A home for anyone who loves youth football | Ten years + of resources, 3D animations and ideas for the coaches, parents and volunteers | 70k+ Followers 🌍
North Wales, Wales
Joined December 2017
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2026 has clear targets for TSR, shaped by what worked in 2025 and what didn’t.
➟ The learning stays.
➟ The standards rise.
This year is about pushing myself further out of my comfort zone, building confidence, and showing up more consistently by putting my face to the thinking, not hiding behind graphics or text.
More variety, presence and more accountability.
And yes, an almighty target sitting there too:
🎙️ Starting the TSR podcast.
Same values. More visibility. Higher intent.
I have felt a bit guilty that I haven’t been as active with contributing and commenting on people’s comments as normal over the past few days.
Apologies!
My head has been in my university work with my dissertation deadline drawing closer.
As my University degree is coming to an end, I’m really excited to put more time into The Sporting Resource, creating new resources and getting involved with conversations again.
There is plenty of free coaching content/resources to access on our platforms:
Website:
thesportingresource.co.uk/
YouTube: youtube.com/@TheSportingReso…
Thank you for staying with us!
The Sporting Resource retweeted
5v4 | Defending Wide Areas
📌 Defending in wide areas.
⚙️ Set-Up:
➡️ On a 1/4 of a pitch section up the playing area. Have a larger goal at one end and x 2 manikins at the opposite end.
👕 Teams: ⚫️s & 🟢 (GK) vs 🔴s
🧰 How to Play:
☑️ A GK 🟢, 2 x CBs, 1 x FB and 1 x CM (⚫️s) defend the larger goal. If they win possession, they score by passing the ball off the blue manikins or running the ball between them.
☑️ The 🔴s attack the larger goal. A SK, WM and FB are positioned in the main playing area, whilst a CM (🔴) is placed just along the line just outside of the playing area.
☑️ The 🔴s CM is fixed behind that line until the ball crosses the orange dashed line; at this point, the 🔴 CM can join the attack.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Bonus goals for each minute of defending without conceding.
👨🏫 Review: The compactness of the defensive unit to deny scoring opportunities.
🚫 Restriction: A moving offside line for the defenders to practice at different heights.
@SundayShare10 #SundayShare
@Coach_Osku @JB_SoccerCoach @205_Academy @PeterPrickett @TheS_Resource @SessionShareNet
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
The Sporting Resource retweeted
Grassroots Club Coaching Toolkit
Fillable PDF's
Level 1 Session Planner
Level 2 Session Planner
Level 3 Session Planner
Match Day Planner
Player Reflection Template
Coach's Reflection Journal
BONUS: Save 20% compared to buying individually.
Store link in my bio.
The Sporting Resource retweeted
A little bit of planning on the TT THINK TANK!
Created on: Tactical Thinker The Think Tank
The Sporting Resource retweeted
10‑ Final post of this series.
Scaffolding is the arc of learning: “The practice begins with structure… moves toward challenge… and finally fades into autonomy.”
So I ask: Are we designing sessions that follow a learning arc, not a drill list?
@TheS_Resource @CoachesVoice
The Sporting Resource retweeted
Equal game time at grassroots should be non-negotiable. The kid on the bench needs the minutes more than the star does.
It's Friday and that means I've updated our Who to Follow directory again.
It now includes 76 coaches, educators, organisations and resources from across the game.
We’re not going to tell you who we’ve added.
You’ll have to go and find out.
The reason we built this is simple:
⤷ There are good people sharing useful ideas every day, but finding them amongst everything else on social media can be difficult.
So we’re putting them in one place.
Search by name, filter by platform and see who you might be missing.
thesportingresource.co.uk/co…
Go and find your next follow.
Four cones, four players and one ball.
⤷ Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?
Until someone forgets where they're supposed to run and the whole square turns into a roundabout with no road markings.
Our FREE Passing Square Warm-Up gets players passing, moving and creating angles to receive.
Let them invent their own rotations too. What could possibly go wrong?
Coaches, what's your favourite way to make a passing warm-up more enjoyable?
Full session: youtu.be/oid4sRhG2y4?si=PqYC…
Created using @SSPlanner
All three TSR hats are now live and available to buy.
The bobble hat is back, alongside our two new baseball caps, and stock is already starting to move.
We’re now down to just 5 black-on-black baseball caps, and they’ve been the quickest seller so far.
If you’ve been thinking about getting one, I wouldn’t leave it too long.
Every purchase goes straight back into The Sporting Resource and helps us keep improving the website, content and resources we provide.
Shop all three hats here:
thesportingresource.co.uk/st…
Coaches, ever shouted “STAY COMPACT!” only to watch your defenders spread out like they're practising social distancing?
Our FREE Defensive Shape session works on pressing, covering, staying connected and moving together as a unit.
There's even a chance for players to create their own pressing traps. Just don't be offended if their ideas are better than yours.
What's the one thing your players struggle with most when defending as a team?
Full session: youtu.be/30nkVjEFhak?si=B0X9…
Created using @SSPlanner
The Sporting Resource retweeted
2v1 | Combine in Wide Areas
📌 Exploring 2v1s in wide areas
🔁 Set-Up:
➡️ Split the pitch into 3 equal zones of 10 by 12. Place an orange scoring zone at one end with 2 x mini goals placed on one side of the final zone (acting as crossing options).
➡️ Add a red scoring zone in the first third of the pitch for the defending team to escape into.
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Possession team, 🔴 Defending team
How to Play:
➡️ ⚫️s work the ball through the thirds. They must get the ball into the orange shaded zone, then try to cross into one of the mini goals.
➡️ 🔴 (1) must defend in the first zone and then recover to block the cross in the final zone. 🔴 (2) in the central zone must delay the attack so 🔴 (1) can get into a blocking position. If the 🔴’s win the ball, they attack the red shaded zone in a 2v2.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: A bonus ⚽️ for the defending team if the ⚫️s don’t score to incentivise the defending.
👨🏫 Review: The ⚫️s movements and timing of runs to create scoring chances.
🚫 Restriction: Place a 6-second time limit on the ⚫️s attack, which means the 🔴’s can go anywhere if the time runs out.
@PeterPrickett @Coach_Osku @205_Academy @JB_SoccerCoach @TheS_Resource @SessionShareNet @allenaremania
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
The Sporting Resource retweeted
Train combinations of play, carrying to attack, 2nd attacker support at angles with this small-sided game
6v6+2 forward dribble only
Players may only advance the ball by dribbling, can pass to players even/behind, or to wide neutrals.
@TacticalPad video + notes: 205sports.org/l/5r55ow
Full activity description in 🧵
@JustCoachMD @Coach_Osku @TheS_Resource @SessionShareNet @SSPlanner
The Sporting Resource retweeted
The 205 Tactical Workbook contains 20 match scenarios. Each scenario demonstrates a moment in the game and 4 possible solutions. Coaches and players are encouraged to analyze, consider, and respond. The workbook includes video links and enrichment questions.
Click for free access and download: 205sports.org/l/tactical-wor…
@TheS_Resource @UnitedCoaches
Should UEFA C be the minimum requirement for a grassroots youth head coach?
Your replies raised worries about cost, volunteers' time, and whether qualifications really lead to good coaching. We've looked at some of these arguments in this carousel.
A badge can't guarantee good coaching, but being a volunteer shouldn't mean we stop learning.
Would you make UEFA C compulsory, and what would need to be in place for it to work?
