There's a myth in grassroots football that elite academy coaching is some kind of dark art. Secret drills. Special equipment. Tactics boards that look like a NASA mission plan.
It's not. When you strip away the facilities, the budgets, and the full-time staff, the core principles behind elite youth development are surprisingly simple. And most of them can be copied by a volunteer coach with a bag of balls and a set of cones.
Here are five things that Premier League academies do with their youngest players that you can start doing this week.
1. They use small-sided games for almost everything
Walk into any elite academy session for U7-U12 and you'll see the same thing: small-sided games. 3v3. 4v4. 5v5. Not 11v11. Not even 7v7 most of the time.
Why? Because in a 3v3 game, every player touches the ball roughly 5-6 times more than in an 11v11 game. More touches means more learning. More decisions. More opportunities to try things and fail.
Academy coaches design these small games with specific conditions to work on different skills. "Can only score from inside the area" encourages close control and combination play. "Two-touch maximum" forces quicker decisions. "Goals only count from a cross" develops wide play.
You can do exactly the same thing. Instead of setting up a complex drill, set up a 4v4 game with one condition. Change the condition every 10 minutes. The kids will barely notice they're being coached — they'll just be playing.
2. They ask questions instead of giving answers
This is probably the single biggest difference between elite youth coaching and traditional grassroots coaching.
In a typical grassroots session, the coach sees a mistake and corrects it: "You should have passed earlier." "Don't dribble there, it's too crowded." "Shoot with your laces."
In an academy, the coach sees the same mistake and asks a question: "What did you see there?" "What else could you have done?" "Where was the space?"
The difference sounds small. It's massive. When you tell a player what to do, they follow instructions. When you ask them a question, they have to think. They have to analyse what happened and figure out a better option themselves. That builds decision-making — the single most important skill in football.
It feels unnatural at first. Your instinct is to correct. But try it for one session. Every time you want to give an instruction, turn it into a question instead. "What did you notice?" is the most versatile coaching question in football. Use it constantly.
3. They track development, not results
Academy coaches at youth level don't care about match scores. At all. Some academies don't even record results for their youngest age groups.
What they do track is individual player development. Is this player improving their weak foot? Are they starting to scan before receiving? Is their confidence growing? Are they communicating more?
They track this systematically — usually through a development framework like the Four Corners model — and they review it regularly. Every player has a development plan. Every coach knows what each player is working on.
Now, you don't need a full academy setup to do this. But even a basic version makes a huge difference. After each session, spend two minutes per player noting what went well and what they need to work on. Do this consistently over a season and you'll have a development record that most grassroots clubs could only dream of.
This is exactly what InsideFooty is designed for — giving grassroots coaches a simple way to track Four Corners development without needing a clipboard and a filing cabinet. Two minutes per player, weighted ratings across all four corners, and a progress record that builds over time.
4. They create an environment where mistakes are celebrated
Watch an academy session and pay attention to what happens when a kid tries something and fails. A stepover that goes wrong. A pass that gets intercepted. A shot that goes miles wide.
Nothing happens. The coach might nod. Might say "good idea, try it again." The session continues. No reaction. No correction. Certainly no shouting.
Now watch what happens when a kid tries something and it works. Big reaction. Praise. "Brilliant — did you see the space? That's exactly it." The coaches go out of their way to celebrate the attempt, especially when it comes off.
This creates something psychologists call "psychological safety." Players know that trying something new — even if it fails — is better than playing it safe. Over time, this produces players who are creative, brave, and willing to take risks. Exactly the kind of players who succeed at higher levels.
You can create this in your team tomorrow. Literally just change what you react to. Stop reacting to mistakes. Start reacting to effort, creativity, and bravery. Within a few weeks, you'll see your players start to try things they'd never have attempted before.
5. They let parents watch, but not coach
Most Premier League academies have strict rules about parent behaviour during sessions. Parents can watch. They cannot coach, shout instructions, or critique players from the side. Some academies put parents behind barriers or in viewing areas separated from the pitch.
This isn't about being unwelcoming. It's about creating a space where kids can focus on the session without worrying about what mum or dad thinks of their last touch.
At grassroots level, you probably can't ban parents from the touchline. But you can set expectations. At the start of the season, let parents know:
"We ask that parents support positively from the sideline — cheering and encouraging is great, but please leave the coaching to us during sessions and matches."
Some clubs have gone further and introduced "silent sideline" games where parents can only clap, not shout. The effect on the kids is remarkable. They communicate more with each other. They make their own decisions. They stop looking at the touchline every time something goes wrong.
You don't have to go silent every week. But try it once. See what happens. Most coaches who try it never go back to the old way.
The gap isn't as big as you think
Elite academies have better facilities, more coaches, and full-time staff. Those things matter. But the fundamental principles — small games, questioning, tracking development, celebrating mistakes, managing parents — don't require any of that.
They require intention. A decision to coach a certain way, even when it's harder than the alternative.
The volunteer coach who runs 4v4 games, asks questions instead of shouting, tracks player progress, and creates a safe environment for mistakes is doing exactly what the best academies in the country do. Just without the branded tracksuit.
And that's more than enough for every kid on your team.