2012 Youth Coaching Manual - AFL Community

Keeping them playing
By Michael O’Loughlin, AIS/AFL Academy High
Performance Coach
Welcome to the AFL Youth Coaching Manual, which I know you will find an invaluable resource as you embark, or continue, on
your adventure of coaching footballers of secondary age.
Adolescence is an incredibly important and challenging time in the lives of young people. It is a time when we need to maintain
their involvement in our great game and, as a coach; you will play a vital role in their development and enjoyment of the game. In
fact, recent AFL research has shown that there is no more critical factor for young people in deciding whether they will continue
to play or drop out of sport than the way in which coaches approach their role. Therefore you have a great challenge, but also a
wonderful opportunity as a coach to engage young footballers.
Coaching can be a very satisfying role. Watching a young footballer displaying their skills, making good decisions, helping their
teammate and trying their best under the pressure of competition provides a great sense of pride for a coach, and also recognition
that what is being taught at training is being understood and acted upon.
As a coach of secondary school age you will need to understand they have many competiting activities as well as their schoolwork,
but fundamentally they are playing because they want to be with their friends, they want to learn more about the game and they
want to improve themselves. They will be looking to you as their coach, to provide the education, guidance and support in helping
them to achieve these outcomes. As a coach you are a teacher, role model and leader and you can exert enormous influence in their
football, but also in other areas of their lives.
Through coaching you will help them build life-long relationships with each other and often with you, as you impart productive
behaviours and strong values. Many young people will continue to carry the lessons they learn as adolescents through their
adulthood. Let’s make the lessons they learn are the best possible.
As a coach of the AIS Academy I have a responsibility to live up to the Academy’s Mission Statement of; “Developing Better People,
Better Footballers.”
As coach I also instil my values as a person into everything I do with them. My values are: Accountability, Respect,
Professionalism, Team First Attitude, Loyalty and Encouragement. As a coach I know players learn from what I do not what I say. It
is the best way to earn respect as a coach.
I also realise as the Academy Coach that these young footballers wouldn’t be achieving or playing the game if it wasn’t for all the
coaches who have taught and encouraged them along the way. It is also the Level 1 Youth Course and this supporting manual which
will greatly assist youth coaches to effectively fulfil their role.
As well as the core information about skills and tactics, this manual comprehensively explores the extremely important social and
interpersonal skills required of effective coaches in dealing with this age group, as well as issues associated with youth welfare in the
football environment.
It is every coach’s responsibility at every level of the game to make the experience of playing Australian Football as enjoyable and
fulfilling as possible, so that we provide the best possible environment to encourage them to continue participating. This is equally
important whether they become potential AFL players or continue to play at the community level. All form part of the lifeblood
and future of the game. This manual is a great resource in assisting coaches to develop their capacity to fulfil that critical coaching
outcome, to keep them playing and loving football.
I strongly endorse the coach education programs, and I recommend that all youth coaches, if they haven’t done so already,
undertake the AFL Level 1 Youth Accreditation Course. You may or may not know, but AFL Coach Accreditation is now mandatory
in all leagues and associations around Australia.
Best of luck with your coaching, and I hope you find it as fulfilling as I have.
Michael O’Loughlin
AIS/AFL Academy High Performance Coach
AFL Youth Coaching Manual
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