In what is sometimes perceived as a highly competitive and demanding environment in elite level football, AFC Wimbledon’s Academy is celebrating a holistic coaching approach by putting their youngest players’ needs first.
Out of the 12,000 players in the youth development system, less than 1% will become full-time football players. Players who are released from the academy have reported a variety of psychosocial effects related to their release, as well as inadequate aftercare.
Michael Hamilton, the manager of the AFC Wimbledon Academy, spoke during UK Coaching Week about the value of developing players as people first and foremost, as well as his support for putting coaches’ care at the centre of their approach. In honour of the celebration this year, UK Coaching is urging more coaches to adopt a comprehensive strategy and treat each person as an individual with distinct needs, abilities, and motivations.
Hamilton clarified as follows: “We adopt a holistic coaching philosophy because it is our obligation to help our players grow as individuals as well as athletes.
In the end, coaches have a significant role to play in empowering and supporting young people when the question of “what now?” arises because very few people have the opportunity to pursue careers in football, and for many, playing the sport is all they have ever known.
The Wimbledon academy offers a variety of programmes for its players, one of which is a development “camp” where young players can learn important life skills like self-management, which is crucial for planning for their long-term future. Hamilton continued, saying:
After being named a scholar, players create their own development plans and are urged to consider how they can differentiate themselves. I would like to challenge all coaches, regardless of their sport or style of instruction, to consider individuals who require direction, care, and support and consider how you can view them as unique individuals who stand to gain from additional opportunities for growth.
“The main thing in sports is opportunity—the chance to develop and succeed in any endeavour you choose.”
In order to bring the community together in support of those who sacrifice so much to make sport and physical activity possible, participants and sports are encouraged to use the hashtags #ThanksCoach and #UKCoachingWeek to express their gratitude to coaches who have had a positive impact.
“We are excited to be celebrating UK Coaching Week earlier this year for 2024 – giving coaches the proper thanks and recognition they deserve cannot come soon enough,” said Mark Gannon, CEO of UK Coaching, in response to the need for more to be done to celebrate excellent coaching. Too often, coaches’ needs and workloads are overlooked in a system that needs to do more to recognise coaches as human beings.
“The focus of this year is on honouring those who are using a holistic coaching approach. We firmly believe that exceptional coaching has the power to transform lives, and since coaches continue to have a profoundly positive influence on communities that extends far beyond athletics and physical exercise, we would like to gather everyone in one place to give them our sincere gratitude.
“It is our duty as the leading voice of coaches in the UK to promote inclusive and happy environments in all sports and physical education settings. In addition to providing their athletes with the competitive edge they need to perform at their peak, coaches are steadfast in their commitment to nurturing their clients so they can grow and succeed in all facets of their lives.
