Composure, Week 2
Responding Wisely
This week, your child is making a plan for what they do when they feel their first signal. At training, the squad is taking on Composure together this week. When one player loses their head, the whole team pays the price, so teammates learn to support each other.
Player’s Practice:
“If This, then This”
Please share this homework with your child: it’s an interactive exercise that invites them to finish one sentence: if this sets me off and my body does this, then this is what I do next. They worked last week on what triggers them and their first response. So the next step is a small physical action they can do straight away to stay composed, such as one slow breath out. At the end, they save their plan as a PDF. They can complete it on their phone or on a desktop computer through this link.
How To Support your Child
Throughout the Week
Your child is now making a plan for what they’ll do when they feel themselves starting to lose their head. Invite them to tell you about it and be curious, and if they’d rather keep it to themselves, let it rest. If they do share it, talk together about how you could help them remember it when they need it.
On Match Day
Keep your face and voice level on the sideline. The ride home matters too, so make sure your child feels supported whatever the result. Let them start the conversation, stay curious, and let them know how happy you are to watch them play.
Resources
England Football Learning – “How to Manage Your Emotions and Coaching Behaviour”
A 21-minute video in which three FA coach developers explain how adults can stay in control of their emotions during matches and model the behaviour they want young players to copy. Most useful for its reminder that children learn how to handle pressure by watching how the adults around them react, even though it is written for coaches rather than parents.
Michael and Graeme Carrick (The FA Boot Room) – “My Development Journey: Part Two”
An interview in which the former England midfielder and his brother look back on their grassroots football and the role their dad played. Most useful for Carrick’s memory of boys who were scared stiff of making a mistake on a Sunday morning in case their dad had a go at them, while his own dad would often just ask how he thought he had done. It is a story rather than a guide, which makes it a good way in for parents who might skip an advice article.