Dr.Matt Pain: how cleverly designed ‘off-pitch’ activities can help predict young players’ future psychological skills

Coach | Approach | Matt Pain | 11.08.2022

Cleverly designed off-pitch workshops can help predict young players’ future psychological skills, says Dr Matt Pain. Image: Getty Images

Learning:

-   How to design effective ‘off-pitch’ workshops to challenge players socially and psychologically

-        How to provide social and psychological support in the same way you would provide technical and tactical support

-        Developing a psychological profile to support player development

Cleverly designed off-pitch workshops can help predict young players’ future psychological skills, says Dr Matt Pain, who provided psychological support to England’s youth teams, including the first ever ‘inter-disciplinary’ camp for an U15 England squad featuring Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Bukayo Saka and Emil Smith-Rowe.

“I set-up workshops to challenge the players psychologically and socially,” explains Pain, who was integral to the creation and implementation of the 5Cs psychological framework adopted by the English FA.