Inside SZ United: Our Coaching Philosophy and Approach
- ashley gumbrell
- Dec 3
- 3 min read
At SZ United, we believe football is more than just a game—it’s a journey of growth, learning, and enjoyment for every child. Our coaching philosophy is built around one simple principle: children come first. Here’s what that means for your child and why it matters...
Our Core Philosophy: Child-Focused Development
We are proud to be a child-focused club, which means the wants and needs of our young players are at the heart of everything we do.
Fun and enjoyment are non-negotiable. Every session should aim to be engaging and create challenges that motivate children.
Development at their own pace—every child’s journey is unique, and we respect that.
Safety and well-being—we ensure a positive environment where children feel supported and valued.
Winning is part of football, but at SZ United, it’s never the only goal. Growth, confidence, and enjoyment come first.
The SZ United Coaching Pillars
Our coaches follow three key pillars that shape every training session and matchday:
One Club Approach – We work as a team, united in our values and standards.
Individual Development – Recognising that every child learns differently and needs tailored support.
Love for the Game – Creating experiences that make football a passion for life.
How We Train: Principles That Make a Difference
We design practices that mirror the game, helping players become skilful decision-makers, not just technically sound. We work off the basis of some key principles when designing our sessions...
Technique vs Skill: Technique is the mechanics (passing, shooting), while skill is applying those techniques under pressure in real game situations. We want to work on the skill elements as much as possible (our technical nights allow for some greater repetition and technique development).
We support our coaches to use 'the 3 R’s' in their practices:
Realism – Practices look and feel like the game.
Relevance – Activities that compare the challenges players face in matches.
Repetition – Enough opportunities to learn and improve against the weekly training objective(s).
What Parents and Players Can Expect
Sessions that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Coaches who adapt plans to suit the players, not the other way around.
A positive environment where effort and intention are praised over results.
Periods of free-play where the children are allowed to play without interference.
The structure below outlines how your child's sessions will be dividied up.
'Game related' refers to a practice, designed by our Head of Coaching which challenges players to learn within small-sided games or practices that look and feel like gameday. Coaches will deliver their information through challenges, tasks, leaderboards and tactical information.
Why This Matters
Our approach isn’t about quick fixes or rigid drills—it’s about building confident, skilful players who love football. By focusing on enjoyment, decision-making, and development, we better prepare children for the challenges of the game.
Final Thoughts
Winning and competition are part of playing football and are sometimes linked to children's enjoyment. We recognise this and will always encourage them to apply themselves fully within their matches, but this will not come at the cost of their enjoyment for playing or what parents/coaches want from their own experiences.
Our strategy does not bring improvement (or results) overnight, but we believe it will sustain your child's motivation and enjoyment for long enough that they can reep the benefits for their technical, tactical and social development.
Here's to a great week of football on and off the pitch,
SZ United Management Team
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