Adam O’Sullivan

5 mistakes I made when I first started coaching with constraints. When I first started coaching with constraints, I made a lot of mistakes. Looking back, most of them came from not fully understanding the framework behind the CLA and trying to apply ideas before I really understood the “why” behind them. Hopefully sharing some of these can help other coaches avoid falling into the same traps I did. 1)I used constraints before I understood the framework behind them. Like a lot of coaches, I heard people talking about “constraints” long before I understood there was an actual coaching framework behind it all. 2)I used constraints to force specific techniques. Looking back, I was often trying to force movements that probably weren’t even essential for the development of skill. 3)I looked at constraints in isolation. I underestimated how interconnected everything is in practice. Changing space, rules, scoring, player numbers, or equipment changes much more than we initially expect. 4)I designed games that weren’t representative of the real sport. Some tasks looked creative, but they encouraged behaviours that wouldn’t actually work in the game. 5)I focused too much on what the movement looked like. Over time, I started paying much more attention to how players were perceiving information, adapting and solving problems.

As an Arsenal fan I will never forgive Everton for this

This is excellent @NTT20Pod #CamUTD youtu.be/QAX4qKoPv_s?si…

Really looking forward to this upcoming webinar with Dominic Knighton, Academy Manager at Cambridge United F.C.. If you’re involved in player development in any capacity — coaching, scouting, academy environments, or even as a parent — this should be a great session.

I have a confession to make….. Yesterday, I did some isolated practice against the wall. But how could I do this when I coach using a Constraints-Led Approach? Using an isolated task like the practice wall still has a place when using the CLA but we would want to limit the amount of time an isolated practice task like this would be used during practices. Especially when there are other players there. I was returning from an injury and had to manage load. I also didn’t have anyone else to play with at the time and skill development wasn’t my goal. Isolated/Unopposed tasks can be used but the key is understanding their limitations for skill development.

"My overriding emotion is I am extremely proud of the group and the football club. It's a great day for all of us." 💬 Full interview 👉 cambridgeunited.com/video/player/0…

Kelland Watts is the @SkyBetLeagueTwo #FantasyEFL Player of the Season 🏆 ⛔️ 19 clean sheets ❌ 325 clearances 📊 299 Total pts @CambridgeUtdFC

Fire em right up 🥥🥥🥥🥥🥥🥥

Really enjoyed watching them this season ! Far better entertainment than the PL

Do not fuck it

2:20pm. 😍 Best fans in all the land.

@power_ray Up the Cambridge 💛🖤

📍 Meadow Lane 🏟️ ⚽️

The CLA is sometimes misunderstood as just “letting players play.” But coaching using the CLA isn’t about doing less, it might just look a bit different It’s about: - designing environments - setting problems - observing what happens That’s where the coaching really is in the CLA

If you’re interested in learning more about the Constraints-Led Approach, I’ve put together a free CLA Crash Course to give coaches a simple place to start. Join here: clacrashcourse.com

A while back I was asked by some parents on advice on how to approach their child’s needs with ADHD and coaching Having coached kids with ADHD it gave me the idea to pen a book on what worked and what didn’t with a lot of reflection involved on my coaching journey on this subject

Did you know that one of the most respected coaches and best-selling authors in football, @power_ray , dedicates a part of his book Coaching Youth Football to one simple idea "children are not mini-adults". I don't know who needs to hear this, but here are 5 things every coach and parent should take from it ⤵︎ 1️⃣ Ray's starting point is straightforward, coaching youth football is not the same as coaching adults, and what works in an adult environment is frequently the wrong approach entirely for young players. Training methods borrowed from the senior game, pressure placed on results, and a win-at-all-costs mentality are not just unhelpful with children, they can actively put them off the game. The benefit of recognising this early is simple, more children stay in the game longer, and they enjoy it more while they are in it. 2️⃣ Children process information differently from adults. Their attention spans are shorter, their emotional responses are less regulated, and their capacity to absorb complex tactical instructions in the middle of a match is genuinely limited. A volunteer coach who keeps sessions engaging, active, and varied is not cutting corners, they are coaching in a way that is actually appropriate for the age group in front of them. The benefit is that players engage more, retain more, and come back next week. 3️⃣ Pressure is one of the most misapplied tools in youth football. When results become the ONLY measure of success at under-9 or under-10 level, the environment moves in ways that are rarely visible in the moment but show up clearly over time by the players who quietly stop enjoying it, who become afraid to try things, or who walk away from the game entirely before they have had the chance to develop. Removing that pressure does not make training soft, it makes it safe enough for players to actually learn. 4️⃣ For volunteer coaches working with limited time and resources, Ray's principle is actually freeing rather than demanding. You do not need a professional coaching manual or a complex session plan to coach children well. You need age-appropriate activities, a positive environment, and the willingness to let children play alongside guidance and support. Small-sided games, minimal stoppages, and lots of touches on the ball is not a compromise. 5️⃣ The benefit of coaching children as children rather than as mini-adults extends beyond football. Players who experience a positive, age-appropriate environment are more likely to develop a genuine love of the game, to stay active into adulthood, and to carry the social and emotional benefits of team sport with them long after they have stopped playing. Ray's point is not a criticism of grassroots coaching, it is an invitation to make a small shift in thinking that pays off in ways that go well beyond any result. 🤔 The question is whether the environment you are creating treats the children in front of you as children first?

Really please for York , many a game I watched as kid in the Nestlé Stadium in the smarty room