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Coach Talk

Malcolm Cook Founder of Freeflow Coaching

Malcolm Cook – Footballer, Coach, Sports Psychologist, Top Publisher and Founder of Freeflow Coaching

Malcolm was born in Glasgow. He sustained a leg injury which curtailed his professional playing career. Malcolm grew up on the same street with Sir Alex in Govan and through his career as a professional footballer and professional coach has crossed paths again with Sir Alex over the years. He developed a passion for coaching and has studied all aspects of the process over many years. This has resulted in him giving Coaching and Psychological Presentations to the Irish F.A, Scottish F.A, Swedish F.F, English F.A, Malta F.A and French F.F plus the world congress in Science and Football in Liverpool. Malcolm has built up a solid reputation for integrity, enthusiasm, energy, ability and good rapport with people in his quest to improve player, coach and team performance.

Malcolm has created an innovative and evolutionary coaching method called Freeflow, which I’m still trying to learn about and research. Malcolm says,  “I think most coaches are on the wrong track with how they approach coaching and I train coaches in a “new way” He have given training courses to over 30 Pro club including Manchester Utd, Newcastle Utd, Sunderland and National Associations all over the world. He has given demos on “Liverpool – the winning system”. (I presume this is from the 90’s and thats why it works)

Malcolm told me, “No matter how good we are, or think we are , we can always learn to become even better”.

He said that is he is obsessed by coaching and has been on a long quest to find “The perfect coaching model”- my findings? There is no such thing!

“The game is so wide-ranging with different styles, nationalities and cultures that there is no one method or way that will “fit” all. There are however, some methods that are better than others as far as learning and development are concerned. Most approaches have something to offer however there are some charlatans out there who are making lots of money from limited approaches which all too many gullible coaches choose to follow. They are clever promoters but offer little in the way of quality to the game.”

So what is Freeflow? Malcolm explains in his own words…

Freeflow is a blend of a few core-methods/principles that have stood the test of time as far as success is concerned plus it shows coaches how “modified” approaches /tools can be used in the right way/place/time with good effect. I have extesively studied and become qualified in Inner-game, Game-sense an accelerated learning which form the core. It has a clear philosophy of Integrity, skill, passion (for the game-coaching-life and lifelong learning.

We are trying to turn out great players and great people.

We are now emphasising the need for greater sportsmanship(whilst still retaining the need to always strive your hardest to win) humbleness, greater self belief, respect and determination. The spiritual side must keep pace with the physical, technical and tactical. Sadly, in the modern game it is slipping behind and too many coaches and players are bad role models for kids trying to develop as players and men (and women).

We make it clear from the outset that we onlt train coaches who are serious about their coaching and want to be better/different from the rest and are willing to put in the time to reach this objective.

I was truly taken away by the indepthness of what Freeflow is actually about and I’m hoping to find out more how this new age coaching can help us coaches in Ireland.

Malcolm hopes to have his website up an running very soon and I’m certainly looking forward to that.

Paining by Christopher Dent http://laptopdavinci.wordpress.com/

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Coach Talk

Footblogball “The Kids are Alright”

Footblogball was setup by Mark O’Sullivan an Irish man leaving in Sweden for over 16 years and originally from Cork.

Mark played League of Ireland when he was 18. Mark says.  “It was depressing but it convinced me that there is an unbelievable amount of raw talent that just needed some guidance, I am still convinced of that today”

Mark who lives in Sweden is also been campaigning for change here in Sweden.They have elite systems for 9 year olds with theory classes!!!! Developing  great systems but few great players when you consider the amount of time and money invested in it.

He is head of  Stockholms largest city youth project and works with a lot of kids on a daily basis. He has been coaching with these ideals for a few years . Mark says, “he is working with all ages from 7 to senior. Also trying to encourage young teens who have dropped out of football(many very talented but stressed out by the adult football demands put on them since kids) to come back and just play for the love of it” With some of his friends they are trying to bring back the spirit of “Street Football” to young kids, its called KAFA.. www.funfootball.se

Keep up the great work Mark, the club and this vision of making kids football a better place is growing by the day

Check Out footblogball.wordpress.com

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Coach Talk

Eddie Smith Founder of Athletic Development

Athletic Development brings expert level physical training away from elite sport; presenting a practical solution for the modern coach looking to provide their athletes with the very best training possible.

Back in 2006, while studying Sports Science at Dublin City University and working as a Strength and Conditioning coach with young football players, I became increasingly aware that Coaches in Ireland didn’t have access to any well founded physical training tools or practical information.

My sporting background lies in football having played at the top level throughout my youth, picking up a few schoolboy International caps along the way (all the time hating physical training!).

Typically a lot of the Strength and Conditioning stuff out there is a bit “high-end”: very expensive, complicated and not exactly user friendly.

As a consequence young and developing players were not getting the best training possible and couldn’t hope to reach their full potential; no matter how naturally talented or tough they are. Perhaps more importantly they were at a huge risk of injury due to poor physical preparation without any prehabilitation (strengthening exercises used to prevent injury).

I dug into the scientific literature (mainly work from the states and Eastern Europe) and started putting together some easy to read mini-books dealing with all areas of foundational physical training- or what I began to call Athletic Development.

My lecturers at D.C.U liked my stuff and recommended that I try to develop it further. So I did and it took me nearly 4 years to establish Athletic Development as it is today.

I have a great team of experts with me and we are all passionate about the modest idea of Laying the Foundations of Success: allowing coaches to focus their limited time developing the quality technical and tactical exercises that Athletic Development’s tools may complement and enhance.

At Athletic Development our goal is to educate and empower Irish coaches to successfully develop Irish athletes with a scientifically proven; yet user-friendly, practical approach to physical training.

In addition to our coach education workshops we have created a series of 3 progressive training manuals, I-pod exercise video downloads and outdoor circuit training packs designed to make the coaches job easier, reduce injuries and develop athleticism.

With Athletic Development coaches can be confident in the knowledge that they are giving their players the very best training possible- trust me I’ve done the research!!!

Eddie Smith, B.Sc., C.S.C.S.,

Founder, Athletic Development.

www.AthleticDevelopment.ie