How Player Profiling Can Help You Develop Your Team

It may sound obvious, but all players are not the same.

While some are bigger than others, some might need work on their passing, some are quiet, and some may be struggling at school. 

Many factors will have an impact on how they play, how they train, and how they learn.

So why try to develop them all in the same way? As a coach, how often do you think about the individual development needs of your players?

While it will be hard to run different sessions and practices for different players, particularly if you are your team's only coach, however, understanding each of your players' needs will enable you to create more effective sessions that support them individually, as well as the goals of the team.

That's where Player Profiling comes in, and for coaches of teams at all levels, it can be done to varying degrees to fit in with the time you have available.

Player profiling is the assessment of individual players' needs based on criteria appropriate to their age, ability, and position. It involves evaluating players' current skills, strengths, weaknesses, and overall development to gain insights into their progress and tailor coaching strategies to their needs.

This personalised approach maximises the players' development potential.

Monitoring and measuring improvement is another significant advantage of player profiling. By regularly assessing players against the established criteria, coaches can track their progress over some time. 

This data-driven approach provides tangible evidence of improvement, offering the players a sense of achievement and motivation. It also enables coaches to identify areas that require further attention and make informed decisions about the players' development pathways.

Player profiling is a valuable tool for coaches to evaluate their performance, too. By comparing the progress and development of individual players against their coaching methods, coaches can identify areas where they can enhance their approach and make any necessary adjustments. 

It creates a feedback loop that allows coaches to refine their strategies and ensure their coaching aligns with the specific needs of each player and the team.

In addition, player profiling helps keep parents and players informed and updated about the player's development journey. Coaches can communicate progress, areas of improvement, and future goals, fostering a collaborative environment where parents and players can actively participate.

While player profiling is valuable for coaches, the information obtained does not need to be shared directly with individual players. The primary purpose of player profiling is for coaches to comprehensively understand each player's current state, allowing them to tailor their plans accordingly.

It creates a more effective and personalised coaching experience within the regular team training schedule.

In our popular CPD course for coaches, 'Individual Player Development', our expert coach educators share their knowledge and experience of this important topic.

The course gives grassroots coaches the knowledge and understanding to enable them to individual development plans for their players.

Learners can also access useful tools, including our Player Profiling template, based on work in the professional game.

For a limited time only, this course is available for the discount price of just £45. 

And, as a bonus, for coaches that purchase the course during this summer offer period, we will also give them six months free subscription to the full MiMentor Coaching Platform, with access to more than 30 coach education courses and session plans, coaching videos and webinars.

Don't miss out – click here to take your coaching to the next level.