Tim Palmer

Interested in athlete development & performance in Para-sport & football. Coach with @Pararoos, and write about all of the above.

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

Something different in my writing: Peak Para, aiming to share what it takes to succeed in Paralympic sport, by going behind the scenes of Para-sport's high-achieving athletes, coaches and environments.

You can see more at https://t.co/SErJwLzxcD

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

I love working in cerebral palsy (CP) football, so thought a beginners guide might be helpful for those wanting to learn more.

Focuses specifically on how classification/the modified game format affects team tactics --> https://t.co/XXcShEJNpI

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@scout_aussie This part is also interesting when you look at the youth league tables in recent years

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@finnegan_laura A very clear & insightful article, Laura. From what you have observed "on the ground", what environments/clubs have you seen implement these sorts of considerations effectively?

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@StefanMauk I think it depends on what we define as training here. There are nuances between deliberate practice / deliberate play / free play, where the role of coaches & clubs, in my opinion, should be to promote a balanced approach to each

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@StefanMauk Interestingly, some of the South American clubs I've visited are reporting the same trend where parents are being "sold" on the need for structured, additional training.

But I've also seen a lot more unstructured football spaces (e.g. cages, courts) then you do in Australia.

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@StefanMauk Exactly what you've said - in Australia, I saw parents being sold on the need for additional training "to focus on technical actions" etc (rather than just creating a culture of encouraging a love of the game).

As a TD, I found this a hard battle to fight against.

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@scout_aussie Nice point on the goalkeepers. We actually went & scouted AFL matches to try and find keeper (especially girls) but had trouble convincing any to a commitment of 3 sessions a week + a game.

Hard for our academies to produce athletic players if they don't put an emphasis on it...

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@scout_aussie This was the topic of one of my recent articles. We found it was challenging to change what seems to be now an ingrained notion from parents that NPL players should focus solely on soccer from a young age.

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@fitba11 To be fair, if you look at how much even Premier League clubs are constantly restructuring their sporting director roles/departments, I think generally speaking it's currently still a "nice idea" for clubs rather than a clear model

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@dauntekcrawford Interesting graphic, thanks for sharing. Do you have the original link (as in where it was sourced from Neil Bath)?

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

I'm heading to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Canada over the next four months, so if anyone has recommendations of great coaching, football and/or Para-sport environments to connect with, I'm all ears.

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

I'll be travelling throughout 2026 for both personal enjoyment and some professional development.

I recently visited Chile's National Paralympic Centre in Santiago, and observe some of their Para-sports in action.

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@PPetrov_FR Why do you say this?

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@Zonal_Marking @oilysailor @MarkCarey93 On your suggestion around banning players from the six-yard box when attacking corners: this has actually been introduced in CP (cerebral palsy) football - adapted version of the game - on all set pieces. Here's a quick clip of a ref implementing the rule & what attackers did

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

The development of strikers deserves more deliberate thought than it often receives. Here, I reflect on how we develop goal scorers in youth football, drawing on my work as a TD, along with conversations and observations from my coaching & experiences
https://t.co/1hJiNCyOuC

[Tim Palmer @timhpal]

@SebC__ What is the attitude towards results in U21s and U19s in your experience in England/France?