Reflection Isn’t Just for Teachers
Reflection is something we hear a lot about in education, but in football coaching, it can sometimes take a back seat to the more visible aspects of the role. The truth is, whether you’re working with U9s or U19s, grassroots or elite, taking time to think about how a session went is where real learning kicks in not just for players, but for us as coaches too.
And no, it doesn’t mean sitting down immediately with an A4 template and writing an essay. In fact, some of the best reflective moments happen in more casual ways like the car ride home or later thinking in the shower.
The Power of the Car Ride Home
That short journey after a session is golden. You're still in the mindset of the session, the key moments are fresh in your mind, and you're away from distractions.
Ask yourself:
What went well?
Did the players understand what I was trying to get across?
Did I manage the group effectively?
Were there any players who needed more support or challenging?
If I ran this session again tomorrow, what would I tweak?
You don’t need to answer every question every time. But forming a habit of asking yourself even one or two of them consistently can lead to serious growth over time.
Without reflection, we risk repeating the same mistakes or missing opportunities to improve. Maybe that passing session didn’t quite hit the learning outcome or perhaps the small sided game lacked intensity. When you reflect, you’re not just asking what happened, but why it happened. Was it the design of the session? The framing? Your own delivery? Or even the perodisation, have most of your players been involved in a school/ college game earlier or sat their GCSE in the morning. Almost anything can impact a session making it a success or failure. But the most important part of reflection is what comes next...
Turn Reflection Into Action
The best reflection leads to action. If something didn’t work, how will you change it in your next session? If something did go really well, how will you build on it? It doesn’t need to be a complete transformation. A small tweak like changing the size of a playing area, adjusting your coaching points, or managing work vs recovery rates differently can make a substantial difference.
You might even jot down a quick note in your coaching journal or phone when you park up at home. A sentence or two is all it takes to spark better planning later. I recently delivered a pre-season session focusing on creativity and risk-taking but I tried too hard to be thorough and it resulted in extensive session objectives. I recognised this during the session and turned it into an oppertunity to ask them to focus in on one specifically which was a successful quick thinking tweak to ensure the session was clear and beneficial for the players.
Crutially it wasn't until the car ride home I consolidated my error and made a note to change this next session. Having already delivered the following session I followed my self-reflection and simplified the objectives improving clarity amongst the players.
Don’t Wait for the Bad Sessions
It’s easy to reflect when things go wrong. You want to figure out what happened. But reflecting on good sessions is just as important. What made them successful? Was it the energy? The structure? The way you communicated? Locking in those positive habits is just as valuable as fixing the flaws.
Make It a Habit, Not a Chore
Reflection shouldn’t feel like homework. It’s about keeping your coaching fresh, responsive, and player-centered. It’s also a way of holding yourself accountable, not in a harsh, critical way, but in a professional, progressive one. I often refer to this as "healthy challenge" and it's the cornerstone of my development strategy. Healthy challenge involves putting yourself in situations where you may not necessarily be correct, encouraging new critial thinking and the oppertunity to learn in new environments where you aren't as experienced. This ultimately supports you in difficult moments and allows you to better feel "comfortable with being uncomfortable".
And when you do it consistently, your sessions will naturally become sharper, more engaging, and better suited to your players’ needs. A recent example in my coaching included tweaking the warm-up based on player feedback. Trialing a new routine wasn't great practice before a big game but I felt ready for the healthy challenge and I was prepared they could have loved or hated the changes, fortunately for me they preferred the new warm-up design and the concept became a routine improving performance as a result.
