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.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

I share free session plans, videos and templates through TSR and often receive positive feedback and growing followers.

I post a question or opinion to spark debate it immediately turns into “clickbait”, unpleasant language, personal remarks and unfollows.

Social media is a strange landscape. I’m happy to disagree. Why get personal? Or just because a device separates us people feel the need to use unpleasant language 🤦🏼‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@SamMcgeough That would be awesome. What would be the biggest learning you’d hope to walk away with?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

If you could attend any professional club for a coaching CPD event, what club would it be and why?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@DaveKnox02 That’s true 🤣
Will do mate 👍🏻

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Haha, cheers @DaveKnox02 ! Really appreciate that mate. I’ll definitely get the first round in next time we meet, although I’m not sure “likes a beer” was meant to be part of the official TSR testimonial! 🤣

[Dave Knox @DaveKnox02]

Top work been done by Richard. Only met him once at the @SundayShare10 meet up. Very knowledgeable, willing to help if he can,likes a beer and just a nice guy.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Thank you, really appreciate that @FUNinoCA . I know of @_ToddBeane and @tomsan106 work, but I’ll make sure I spend some proper time looking through both of their material. The podcast side is something I’m hoping to build properly rather than rush, so I’ll definitely keep both names in mind when that develops.

[FUNinoUSA @FUNinoCA]

@TheS_Resource You are doing a FANTASTIC JOB. Get to know @tomsan106 and @_ToddBeane. You can reference their material often. They are trusted resources. And when you start to do some Podcasts please interview them.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

That’s incredibly kind of you @Leecosgrove10, thank you. I really appreciate the support, TSR has always been about sharing useful ideas, starting good conversations and helping coaches where I can, so comments like this genuinely mean a lot.

[Lee Cosgrove @Leecosgrove10]

Some unbelievable work being done here by this man👇🏼An inspiration for us all 🙌🏼I suggest you give him a follow

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@markstkhlm Why @markstkhlm? 😀

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Should the UEFA C be the minimum qualification required to head coach a grassroots youth team?

We’ve received, read and discussed recently about the standard of coaching in grassroots football and whether the current level of coach education is sufficient for the people ultimately responsible for developing young players.

James Wilson wrote on X that he is increasingly concerned about grassroots coaching standards and argued that changes to coach education have left many well-intentioned volunteers with too little meaningful development.

David Kerr raised a similar concern from a Scottish perspective, questioning the level of oversight and quality assurance once coaches are working independently. Tony Monk also questioned the standard of coaching across grassroots.

Then one comment made the debate very simple:
“UEFA C should be the minimum to be head coach.”

So that is the question, it's not about requiring every volunteer, assistant or parent helper to hold a UEFA C, and it is not suggesting that the qualification automatically makes someone a good coach. It is also not a debate about what the ideal coach-education system should look like in the future.

The question is whether, within the system we currently have, the person taking primary responsibility i.e. Head Coach for leading a grassroots youth team should be required to hold at least a UEFA C qualification.

There is a reasonable argument for it, the person leading a team can influence session design, player development, communication, behaviour, confidence and a child’s overall experience of football.

Requiring a higher minimum level of coach education could provide a clearer baseline of knowledge and practical development, but there is an equally important practical question.

Grassroots football depends heavily on volunteers and mandatory UEFA C could create barriers around:
• Cost
• Time
• Course availability
• Travel
• Work and family commitments
• The number of volunteers willing or able to take responsibility for a team

Qualification alone cannot guarantee good coaching, experience, reflection, mentoring, safeguarding, ongoing development and the environment created by the club all matter too.

So the trade-off is not simply qualified versus unqualified. It is whether raising the minimum formal standard would improve the quality and consistency of coaching enough to justify the additional barriers it could create for the volunteer workforce.

Should the UEFA C be the minimum qualification required to head coach a grassroots youth team?

Agree or disagree and why?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Really appreciate that, thank you @CraigRudders means a lot. The whole idea behind TSR has always been to create a place where coaches can share ideas, respectfully challenge each other’s thinking and hopefully take something useful back into their own environment.

