Players don’t all develop at the same rate. And changes in physical development can affect confidence, performance, and even whether a young person stays in the game at all.

And that’s why it’s essential for all coaches to have a good understanding of how young players develop and how to create a safe environment for them.

In this episode, we’re joined by senior lead for performance education, Stacey Emmonds, to talk about what growth and maturation really means for coaches working within the youth game.

Stacey brings clarity to an area that’s often misunderstood or ignored, helping coaches recognise the signs of change and avoid common mistakes that can unintentionally push players away.

This is a practical, open discussion that will help you coach with more awareness for your players, during some of the most challenging years of development.

In this episode, we cover:

• what growth and maturation means in a coaching context
• when coaches can expect key physical and developmental changes
• differences in how growth and puberty affect boys and girls
• how to spot when players are being impacted
• creating open environments for your players
• strength training considerations for boys and girls
• involving parents in growth and maturation conversations the right way
• the most important things coaches need to remember about growth and maturation
• the biggest mistake coaches make around maturation
• and more…

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcript on England Football community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - (https://bit.ly/4azTISj)

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Do you have any coaching questions you’d like answers to? Or perhaps you’re facing a coaching challenge that you’d like help with? Simply head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠England Football Community forum⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://community.thefa.com/coaching/f/youth-club-football-forum) and post them there. Or leave them in the comments below. We can then put them to our guests in future episodes to get their advice!

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Editing and show notes by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Claricast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.(https://www.clarioncast.com/)