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Episode 128 – What Actually Is Player Development?

In this episode, Scott Mowberry is joined by regular co-presenter Ray Power for an insightful discussion exploring one of the most frequently used phrases in football coaching: player development.

Together, Scott and Ray examine what player development actually means and why it involves much more than simply improving a player's technical ability. They discuss the importance of developing the whole person, including mindset, decision-making, resilience, emotional intelligence, and the capacity to transfer learning from training into match situations.

Drawing on their combined experience in coaching, coach education and youth development, Scott and Ray share practical insights into how coaches can create environments that support long-term growth and help young players fulfil their potential both on and off the pitch.

Whether you are a grassroots coach, academy practitioner, coach educator or parent, this episode offers valuable perspectives on how to balance performance and development while keeping the individual needs of each player at the centre of the coaching process.

Please do leave a review, like and share the episode!

Website – Ray Power Official Website

X – The Soccer Coaching Podcast - @SoccerCoachCast
The Soccer Coaching Podcast Email – thesoccercoachingpodcast@gmail.com

This Episode Was Brought to You in Association with Our Friends at Soccer Coach Weekly

Established in 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for grassroots coaches.

Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, who save time and effort while making their coaching journey more effective, enjoyable and successful for both themselves and their players.

Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoyed the episode!

This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.

Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/

Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 127,

Brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly (@SoccerCoachWeek)

Episode 127 – Coaches Voice (Episode 2): Half-Time Team Talks, Opposed v Unopposed, Player-Centred Coaching

In this episode we bring you the second instalment of our Coaches Voice series, recorded with Ray Power, where we share thoughts, experiences and reflections on key topics within the game.

This episode is shaped around questions and contributions from the coaching community. Zack kicks things off by asking about half-time team talks, Jonathan explores the use of opposed versus unopposed practices, and Adam, alongside a couple of his awesome young players, provides a brilliant real-life example of what player-centred coaching can look like in action.

We discuss how half-time can be used effectively to support players without overloading them, focusing on clarity of message and helping players to reset and refocus.

We also explore the balance between opposed and unopposed practices within training sessions, looking at how each can be used to support both technical development and game realism, and how coaches can design sessions that maximise transfer into match situations.

Finally, we reflect on player-centred coaching, highlighting the importance of creating environments where players are encouraged to think, solve problems, and take ownership of their development. Adam’s example, supported by his players, really brings this concept to life.

Please do leave a review, like and share the episode!

X - The Soccer Coaching Podcast - @SoccerCoachCast

The Soccer Coaching Podcast, Email - thesoccercoachingpodcast@gmail.com

This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.

Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/

Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!

This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.

Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/

Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 126 – Training Session Round Table, with Ben Andreos, Craig Birtwistle, Peter Prickett & Ray Power

In this episode we bring together an outstanding panel for a Training Session Round Table discussion, focusing on what is arguably the most fundamental part of player development – the training session itself.

Joined by Ben Andreos, Craig Birtwistle, Peter Prickett and co-host Ray Power, we explore how coaches approach the design and delivery of training sessions. The conversation dives into session structure, how sessions connect to a wider coaching plan, and the importance of ensuring transfer from the training ground into matchday performance.

The panel share their experiences, ideas and practical approaches to creating engaging, purposeful and effective sessions that truly support both player and team development.

It was an absolute privilege to be joined by such an awesome group of coaches, each bringing their own perspective, insight and expertise to the discussion.

Please do leave a review, like and share the episode!

Connect with our guests

• Peter Prickett (The Bearded Coach) – X: @PeterPrickett
• Craig Birtwistle – X: @CraigBirtwistle / @SessionShareNet
• Ben Andreos – X: @ben_andreos
• Ray Power – X: @power_ray

Podcast Information

X - The Soccer Coaching Podcast - @SoccerCoachCast

Email - thesoccercoachingpodcast@gmail.com

This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.

Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/

Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!

This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.

Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/

Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!