
Without a clearly defined philosophy, all of these questions - and many more besides - will be left up to individual coaches to resolve. This invariably leads to each team within your club playing in a different way.
However subtle or noticeable these differences, they create significant problems for player progression. When a player moves to an older age group, you want them to be able to fit in seamlessly, already understanding exactly how the new team plays.
If they spend half the season adapting to a new system, your coaches are losing out on valuable time that could be better spent helping them develop and improve as a player.
While it can be extremely rewarding, developing a new playing philosophy isn’t always easy. Even when you’ve taken the time to define your philosophy, it can be challenging to communicate it effectively with your coaches. Give your playing philosophy the best chance of long-term success by downloading our ultimate guide.