One look at the Premier League Elite Player Performance Plan EPPP and it’s clear that the goal is to industrialise the production of homegrown talent. If you include the 12 teams in the Women’s Super League, that’s 104 teams, all approaching the problem of developing young players in much the…

A Pyrrhic victory is a term used to describe a victory that comes at such a high cost that it almost feels like a defeat. Sadly in youth sport (and parenting), the costs mount up, and defeat only shows up when it’s too late. The horse has bolted. Here are…

There’s a rule in copywriting that says “Show don’t tell“. By allowing readers to draw their own conclusions, the writer creates engagement. In coaching, there is a shift away from direct instruction, for much the same reason. However, the argument over whether we should show people or tell people is…

The kid who has the lead role in the school play, the school rugby team captain, and has 10 A* stars in GCSE. No, not that kid. The one, who asks questions, accepts challenges, and has taught themselves to play guitar. Give me that kid. If we want to change…

The good news is that everything is working well. That’s what we want to hear. What we don’t want to hear is that the project has been plagued with glitches since we started. It’s clear that NHS managers don’t want whistleblowers. Fans of football clubs don’t want to see their…

If the rule is that you don’t eat breakfast cereal that colours your milk then pink milk is not an option. However much you like the colour pink. That’s the rule. If the guidance is to eat healthy, then just maybe pink is fine as long as the milk is…

On summer break my kids have been designing obstacle courses for themselves. From hanging, climbing, kicking, ducking, leaping, jumping, to running. They have even drawn out various hopscotch formats using chalk on the local tennis courts. But, perhaps my favourite time during the summer holidays has been drafting in other…

An independent thinker doesn’t follow the crowd. Which is odd because there is wisdom in crowds. But the maverick knows that there is only wisdom in crowds that are capable of independent thought. To make progress, connect independent thinkers to a network, rather than focus on assembling a group that…

An author is a writer who has published their work. Evidently, it’s not the task of writing, it is the skill and environment necessary to commit to the practice of shipping your work that makes the difference.