Calling all LBU Sports Coaching alumni! Would you like to share your story of your career so far to help inspire the next generation of sport coaching students? We would love to hear from you: goo.gl/forms/8k6c3k3rWbVKbI1…

“And if we lose it’s still the right decision” such an important point and very well made @DanAbrahams77. Shared mental models and therefore responsibility.

I was asked whether Mikel Arteta should change his approach in April as the title beckons… I can’t ethically talk about Arteta or Arsenal…but I can talk about a concept called PJDM in coaching. Want to know more? Listen to the clip… (This is taken from the brilliant Ripple Effect podcast by the very awesome @jamesallcott and can be found here: buff.ly/IEs2AfN) (See the work of Dave Collins, Andy Abraham and others for more on PJDM…it’s is NOT my concept)

When it comes to wisdom, all paths lead to Kung Fu Panda…obviously! But it wasn’t Master Oogway who came up with the quote in the video…it was cartoonist Bil Keane. The present moment is a term oft used in my world of sport psychology. Regularly used because, by and large, it’s a useful piece of advice. Reflect too long on the past or linger too frequently in the future and you can guarantee the in-game opportunities and dangers will pass you by. What do players need? A high attention and an optimal intensity - that’s what! They need to be focused and connected to the game as cues emerge and dissolve…and they to be alert and ready…alert to the opportunities and ready to take them; alert to the dangers and ready to deal with them. Players rarely stay present just because they tell themselves to (although they can absolutely do this). They stay present because they work on relevant and flexible attentional cues that enable them to focus on what’s important in the moment. I have two powerful mental techniques to help players stay in the present - Focus Flashlight and Match Script. A Focus Flashlight contends that attention can be seen as a beam of light emanating from a player. The job of that player is to beam it externally onto the game as it goes on around them…searching for the important cues as they appear and disappear… …an external focus of attention! Keep scanning and searching for cues…scan and search, scan and search. Of course, a player can choose to direct that beam inwards if needed, but ultimately playing present is mostly about searching for the cues and clues in the fast-changing competitive environment. And then there’s a Match Script. I devised this for my first book Soccer Tough but also dedicate a chapter to it in my new book, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞. A Script consists of specific, controllable, positive plays that relate to the most important actions that need to be focused on. A Match Script helps a player recall what’s important and thus stay present minded. Focus Flashlight and Match Script. Ambitious competitors would do well to have a Mental Playbook for their game. One that helps them pay attention and stay present. And that’s what I invite players to do in my brand new book, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎% 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫…𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬)

Are you. or have you ever been. a sport coach, teacher, instructor, guide, or leader? Please complete this short survey about why coaches stop coaching for our research project with UK coaching! All coaches of any sport, at any level welcome. tinyurl.com/38afjks2

Very excited to be hosting such a high profile event here at @StirUni a lot of hard work ahead for our @Stir_AcadSport organising team… #CRiC2026

The wonderful Robert Bjork on the importance of forgetting in the process of learning… How can this apply to competitive sport? When I was consulting at AFC Bournemouth some years ago, with the honour of speaking regularly with Eddie Howe, and working with Feyenoord, with the delight of discussing coaching nuances with Arne Slot…this topic came up quite a bit… To forget is to remember! When working on patterns of play - patterns Mr Howe and Mr. Slot wanted their team to remember…I suggested employing spacing and contextual interference to solidify player memory. In simple, stripped-back terms - coach the patterns, then have players do another activity, then come back and test their ability to remember those patterns. Teach…forget…test As players return to be tested, their job is to retrieve from their minds the taught patterns. This process of retrieval…the mental effort of remembering the pattern…strengthens the memory of the pattern. To forget is to remember! To make the test even tougher, a coach can load it with problems to solve. The job of players is to remember the patterns whilst being confronted with oppositional problems. This increases the fidelity of the test…making it more game-like and real-world.

Excited to announce that bookings are now OPEN for our Coaching Symposium this coming November. @StirUni @Stir_AcadSport with @sportscotland Opening keynote on Practice Design, workshops exploring sport coaching, discussions. stir.ac.uk/ad1

One of my all time favorite Coaching & Coffees today. 10 Questions 10 Answers to give to a partner 10 Scores to award (Blind rank - no knowledge of next question or next partner) Award your 10, tell the group why Sharing your “Gold Dust” with your colleagues 👊🏻 #stastrong ⚽️

Delighted to have confirmation that Prof Keith Davids will be starting the @StirUni with @sportscotland 2025 Coaching Symposium with a keynote and discussion on practice design. For all coaches. Free to attend. Register your place NOW CoachingSymposium.stir.ac.uk

Actions & Consequences 🧠⚽️ Excited to join the delivery team for the @ENYSoccer annual coaching symposium this weekend. I’ll be diving into a component of coaching practice / planning I’m very passionate about that we discuss regularly at @sta_soccer If this, then WHAT? 🧐

"𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠" 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬. Coaches: when players feel they matter, they feel seen, important & needed through how others treat them. Scholars have deemed mattering to be a core instinct that drives all human behaviour. That’s why, when someone doesn’t believe they matter in a sports team they: - won’t share their voice if they don’t believe their voice is significant - won’t use their strengths if they don’t believe they have strengths - won’t contribute if they don’t believe they have something to contribute - won’t care as much as if they feel cared for The above has been slightly adapted for sport from a post by @helenbevan on ‘X’ that promotes the great work of @ZachMercurio on ‘X’ on the importance of human mattering…please consider following both for more great content applicable to sports settings…

🚨 WE’RE HIRING! 🚨 We’re on the lookout for 3 Assistant Coaches to join our PDG team! This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on coaching experience in an elite rugby environment. 📌 Check the post for full details. 📧 To apply or find out more, email: LukePendlebury@RFU.com

An afternoon dedicated to coach learning and development, hosted by @Carnegie_Sport @CarnegieSpCoach. Tickets still available here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/centre-fo… And the book available to purchase here (with 20% off): routledge.com/Sport-Coach-Ed… See you in September 👋📚

What an incredible thinking tool this is for coaches from @AndrewAbraham11 and @Bob__Muir Who am I coaching? (What are their needs and wants?) What am I going to coach them? (Building a sport specific performance model) How am I going to coach them? (Using theories to underpin learning and development)

Thanks as ever for sharing Dan. This model underpins our BSc and MSc Sport Coaching, & MSc Coach Development. Both MSc are recruiting for Sept MSc CD: leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/c… MSc SC leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/s… Contact Andy Abraham with questions A.K.Abraham@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

A couple of papers/chapters that cover this S&C Coaching researchgate.net/publication… Coach Developing researchgate.net/publication… Sport Coaching researchgate.net/publication…

🚀 We believe this work puts forward important practical & methodological recommendations to guide future research in the field of motor learning and attentional focus. What a great team onboard as well! @CarnegieSpCoach 🙌 researchgate.net/publication…

We’re looking for coaches to join our Category 2 Academy at Huddersfield Town. If you’re interested or know someone interested please follow the link! ⚽️ careers.htafc.com/job/56e71e…

Fantastic to see @Carnegie_Sport alumni supporting @officialbantams and @LUFC to promotion! Great work Alex and Scott! 🗓️There is still time left to apply to join us in September in the next cohort of MSc Sport Performance Analysis: leedsbeckett.ac.uk/courses/s…