Bolton’s Matt Craddock: why consistency of behaviour and taking time to ‘pause’ are key to player and coach development

Coach | Values | Matt Craddock| 18.02.2022

Consistency of behaviour and taking time to ‘pause’ are key ingredients for effective player and coach development, says Bolton Wanderers Head of Academy Coaching, Matt Craddock (pictured above).

Learning: 

-        Providing a stable and secure environment for young player development

-        The coach acting as a role model for young people

-        Pausing and suspending judgement in order to make better decisions

Consistency of behaviour and taking time to ‘pause’ are key ingredients for effective player and coach development, says Bolton Wanderers Head of Academy Coaching, Matt Craddock.

“There are a lot of highs and lows in football and coaching is the same,” explains Craddock, who spent over five years as Head of Coaching at Preston North End before joining Bolton as Head of Academy Coaching in September 2021.

“On one of The FA youth modules there was the analogy of the coach as a lighthouse. Sometimes the players are going through stormy waves and sometimes they’re not. But, as the coach, you have to be a consistent figure. The coach has to be the consistent light in the distance for young players.”