Coaching the coaches is as vital as coaching the players. Many clubs struggle with consistency because adult volunteers interpret plans differently or drift from agreed methods. 

 

When everyone understands why you coach the way you do, alignment improves naturally.

 

A club that supports its coaches with open reflection and gentle challenge builds stronger programmes over time.

 

“Coaching the coaches” means setting the tone for learning, not control. The aim is collective improvement, not uniformity.

 

To keep adults aligned, four methods make the biggest difference. 

1. Clarify the shared framework: decide what the group believes in and accept that not everyone will see it the same way. Find the shared middle. 
2. Model and observe: let coaches see good practice in action and reflect on player responses.
3. Feedback loops: create regular, low-pressure opportunities to share what went well and what could be better.
4. Positive accountability: if someone leads a session, ask what their intent was and how it worked. None of this requires formal meetings, it thrives on conversation and curiosity.

Over time, these actions build a professional culture in an amateur setting, where everyone learns from each other and the players benefit most.

Agreement and Alignment 

To support consistent coaching behaviour, we created a simple survey with four focus areas (see attached PDF). 

 

The first two are shared purpose and approach and coach behaviour and interaction. These explore whether coaches feel aligned around philosophy, language, structure, and definition of success, and whether they model positive, player-centred conduct.

 

Agreement here provides clarity. For example, if everyone values guided discovery but one coach dominates play with instructions, players receive mixed signals.

 

This survey transforms vague talk into measurable discussion. When coaches rate themselves from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree,” they reveal both alignment and gaps. The goal isn’t to score high but to start an honest conversation about shared standards and behaviours that reflect the club’s identity.

 

The final two dimensions are collaboration and communication and player development focus.

 

Strong coaching groups communicate regularly and share ideas freely. They observe each other’s sessions not to judge but to learn. In turn, that collaboration ensures the focus stays on player learning rather than adult agendas.

 

This section of the survey highlights whether coaches believe their training truly connects to match day and whether all players feel valued. Clubs that revisit these questions termly find they stay connected to their purpose.

 

Agreement and alignment aren’t paperwork - they are culture.

 

When adults reflect together, they create the clarity that children need to thrive.