The Sporting Resource

A home for anyone who loves youth football | Ten years + of resources, 3D animations and ideas for the coaches, parents and volunteers | 69k+ Followers 🌍

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

2026 has clear targets for TSR, shaped by what worked in 2025 and what didn’t.

➟ The learning stays.
➟ The standards rise.

This year is about pushing myself further out of my comfort zone, building confidence, and showing up more consistently by putting my face to the thinking, not hiding behind graphics or text.

More variety, presence and more accountability.

And yes, an almighty target sitting there too:

🎙️ Starting the TSR podcast.

Same values. More visibility. Higher intent.

[Kieron Button @kieronbutton17]

In grassroots youth football/soccer, winning should not be the only metric of success.

Ask instead:
• Are they falling in love with the ball?
• Are their skills actually improving?
• Are they enjoying the game?
• Are they making friends?
• Do they want to come back next week?

Passion, development, and belonging keep kids in the sport.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Perhaps after 800+ comments, the question is no longer simply → “Did they attend training?” but:

→ “Why didn't they attend, how much control did the child have, and what is the most appropriate response?”

Follow The Sporting Resource for further discussion around youth football, coaching and player development.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

802 comments later, what did the discussion actually tell us? We went back through 802 comments and assigned each one a primary position on the original question:

→ 42.4%: Attendance should influence matchday playing time

→ 31.3%: It depends on the circumstances, age or environment

→ 22.5%: Unclear or did not give a standalone position

→ 3.8%: Attendance should not influence matchday playing time

So the largest single position supported attendance influencing playing time, but nearly a third of the discussion rejected a simple blanket rule and introduced context.

That is where this becomes much more useful for coaches 👇

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

So what should a coach consider? Before linking a missed training session with reduced playing time, ask:

• How old is the child?
• Why were they absent?
• How much control did they actually have?
• Is this occasional or becoming a pattern?
• Was there communication from the family?
• Is there a barrier we could help remove?
• What expectations were communicated beforehand?
• What outcome am I trying to achieve by changing their playing time?
• Is the response proportionate?
• Would I make the same decision for every player in the squad?

Regular attendance and clear expectations are important, whilst longer-term absence needs addressing. At the same time, remembering maintaining standards and understanding individual circumstances are not opposites.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Use AI to support reflection.

“Using my anonymous session notes and player feedback, ask questions that challenge my interpretation. Help me identify one adjustment for next time and how I could assess whether it helps.”

Human judgement remains essential throughout. You are responsible for what you take onto the pitch and how you respond once play begins.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

The term “artificial intelligence” dates back to 1955 but today many of us associate it with tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot.

For coaches short on time, these tools offer a quick way to generate ideas, organise activities or draft entire sessions.

Prompting “plan a passing session for U10s” tells AI very little about the children you coach.

Without context, you could be accepting decisions based on assumptions that don’t fit your players. Even a detailed prompt still needs your scrutiny.

Before using AI to plan your next session, here’s what to include, what to question and where your judgement remains essential ⬇️

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Prepare for player feedback by “Suggest questions to explore what players find helpful or difficult in this activity. Give options for repeating, simplifying or progressing it, with reasons for each.”

Their answers and your observations should guide the decision, don't let AI make the decision for you.