Football South Australia held its second NOVA Youth Club Championship Coaches Workshop on Monday 25 May, with more than 220 coaches attending the online session.
The workshop formed part of the ongoing NOVA Youth Club Championship program and provided coaches with valuable insights into player development, coaching language, communication, and learnings from national and international tournament environments.
Facilitated by Michael Cooper, the session featured a strong line-up of presenters, including Lachlan Tosh and Cristiano Dos Santos, who shared key learnings from national tournaments. Michael Cooper, who is also the Junior Matildas Head Coach, provided insights from the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup and qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
Legendary Australian coach Tom Sermanni presented on the fundamentals of youth coaching, while Colin Sanctuary from the University of Newcastle discussed the importance of coaching language and its impact on player learning and development.
Feedback from coaches following the workshop has been extremely positive, with many highlighting the practical nature of the session and the strong takeaways around clear communication, building relationships, and creating supportive learning environments for young players.
Presenters reinforced the importance of prioritising long-term player development over short-term results, with a focus on technique, ball mastery, individual improvement, and decision-making under pressure.
Coaches also valued the discussion around exposing players to different styles of play, encouraging additional practice outside of organised training, and helping young players stay on the ball longer in match situations.
Communication and feedback were recurring themes throughout the workshop, with attendees appreciating the emphasis on clear, purposeful, and age-appropriate messaging to support player understanding and growth.
The session also provided valuable insight into national and international football environments, giving coaches a broader understanding of how different football cultures, playing styles, and tournament experiences can help shape player preparation and coaching approaches.
The NOVA Youth Club Championship workshop series has been introduced as part of the transition from the Youth Premier League into a Club Championship model. Six workshops will be delivered throughout the season, providing ongoing development opportunities for coaches and clubs.
Coaches are able to earn CPD points towards their coaching diplomas through attendance, while clubs can also accumulate Championship points through coach participation.
Football SA will next host the NOVA Youth Club Championship Technical Director Workshop #2 on Monday 15 June.