Course Overview

What are coaches saying about this course?

Superb.
"This course is brilliant. It gives real world solutions to real world problems. Parents complaining about equal playing time or players being rotated between different positions. Or what to do when a session gets off track, or when people are shouting from the sidelines.... it was just fabulous."


Great!
"The course covers all aspects of coaching. Really recommend this course for anyone wishing to take a great leap forward in their understanding of coaching in a short time."


Fantastic!
"The course is fantastic. I highly recommend it to all the parents and coaches that want to learn the fundamentals of coaching. Rob’s explanations are very clear and simple. Amateurs clubs should be offering this course to all the new and young coaches in their community. Thanks!"


So many great insights!
"Even as a coach with over 35 years of experience, I am always open to new information, and found some gems in the material put forward here."


One of the best online courses available.
"World class instructors assisting you along the way to have a clear understanding of coaching and development . If you are new to coaching or would like to refresh your skill base I would highly recommend this course."

We’ve helped thousands of coaches around the world, now we can help you too.

We know that the majority of coaches out there are volunteers – first time coaches, who may not have a background in soccer. We also know that these coaches are likely to be time-poor; they probably work a full-time job and have children, which may be how they began coaching in the first place. These coaches don’t have the time to spend hours and hours searching for answers online about how to effectively coach soccer.

If this sounds like you, then read on.

We also realised that you probably don’t have time to plan your training sessions, or create new activities that will keep your players engaged. And for some first time coaches, there are other challenges, like communicating clearly with your players, dealing with difficult parents, or just making sure the kids have fun.

When we looked around for other courses for first time coaches, many of them take 40-120 hours to complete and may have limited dates, or require travel to attend.

So we teamed up with Rob Sherman, one of the best coach educators in the world, to deliver a 100% online course that you can complete from home, in your own time, on any device.

Rob is supported by some other top coaches including:

  • Tony Readings, Former New Zealand Women’s Head Coach & AFC Pro License Holder.
  • Arthur Brammer, Former Watford FC, Fulham FC & New York City FC Academy Coach.
  • Dave Wright, Co-Founder of PDP and Former Academy Coach at Brentford FC, Fulham FC & Melbourne Victory FC.
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The course starts with the basics and is designed to build solid coaching foundations, guided by our four coaching principles, which are constants throughout the course. We help you understand your players, and understand the skills you already have that you can apply to your coaching.

The course covers everything you need to get started coaching, from creating a positive culture and communication techniques, to what to do when the players arrive at training, and a range of different activities you can do during the session.

We filmed Rob putting all the lessons into practice, running real sessions with real players, and he talks you through everything he is seeing and doing along the way.

And when you enrol in the course you will get a whole collection of PDF practices you can do with your players, and a framework for putting them into a whole session. We have also included some valuable checklists that you can take to training to make sure you’re organised before the session, during the session, and when you plan your next one.

When you complete the course you will receive a certificate of completion from PDP. Every week you will be creating an environment that your players love, which enables them to learn and grow on and off the field.

So what are you waiting for? Get started now.
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Designed for time-poor coaches who want to give their players a great experience.

  • Learn at your own pace. You can complete the course from any device, anytime.

  • Save time every week with our session planning framework which includes over 50 practices to use with your players.

  • Lessons from the course are put into action with real players, in real environments.

  • Highly practical content for first time coaches, even if you have never played sport before.

  • Designed for coaches working with 6 - 12 year old players, but applicable to all youth age groups.

  • A collection of practical take-aways: checklists, session plans and guides.

  • Upon completion of the course you will receive an official PDP certificate.

Course curriculum

  1. 1

    • Welcome and Thank You!

    • Coaching Principles

    • PDF Download: Coaching Principles

    • Quiz 1: Coaching Principles

    • Glossary of Coaching Terms

    • Coming Up...
  2. 2

    • Part 2: What We Will Cover

    • You, the Coach: Survey

    • The Role of the Coach

    • Quiz 2: The Role of the Coach

    • Understanding your Players

    • Establishing a Player-Centred Environment

    • Quiz 3: A Player Centred Environment
  3. 3

    • Part 3: What We Will Cover

    • Creating a Positive Culture

    • Quiz 4: Creating a Positive Culture

    • General Communication

    • Communicating During the Session

    • Quiz 5: Coach Communication
  4. 4

    • Part 4: What We Will Cover

    • Choosing the Activities

    • Quiz 6: Choosing Activities

    • Planning the Session: Numbers, Equipment, Area, Time.

    • PDF Checklist: Planning the Session N.E.A.T

    • Adaptability: Plan A and Plan B

    • Quiz 7: Planning and Adaptability
  5. 5

    • How to Use the Session Plans

    • 1. Dribbling Session Plans

    • 2. Passing & Receiving Session Plans

    • 3. Running with the Ball Session Plans

    • 4. 1v1 Facing the Opponent Session Plans

    • 5. Shooting Session Plans

    • 6. Controlling & Passing Session Plans

    • 7. Running with the Ball Session Plans

    • 8. Defending Session Plans
  6. 6

    • What We Will Cover

    • Safety and Risk: EERIE

    • PDF Checklist: Safety and Risk E.E.R.I.E

    • Coach and Player Protection
  7. 7

    • Part 6: What We Will Cover

    • Setting Up: Areas and Transition

    • Arrival Activities

    • U9: Skill Intro: Retaining Individually

    • U9: Skill Intro: Turning with Ball

    • U9: Skill Game: Four Goal Game

    • U12: Arrival Activity Example

    • U12: Skill Intro: Passing in Pairs

    • U12: Skill Training: Receiving and Releasing

    • U12: Skill Training: Short Passing

    • U12: Skill Game: Four Goal Small-Sided Game
  8. 8

    • What We Will Cover

    • PDF Checklist: Keep Your Sessions on Track S.U.C.C.E.S.S

    • Player Feedback

    • What Worked and What Didn't?

