Oliver Whitehouse

In this role, I mentor and deliver football sessions to under-18s, particularly supporting students who struggle to focus in school or have tailored in-school schedules due to behavioural or attention challenges.

My responsibilities are to:

• Contribute to a positive and engaging environment during school hours, providing children with a safe and enjoyable outlet.
• Design, deliver and assist with fun, engaging drills focused on shooting, passing, and ball control to develop fundamental football skills.
• Organise mini-matches and technical games to reinforce learning in an enjoyable way.
• Build positive relationships with the children through general conversations, gaining a deeper understanding of them as individuals and identifying ways to provide support.
• Motivated individuals to achieve positive results against set goals (whether personal or technical).

In this role, I support the Head Coach in all aspects of team preparation, training, and match-day management. My responsibilities include:

• Plan and deliver tactical training sessions for the under-18 team.
• Maintain communication with players via team chat to confirm attendance for training sessions and games, providing updates to the manager and informing game planning decisions.
• Manage players during games, including formations, team talks, and in-game guidance.
• Organise kits, equipment, and travel arrangements for away matches.
• Ensure all equipment is collected, stored, and maintained properly.
• Monitor player attendance and punctuality for sessions.
• Conduct daily meetings with the Head Coach to provide feedback on player performance, highlight areas for development, and discuss current challenges.
• Act as a supportive mentor to players, delivering personalised feedback and advice for development, and offering personal support whenever needed.

This role was my first and most important stepping stone into my career. I coached boys and girls aged 2–10, helping them learn basic football techniques such as shooting, dribbling, and passing in a fun, engaging, and age-appropriate way.

In this role I had to:

• Develop my knowledge of age-appropriate activities and understand the developmental needs and differences across each age group.
• Plan and deliver activities and sessions tailored to each age group, adapting content and approach when necessary.
• Monitored the timing of each session across different age groups, ensuring all key activities and skill objectives were met.
• Interacted positively and warmly with the children to keep them engaged, ensuring they enjoyed the sessions while developing their skills.
• Gained experience in managing children who were misbehaving, not paying attention, or causing disruptions, using appropriate and effective strategies.
• Directed an assistant coach in managing equipment and supporting group activities, enabling me to deliver targeted one-to-one coaching for children requiring extra attention.
• Encouraged and motivated children through positive reinforcement, providing small rewards for effort and progress.