[Craig Rutherford @CraigRudders]

A top man and a great learning centre with debates, ideas and activities. @bdjfl well worth coaches having a look

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@JadyncmundleNo1 Why?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@nottodaySCDeath Your point about parents is fair and again similar to the post is worth exploring, because when they sign their child up, do they know what the club’s status means or what training the person taking the session has completed? Parents should be able to get a clear answer about who is responsible for their child and how that person has been prepared for the role. That still leaves room to discuss coaching standards alongside those basics, because completing essential training and being able to help children learn are both part of the responsibility. Have you found clubs explaining these differences to parents, or does it usually take a parent asking?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@StevenSRM1 £5 an hour to support 25 coaches is awful especially given the preparation, observation and individual feedback that doing it properly would involve, so I can understand why you declined. We’ve been discussing mentoring as a way to improve support for grassroots coaches, but that needs a club willing and able to invest in the person providing it. Otherwise, we’re adding another role with considerable responsibility and expecting someone’s goodwill to cover the gap.

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@scchambers It is a considerable commitment alongside work, family and the time already spent coaching, which is why the practical side of making it compulsory needs discussing. The original question is about whether UEFA C should be the minimum within the pathway we currently have, but if we were looking at changing that pathway, club mentors or mentors provided by the governing body i.e. FA would be something I’d suggest too. Having someone observe your sessions and help you work through difficulties with your own players could make the learning easier to apply. Would you see those mentors supporting coaches towards a qualification, or providing another way to develop and demonstrate the skills needed to lead a team?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@Spireitegirl Volunteers can find themselves trying to include children with very different needs and abilities, manage parents’ expectations and plan sessions with very little support around them, that's so true. That’s why I think we need to look at what preparation and ongoing help they receive, as well as which qualification they hold. From your experience, where are new coaches most often left to figure things out for themselves?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@Memdozer Thanks for taking the time to explain your concerns properly, I appreciate being able to discuss this in detail, even where we might reach different conclusions. The point about judging coaching by results is fair, because winning doesn’t tell us whether every child is involved, learning or enjoying the experience. From what you describe, I’d want to know who at the club watches sessions and helps the coaches reflect on what they’re doing. Having a tutor observe your coaching and learning alongside others can offer something that’s difficult to get from an online course alone. Would having practical support within the club have helped address what you’ve seen with your son’s team?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

There’s no need to swear or call the question moronic, we can disagree and still have an open, mature conversation @MW4_1986 . Children playing for fun is a reason to think carefully about how we coach them, because the way we organise a session, respond to mistakes and involve everyone can affect how much they enjoy it. Wanting them to have a good time doesn’t remove our responsibility to keep learning how to provide that. You can disagree with making UEFA C compulsory, but why would children playing for enjoyment mean their coaches have no need to develop?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@tony_athersmith If we’re going to require a qualification, I think there’s a fair argument that volunteers shouldn’t be left to cover the cost themselves, especially when they’re already giving their time each week. Would you support UEFA C as the minimum if the funding were covered, or would you still have concerns about the time involved and what the course offers?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@theianclay I can understand wanting the time and cost to be manageable, especially when you’re doing it voluntarily, although I’d be reluctant to lose the practical work because seeing us coach is a chance to give feedback on what we actually do. Playing experience can bring a lot, but something we understood as a player isn’t always easy to explain (essentially teaching) or help a child learn, and a qualified coach may have that playing background too. When you mention hours on the pitch, is it the amount of time required that concerns you, or whether those hours would teach you something useful for the team you coach?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

@gazzagoals5 I’d say development still happens in a team that’s mainly there for enjoyment, whether that’s a child finding the confidence to ask for the ball or trying something they wouldn’t have attempted a few weeks earlier. I can see the thinking behind your assessment idea, because if someone can already demonstrate what the course is intended to teach, that experience deserves to be recognised. I’d be cautious about using five years as the starting point, though, because time spent coaching doesn’t tell us what someone has learned or how they’ve adapted along the way. Would you see it as reaching the same standard through a different route, with support available for anything the assessments show they still need to work on?

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

A small update from me.

From next week, I’ll be reducing TSR posts again to three per day.

I’m approaching the final few months of my Occupational Therapy degree, and I need to give it the concentration and time it deserves to get it finished properly.

TSR will still be active every day, just at a slightly reduced pace while I get through this final stage.

This is very much a short-term adjustment.

I’ve got some big plans for TSR, and I genuinely believe 2027 is going to be an incredible year for the next stage of the platform.

For now, the priority is simple: finish the degree, keep TSR moving, and build towards what comes next.

Thank you, as always, for continuing to follow and support The Sporting Resource.