#027 Off the Pitch with Active: Interview with Dave Wright, Co-founder & Editor of Player Development Project

Off the Pitch with Active

Player Development Project is an online learning platform and collaborative project designed to bring together top coaches and experts from around the world. PDP was founded to bridge the gap between research and practice as well as showcase the work of top practitioners from around the world of football and other sports. Their goal is to aggregate and create quality content supported by evidence and experience to help coaches create better environments for young players.

Dave is a UEFA A licensed coach (through The FA) and has17 years coaching experience, including the last 7 years at professional academies in London and Melbourne at Brentford FC, Fulham FC and most recently with the U20s at Melbourne Victory FC.

54:56 min episode Overview:

02:35 Who is Dave Wright and how could a New Zealander end up coaching EPL Academy level football at Fulham FC?

07:48 Speed, Intensity and Quality in UK made Dave think “Man-how am I going to be good enough to test these players and create challenging sessions for these players.

16:43 Dave talks about the paradigm shift in coaching/teaching, moving away from a “tell” culture and talks about a visit to the Ajax Academy.

22:30 What are the considerations for player positions and what method can we use?

30:20 Many coaches are not meeting the requirements to keep children/Teenagers in the game. A coach playing experience may not reflect the best teaching methods available today.

37:00 Does free play belong in all levels of sports?

44:48 How PDP can help coaches in all sports.

47:45 Latest research about communication as a coach.

Website: http://www.playerdevelopmentproject.com

Twitter: @PlayerDP

Facebook: @PlayerDP