07/10/2026
5 Questions to Ask Yourself After Every Session ⚽
It’s easy to finish a session and immediately start thinking about the players.
“They didn’t understand that.”
“They weren’t switched on.”
“They struggled with the practice.”
Sometimes those observations are fair.
But coach development also means turning the focus back onto ourselves.
If something didn’t work, what could we have done differently?
Here are 5 useful questions to ask after every session or game:
1️⃣ What did I do well?
Reflection shouldn’t only be about finding faults.
Identify what worked.
Maybe an explanation was particularly clear.
Maybe you resisted the temptation to step in too quickly.
Maybe a change you made halfway through the session helped the players succeed.
Those positives matter.
If something worked, recognise it and carry it into the next session.
2️⃣ What can I improve?
This is where self-awareness becomes particularly useful.
Try to move beyond vague thoughts such as:
“I could have coached that better.”
Be specific.
Did you talk for too long?
Did you intervene too quickly?
Were players standing around unnecessarily?
Could your questions have been better?
Was your organisation clear enough?
Then turn that reflection into something actionable for next time.
3️⃣ What would I change?
Sometimes it isn’t your communication that needs changing.
It’s the practice itself.
Consider:
✅ The size of the area
✅ Player numbers
✅ Progressions
✅ Equipment available
✅ Transitions between activities
✅ Weather and conditions
A practice that doesn’t work perfectly isn’t necessarily a bad practice.
It may simply need adjusting.
Make a note of those changes so the next time you use it, the session is better because of what you learned.
4️⃣ Were my coaching points clear and easy to understand?
Football language can quickly become complicated.
“Play between the lines.”
“Maintain possession.”
“Create penetration.”
“Stay compact.”
Those phrases may make perfect sense to a coach.
They may mean very little to an 8-year-old.
Use simple language.
Explain WHY something matters.
Demonstrate where appropriate.
And, most importantly, check whether the players actually understood what was being asked.
Qualifications and knowledge are useful.
But if the message doesn’t reach the player, the information has very little value.
5️⃣ Did the players show the learning in the game?
Whatever the session theme, eventually we want to see it appear within the game.
That doesn’t mean expecting perfection immediately.
If the focus was receiving to attack and players recognise the opportunity two or three times during the game, that may already represent progress.
Next time, perhaps you see it four or five times.
Development often happens through small improvements accumulating over time.
After your next session, try asking:
• What did I do well?
• What can I improve?
• What would I change?
• Were my coaching points clear?
• Did the players show the learning?
We can’t control everything that happens in a session.
But we can continue reviewing and improving our own contribution to it.
The full Foundation Age Coaching article explores all 5 questions in more detail 👇
https://foundationagecoaching.com/5-questions-to-ask-yourself-after-every-session/
