Join us for an insightful conversation with Lee Waddington, an experienced youth soccer coach whose journey from his early days at Bolton Wanderers has shaped his innovative approach to player development.

Lee shares candid stories from his experiences at top academies, including how his early coaching education taught him valuable lessons about creating nurturing environments for young players.

Drawing from both successes and mistakes, he discusses the importance of combining patient development with data-driven decision-making while emphasizing the human side of coaching.

Whether it's setting up development centers in rival territories or presenting to Premier League executives, Lee's authentic approach and commitment to understanding how young players learn offer practical wisdom for coaches at every level.

This episode is packed with actionable insights about talent identification, age-appropriate coaching, and the critical balance between development and performance in youth soccer.

In this episode Jason speaks with individual coaching specialist Ben Mangan. They talk about how observing experienced coaches improves you as a coach, the influence of reflecting on your own coaching behaviours and why experiencing all age groups early in your career is important.

Be sure to connect with Ben at:

https://www.instagram.com/bmfootballcoach

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In this episode Jason talks with UEFA B Licence qualified grassroots soccer coach Paul Robinson. They discuss different informal learning methods coaches can utilise to support their coaching journey. Paul also shares why he has written a coaching book detailing his own coaching knowledge and experience with the aim of helping other coaches.

You can click this link to purchase Paul's book, The Soccer Sessions Book

(This is not an affiliate link).

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To get my best coaching tips and practice recommendations, subscribe to my free weekly Global Soccer Education newsletter.