    • Next Session

    • Quiz 8: Feedback, Evaluation & Planning

    • Congratulations
  9. 9

    • Bonus Lesson #1: Components of the Game & The Practice Spectrum

    • Bonus Lesson #2: Perception, Decision Making and Execution In Action

    • Bonus Quiz: Components of the Game, The Practice Spectrum & PDE

Learn the fundamentals of soccer coaching, save time every week, and help your players thrive.

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Much more than just a course.

We've packed the course with practical plans you can take away and use immediately.

  • 50+ PDF Practice Plans

    We've put a whole library of PDF practices together, many of which are demonstrated with real players in the course videos. Plus, we've put together a framework for assembling these practices into great sessions, customised for your players.

  • Practical Coaching Checklists

    We have included systems in the course for making sure you're on track with your preparation, session set up, player safety, evaluation, and much more. You will have access to a collection of downloadable PDFs you can take to training.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When does the course start and finish?

    It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. You can refer back to key lessons anytime to sharpen your knowledge.

  • How long will I have access to the course?

    After purchasing the course, you have unlimited access for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.

  • What if I am unhappy with the course?

    We believe in our course! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase for any reason, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

  • Do I need coaching experience to take this course?

    No! We have designed this course for those who are new to coaching soccer. This course is great for volunteer parents, first time coaches, and for coaches who may have some experience, but are looking to build a solid foundation of knowledge and get some great tips and resources they can put into action right way.

  • What happens when I complete the course?

    You will receive a certificate of completion which you can add to your soccer coaching resume. You will be able to confidently coach your players and create an environment they will love. Every week you will be helping your players fall in love with the game.

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Lifetime access, including updates, new material and exclusive events.

  • $147.00

    One-time payment, lifetime access.

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Learn the fundamentals of soccer coaching, save time every week, and help your players thrive.

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What We Cover

Among the topics covered in Introduction to Soccer Coaching, you’ll learn about:

  • Coaching Principles

    A guide on how to get the best from this course, complete with a glossary of key coaching terms and an analysis of essential coaching principles which will be a constant throughout the course.

  • Taking on a Team

    What is the role of the coach? We examine the responsibilities of a youth soccer coach and advise on how you can understand your players. We’ll outline the age-related characteristics of children throughout the different age groups of youth soccer and explain how you can establish the player-centric environment that children need.

  • Effective Communication

    Your effectiveness as a soccer coach hinges on your ability to communicate with your players. We provide expert advice on talking to your players alongside leading communication techniques collated by our team of professional coaches and sports psychologists.

  • Pre-Session Preparation

    Preparing for training sessions can often seem daunting. We need to consider how many players and how much time we have, what equipment we’ll need, and what activities we’d like to perform. In our unit on pre-session preparation, we teach you all about session planning, time management, how to effectively use your playing area, and how to utilize equipment.

  • Pre-Session Organisation

    The essential steps to player and coach safety. Everything from assessing risks and setting-up your session to player registration and arrival activities. We also cover how best to use the area you have to coach within and how to easily transition from one activity to the next.

  • Delivering the Session

    This section provides an array of resources to help you deliver fun and effective training sessions that keep your players excited about the game. You’ll learn how to engage players quickly at the start of each session and discover a range of soccer drills to introduce and practice different skills with a variety of age groups.

  • Evaluation and Improvement

    The process of evaluating your session, understanding what went well, what went poorly, and what to change next time, is a crucial part of coaching. By working through the evaluation approach taught in the course you can ensure your sessions continue to get better and you players have a great experience.

  • Plus Much More

    In addition to video lessons, you’ll receive an array of supplementary resources, including session preparation checklists, safety and organizational checklists, player evaluation sheets, and detailed session plans exemplifying many of the ideas learned throughout the course.

Your Instructor

Learn from one of the best coach educators in the world.

Coach Educator

Rob Sherman

Rob Sherman is a world-class innovator in the world of coach and player development.

Beginning his journey in soccer as a professional player, he has subsequently worked with a number of international teams as a coach at a host of major tournaments. Rob has coached at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, U20 Men’s World Cup, Beijing Olympics, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and was Assistant Coach of the Canadian Women’s National Team that won Bronze at the London Olympics.

Rob has also worked as the National Technical Director of Football Australia, New Zealand Football, and the Football Association of Wales, and been heavily involved in the development of multiple national coach education programs, ranging from introductory qualifications to the Pro Licence level.

Rob’s expertise in the field of coach education is unrivalled, as is his passion for helping people to develop. Whether working with players or coaches, his mission is to get the best out of those he works with. This dedication to the game forms the basis of the course.

Get Started Now.

Lifetime access, including updates, new material and exclusive events.

  • $147.00

    One-time payment, lifetime access.

    Buy Now