General Principles: Creating a fun, safe and effective playing environment (Principles 1-3)

In the first of two parts of our General Principles portion of FIFA’s Grassroots Coaching Essentials series, Dr. Jené Baclawski highlights three core principles that will help coaches to make their practice sessions fun, safe and effective for players between the ages of 6 and 15. Here is a full list of Dr. Jené's six principles which will be discussed throughout this two-part series:

• Principle 1: Making practice fun
• Principle 2: Making practice safe
• Principle 3: Making practice effective
• Principle 4: Making practice inclusive
• Principle 5: Applying game-based learning
• Principle 6: Keeping players active

Below, you’ll find a 10-minute video where Dr. Jené explains each of the first three key principles in detail, accompanied by a written summary and diagrams that break down the three sample activities. Enjoy!

Making practice fun is a sure-fire way to ensure that players are engaged in the learning process. Here's why making practice enjoyable for all ages should be one of a coach's main objectives during each session:

• Create enjoyable sessions: Coaches should aim to make all practice activities as fun as possible to keep players engaged in the learning process.
• Fun leads to creativity: When players are having fun, they are more willing to be creative and try new things, and are less afraid of making mistakes.
• Encourage teamwork: Working as a team while having fun helps to develop friendships and a greater sense of camaraderie within the group.

Safety is a key component for player development. By having safety protocols in place, such as dividing up practice areas to avoid collisions, players have a greater freedom to express themselves during each activity. Here is why making practice safe should be a priority for coaches:

• Understanding safety: Safety is not just about avoiding physical harm; it’s also about creating a positive, supportive environment for players to thrive.
• Avoiding injuries: Designing age-appropriate activities and using warm-ups are good methods for injury prevention.
• Safety leads to learning: When players feel safe during a session, they can focus on learning, improving and enjoying the game.

Making practice effective is essential for keeping young players engaged by having a clear purpose and learning objective to take from the session. Here is why this is important:

• Have a clear purpose: Coaches have limited time with players, so each session must have a clear learning objective to maximise development.
• Progression is key: To keep players engaged and avoid monotony, coaches should start small and build complexity within each practice as the session progresses.
• Make it realistic: Include activities that replicate game-like scenarios to prepare players for matchday.

Following the key principles highlighted by Dr. Jené in this presentation, coaches should have a better understanding of why creating a fun, safe and effective playing environment is so important for the development of young players across all ages, such as:

• Fun leading to development: When players are excited about the session, they will learn more naturally and develop faster.
• Players will feel safe to make mistakes: Making mistakes is an integral part of a player’s development. Creating an environment where they can learn from errors will only enhance their progress and boost their confidence.
• Clear goals lead to commitment: Players are more likely to commit to learning when there is a clear aim or purpose to their practice which is particularly important when coaches have limited time on the training pitch each week.