05-3133 minShouting From The Sidelines#1: The Mindset Of A World Champion - A chat with Liam HarrisonImagine becoming a World Champion in something.
What does it take? How do parents help? How important is the right coach?
We sat down with Liam Harrison, multiple World Champion in Thai Boxing. He's fought around the globe and learnt a lot along the way.
This is a great insight into what it takes to become the best in your field.2020-05-2551 min