In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Liam Bloye, Head of Coach & Player Development at Cambridge United FC. With experience across England, the US, and Australia, Liam shares honest reflections on leadership, learning through experience, and what it really means to support coaches, players, and parents within an academy environment.

This conversation explores the balance between professional identity and personal life, the value of varied experiences over time served, and the ongoing challenge of creating alignment without complacency in coach development systems.

💡 Key Talking Points

• Liam’s journey through coaching roles across different clubs, countries, and cultures.
• Why identity beyond coaching matters — fatherhood, perspective, and balance.
• The difference between years of experience and quality of experience.
• Why complacency is one of the biggest threats to development in football organisations.
• How exposure to different environments shapes adaptable, reflective coaches.
• Measuring whether coaching is actually “working” — beyond assumptions and tradition.
• Creating aligned identities without stifling individuality in coaches.
• Supporting parents as stakeholders in the player development process.
• Finding better ways to genuinely impact coach growth while keeping players at the centre.

🧠 “You can have 20 years of different experiences — or 20 years of doing the same thing over and over.” – Liam Bloye

📣 Whether you’re leading coach development, working in an academy environment, or reflecting on your own coaching journey, this episode will challenge you to think more deeply about experience, identity, and how we truly know development is happening.

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

💬 Join the conversation — how do you know your coaching is actually working?

#CoachDevelopment #FootballCoaching #CoachEducation #LeadershipInSport #PlayerDevelopment #ReflectivePractice #TheCoachesNetwork

In this episode, Coach Yas sits down with Dr. Stephen Harvey, a globally respected coach educator and researcher known for his work on game-centred approaches, Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU), and reflective practice in coaching.

Stephen brings decades of experience in sport pedagogy, coach education, and applied research. Together, they explore what it means to teach the game through the game, the value of inquiry and questioning in practice design, and how coaches can thoughtfully integrate theory into real-world coaching moments.

💡 Key Talking Points

• Stephen’s journey into sport pedagogy, research, and coach education.
• The principles and philosophy behind Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU).
• How TGfU shifts coaching from instruction first to problem solving through play.
• Designing practice tasks that reflect real game context and decision-making.
• The importance of questioning over telling — helping players think, not just react.
• How coaches can balance structure and freedom in practice.
• Integrating reflective practice and theory to improve coaching impact.
• Practical examples and Q&A driven insights on implementing game-based approaches.
• Why coach development should be rooted in curiosity, evidence, and ongoing learning.

📚 Resources & Further Reading

Explore Stephen’s work on Teaching Games for Understanding at the FIFA Training Centre:

👉 Science Explained — TGfU Overview

https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/environment/science-explained/high-performance/train/stephen-harvey-teaching-games-for-understanding.php

👉 TGfU Q&A with Stephen Harvey

https://www.fifatrainingcentre.com/en/environment/science-explained/high-performance/train/stephen-harvey-teaching-games-for-understanding-qa.php

These resources expand on many of the ideas discussed in this episode and are excellent companion material for coaches looking to implement TGfU principles.

🧠 “The coach’s role is to open the game for the learner — not to close it down with instructions.” – Dr. Stephen Harvey

📣 Whether you’re a grassroots coach, academy practitioner, or coach developer, this episode provides actionable insight into teaching through play, fostering decision-making, and using questioning to unlock player understanding.

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

💬 Join the conversation — how are you using game-centred approaches in your practice?

#CoachDevelopment #GameCentredCoaching #TeachingGamesForUnderstanding #TGfU #FootballCoaching #ReflectivePractice #CoachEducation #TheCoachesNetwork

In this episode, Coach Yas is joined by Ruben Ward-Lindsay, a coach working across academy football, semi-professional men’s football, and education. From his role with Watford’s U10s to his coaching at Biggleswade United and his full-time work as a PE teacher in alternative provision, Ruben brings a powerful blend of lived experience, empathy, and practical insight.

This conversation dives into what coaching really looks like on the ground — working with young people who’ve experienced adversity, navigating Foundation Phase priorities, and challenging traditional ideas around 1v1s and session design. Ruben shares honest reflections from both the academy and AP worlds, exploring transferable skills, behaviour management, and what young players actually need to grow.

💡 Key Talking Points

• Ruben’s coaching journey across Watford Academy, Biggleswade United and alternative education.
• What coaching in alternative provision teaches you about patience, empathy, and behaviour management.
• How working with excluded young people develops communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.
• Why understanding the “whole child” is essential in both teaching and coaching.
• The importance of context when coaching 1v1 situations — and why generic 1v1 boxes often miss the mark.
• Position-specific 1v1s: creating realistic, match-like pictures that reflect actual demands.
• Foundation Phase priorities:
• Passing & receiving as the most frequent action in the game.
• Consistency versus capability — and why U10s can do things but not replicate them yet.
• Finishing: unopposed, in the box, and from realistic scenarios like cutbacks.
• Comparing Foundation Phase (U10s) with YDP demands (U13s–14s): biomechanics, decision-making, and consistency.
• Why coaches must think beyond isolated practices and consider what players were doing before and what they’ll need next.

🧠 “Passing and receiving is massive — it’s the most frequent action in football. The difference at U10 isn’t ability, it’s consistency.” – Ruben Ward-Lindsay

📣 Whether you're a Foundation Phase coach, working in education, or navigating multiple environments, this episode offers grounded, practical insight that will help you rethink session design, player development, and how to support young people more effectively.

👉 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

💬 Join the conversation — how do you create realistic, position-specific pictures in your coaching?

#CoachDevelopment #FootballCoaching #FoundationPhase #CoachEducation #PlayerDevelopment #YouthFootball #TeachingAndCoaching #TheCoachesNetwork