The proceedings were started by The FA’s Head of Grassroots Football; Les Howie with an introduction to the Coaching Fundamentals in the keynote speech. 

Pete Sturgess, FA Lead on the Foundation Phase, then introduced the group to the Foundation Phase of the England DNA, and challenged coaches to think creatively when planning their sessions. 

After lunch, Ben Bartlett, FA Senior Youth Coach Educator, challenged coaches to look at their tactics for developing players techniques. Using Florence Park Under 12s, the coaches observed 5 different games of 7 minutes to get different outcomes from each and how coaches can use the quick turnaround to their advantage. 

The last session of the day saw Kevin England, Regional Coach Mentor, supported by Andy Thompson, Oxfordshire FA Coach Mentor, challenge the coaches to think about their coaching philosophy and club philosophies. 

Football Development Officer James Shiplee said “This is an important event for us in the coach education calendar and to see so many people attending shows the commitment that coaches in the county have towards their own development. We’d like to thank everyone for attending as well as the tutors for delivering in a fantastic event for the county.” 

For more information about the Coaches Conference or Coaching Workshops, contact our Development Team via the details below.