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Soccer
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Episode 127,
Brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly (@SoccerCoachWeek)
Episode 127 – Coaches Voice (Episode 2): Half-Time Team Talks, Opposed v Unopposed, Player-Centred Coaching
In this episode we bring you the second instalment of our Coaches Voice series, recorded with Ray Power, where we share thoughts, experiences and reflections on key topics within the game.
This episode is shaped around questions and contributions from the coaching community. Zack kicks things off by asking about half-time team talks, Jonathan explores the use of opposed versus unopposed practices, and Adam, alongside a couple of his awesome young players, provides a brilliant real-life example of what player-centred coaching can look like in action.
We discuss how half-time can be used effectively to support players without overloading them, focusing on clarity of message and helping players to reset and refocus.
We also explore the balance between opposed and unopposed practices within training sessions, looking at how each can be used to support both technical development and game realism, and how coaches can design sessions that maximise transfer into match situations.
Finally, we reflect on player-centred coaching, highlighting the importance of creating environments where players are encouraged to think, solve problems, and take ownership of their development. Adam’s example, supported by his players, really brings this concept to life.
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This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.
Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/
Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!
This episode was brought to you in association with our friends at Soccer Coach Weekly.
Established since 2006, Soccer Coach Weekly is a leading source of inspiration and advice for all grassroots coaches. Join thousands of youth soccer coaches, just like you, saving time and effort in their goal of having the most effective, enjoyable and successful coaching journey for them and their players. – https://www.soccercoachweekly.net/
Thanks for listening and we hope you enjoyed the episode!
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"Episode 127 - Coaches Voice (episode 2) - Half-time Team Talks, Opposed v Unopposed, Player Centred" is an episode of The Soccer Coaching Podcast. Runtime 1 hr 10 min. Published April 29, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.