The importance of developing skilful players

We’re all excited by skilful play. From Grealish enticing defenders to Bronze executing the perfect pass – it’s a joy to watch. But there’s more to skill than meets the eye.

Developing skilful players isn’t just about creating a few standout individuals. It’s about releasing the potential of everyone in your team. For some, that’ll be reaching the dizzy heights of the international game. For others, it’ll be a game of walking football down the park.
As a coach, it's important to recognise that it doesn’t matter where your players end up. When you focus on releasing their potential, you prioritise their needs – and they feel included in the process. Working this way also helps unlock the following benefits.

Improved physical literacy
Interestingly, when you prioritise skill development, you can start to release your players’ physical potential too.

Football is full of twists, turns, runs and jumps and changes in speed and direction. As your team plays more games, they automatically practise these varied movements – and begin to master their bodies.

This is important for individuals of all ages, both on and off the pitch. For example, good physical literacy allows children to grasp basic movements and enjoy being active. As adults, it encourages us to stay strong and agile. Then, as we get older, it helps us to keep our bodies moving.

Better gameplay
In addition to physical gains, when you focus on skill development, you help your players build a toolbox of techniques. This includes being able to dribble, turn and pass in lots of different ways. Once a player gets good at these skills, they can use them to solve in-game problems.

For example, when faced with an aggressive defender, a novice player might simply clear the ball aimlessly up the pitch. However, a player whose coach has prioritised skill development may make a different decision. Instead of clearing the ball, they might dribble past the defender or combine creatively with a teammate.

Encouraging skilful play helps your players influence games and, as a result, they feel more included. It also shows players different ways to achieve their goals, which promotes creative on-pitch solutions. This is great for the individual – and the team.

Psychological boost
Think about the last time you mastered a skill. How did it make you feel?

Getting better at stuff gives us a warm, fuzzy glow – and football’s no different. As your players become more skilful, they start to feel competent, confident and motivated. They even get better at trying new things and adapting to new situations.

Interestingly, these benefits aren’t confined to the pitch: they spill over into our everyday lives too. For example, research shows that children who play sport feel happier and have higher levels of self-esteem.

Our early years expert, Pete Sturgess, sums things up:

“It's really important that players are helped to become more skilful. Not just to be effective in a game of football, but for the wider benefits that it can bring to their self-esteem, their levels of confidence, and also their future engagement with the game.”

By helping players become more skilful, you create a positive cycle. They get better at controlling their body, they get better at playing the game and they feel good about themselves. This increases their enjoyment of football and means they’re more likely to keep coming back – where the cycle can start all over again.