Season 2023/24
A review of my first season in England
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The Recap
My first season in England has come to an end. It has been an incredible experience filled with opportunities and challenges. There have been times where I have felt like everything was great and other moments where I didn’t know if I was in the right place. But I guess that’s football - and life.
If you’ve kept up with my journey over the recent year, you’d know that I was coaching three teams at Welling United: an Under 16s team and two Under 19s (Scholars). It was a relatively successful season on all ends - winning the league with the Under 16s and coming third with both the Under 19s teams in their respective leagues.
Season 2023/24 - A Review
The season ended back in May; however I’ve only recently been able to sit down and reflect on the past nine months. I know it can sound cliched, but it truly has been a whirlwind here in London - both on and off the field.
Welling United gave me my first opportunity as a coach in England and thankfully, both the club and I have benefitted greatly from this. It has been an environment that has stretched my coaching capabilities to the maximum and one that has allowed me to settle and grow immensely here in England. At times, it was an environment that pushed me to my limits as a coach - and this is a good thing. Just like we overload players in training and games so they improve, us coaches also need this overload if we want to improve. Our 100% must be pushed to 101%.
I’ve written about it before, but my biggest achievement this season was winning the league with the U16s. This isn’t simply because we won said league but because of where the squad was when I first took over. A disjointed and recently formed team, consisting of individuals of varying ability and personality. There were five key things I believe allowed us to achieve the success we did:
A lot of patience.
Constant adapting in sessions and games.
Managing emotions - mine and the players.
The introduction of a playing style without overcomplicating the tactical elements.
The building and nurturing of different individual relationships with different players.
Most of the above was true for all three teams to be honest, however the difference with the Scholarship teams was that it was a big program in which you could lean on other coaches and players from other squads if needed. That wasn’t possible with the U16s. It was almost make or break and no one really expect it us to win the league.
I would consider my football knowledge and my coaching ability to be very good and is probably the area of my career that I push and strive to improve the most every single day. Nevertheless, this season really showed me the value of improving my communication and relationship skills with the players. My emotional intelligence if you will. This is likely my next big area of development as a coach.
I am obsessed with improvement and development for myself AND for my players.
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Looking Ahead to Season 2024/25
The present dictates that I will be staying at Welling United for the upcoming season. At the moment I will continue working with the same age groups, however I will now be the lead coach at the Harris Academy Scholarship site (and therefore working with the top squad). I have also been part of the retention and trial process for next season’s Under 16s, meaning that the squad will be a lot stronger and ready to begin working with me in pre season. Overall, it should be a much better prepared and therefore enjoyable season for all the teams I will coach.
Coaching Roles for 2024/25
Under 16s Head Coach
Under 19s Site Lead
Under 19s Head Coach
I have a huge ambition to move up in the football world. However, I’m currently experiencing a lot of frustration looking for new opportunities.
Most roles in higher academies require two key things: years of experience within academy set ups and UEFA C and B badges. Having only been in Europe for less than a year I obviously don’t have either of those right now. The aim is to begin my UEFA journey in August but I will continue to apply for jobs, even if i’m not “qualified”.
I believe I am more than capable of coaching at most academy environments and not many coaches push themselves to improve, learn and develop all areas of their game like I do. This profession is relentless and unforgiving, but when the bit of luck needed comes around I’ll be ready to grab it with both hands!
Final Piece of Advice for any Ambitious Coach
Be present in the moment without losing sight of the future.
A lot of the time we can be caught in between these two states (I know I am). If I’m only focused on the present (my current level) but I have ambitions to progress higher, then we question whether we’re settling for where we are, rather than pushing to reach our future goals.
On the flip side, if we’re overly focused on the future, we lose sight of the present, and the quality of our work in the current environment drops. This is definitely not something you want to allow. As much as possible, stay in the present moment: ensure you are being the best you can be for your players and your club, while never losing sight of what you need to do to get to where you want to be. Always strive for that perfect balance!
Much love,
J.A.