Former Liverpool Head of Coach Development, Martin Diggle: don’t obsess on tactics at the detriment of individual players
Player | Journey | Peter Glynn | 04.06.2021
‘Protecting the innocence’ of young players should be the focus for coaches working with players in the youth development phase (13-16), says Martin Diggle (pictured), former Liverpool head of coach development.
Learning:
• Developing skills rather than tactics with young players
• Identifying individual player strengths
• Using tactics and systems to develop skill
Protecting the natural enthusiasm and gifts young children have for football, should be the focus for coaches as players move into the youth development phase (13-16), says Martin Diggle, former head of coach development at Liverpool’s academy.
“I don't see a lack of young players aged 9-11 being brave on the ball. I think they've got it in abundance,” says Diggle, who oversaw the development of the club’s 9-12 age-groups as part of his role as head of coach development.
“I think young kids are pretty fearless. I think what they don't really understand or appreciate consequence. What you see is these kind of free spirits and off they go.
“In many ways, what you've got to do is you've got to protect that as the players move into the youth development (13-16) age-groups. You've got to protect that innocence and that belief,” adds Diggle, who held a number of elite coach development roles in the FA’s technical department before joining Liverpool in 2019.
