“The list of contents alone shows how complex and multi-layered the work of youth coach is in the various age groups. Yakob Berntal has analysed that very well in detail and illustrated it with realistic examples.
Much of it reminds me of when I started as a youth coach in my early/mid 20s, when I gained my first experience in the lower age groups – most of it through learning by doing. I would have been grateful for such a comprehensive guide to help me then. I gladly recommend the book!“
“Fun to read! With its excellent illustrations, explanations and examples The Guide for Youth Football Coaches contains all the important topics for coaches in the youth sector. Yakob Berntal's book is highly recommendable for youth football coaches who want to further their knowledge.“
“I read Yakob Berntal's book with great enjoyment and would like to highly compliment him for the concentrated presentation of all the relevant topics for a youth coach in the book.“
“The Guide to Coaching Youth Football lives up to its name. The practical examples grab hold of the reader immediately and induct him into the world of the children’s and youth coach. The emphasis is not so much on individual techniques and tactics, but rather much more on what is really important: dealing with children and teenagers. The reader can see the expertise of the author and receives many helpful tips about how to put together training units and how deal with the players on and off the pitch. Have fun reading and putting it into practice.“
“The Guide for Youth Football Coaches is a book that is useful for football coaches of various levels and age groups. With his practical approach Yakob Berntal succeeds very well in clearly showing the many-layered task areas of a football coach. Especially for newcomers, this book will be able to be a great help.”
“I read Yakob Berntal's guide with great interest and I can say that it was a really different kind of football book. At first, I thought the guide was more for novice coaches as it explains very basic things, but it also has things on hand for experienced coaches. It is obvious that the author is a teacher, as it is structured like a school book. If there were a school subject called 'football training', this would be the ideal textbook. I think many common problems are very well presented with the two coaches Freddy and Kosta and some coaching colleagues will recognise themselves there. With the approaches to solving the problems that are shown, the book gives inexperienced coaches in particular valuable tips and promotes better culture on the football ground.“
“The Guide to Coaching Youth Football looks at the extensive skills required of youth coaches and goes far beyond the technical and tactical focal points. Using typical everyday situations, Yakob Berntal describes various approaches, deduces concrete courses of action and explains their advantages.“
“The Guide for Youth Football Coaches presents a multitude of information for coaches from all age groups and levels. Yakob Berntal looks at the work of a coach from a holistic point of view and clearly presents the various challenges, using good examples. It was enjoyable to read and encourages the reader to immediately put the ideas into practice!“
“As a sports psychologist I can only refer to the sections: Age groups and their characteristics, Messages and Addresses, Social competence and The problem player. These are very apt, easy to understand and therefore provide good support for the youth coach.“
“On which basis should I start my coaching career? The guide is a totally valuable reference for every newcomer in the business of youth training, but is also an entertaining read for anyone who wants to discover new impulses after having gained some experience in the day-to-day surroundings of a team. In the children’s and youth sector the main focus of the game and training work is not always exclusively on the sports content but also deals with many soft skills which are important in these age groups. These are dealt with in detail and give very convincing instructions concerning the important interaction as a team. Especially outlining the many possible behaviour options of players and coaches can provide food for thought when training. Worth reading!“
“As coach you are anxious to continuously develop. In the book The Guide for Youth Football Coaches there are numerous interesting ideas as to how to master the day-to-day business of a football coach. Especially with regard to methodology and didactics the author Yakob Berntal presents a lot of excellent advice.
For novices in particular, this book serves as a good companion and is convincing through use of the most modern training theory.“
“A brilliant gift for youth coaches. With this book Yakob Berntal has written a kind of 'bible for youth coaches'. The book is an excellent guide for youth coaches and clearly sets out the 'dos and don'ts' for the work with young footballers' The tips are explained, illustrated with examples and can be understood by everyone. Impressive!“
“Yakob Berntal's practice-oriented book gives all youth coaches a recurrent theme, a clear structure for all aspects which are essential in the youth sector, from the professional training work down to the social interaction with children and youths.
I wish all coaches fun when reading this brilliant book and when putting it into practice on the pitch with your lads.“
“For me, as an ex- professional player and now as a coach in the youth sector, it is a good handbook to get an extensive insight into youth football. Youth coaches can happily use this book as a basis.“
“Yakob Berntal’s book has more to offer than just good tips for the youth coach. It is a systematically built-up instruction manual for newcomers to the work of a football coach. Contentwise the book is useful for youth coaches of all classes, as it presents training principles which anyone can implement in their own way. The scenes with Kosta and Freddy, as well as the drawings, break up the text and hold up a mirror to all the “Kostas“ and “Freddys“ among the readers. It encourages one to take a new look at one’s own actions, even after considerable professional experience. I gladly recommend this book!“
“Yakob Berntal's book has a lot of information in various sectors and is a good summary of different training courses. I believe it can give many young coaches a good overview and help them start their coaching career.“
This article was published in the magazine HESSEN-FUSSBALL in November 2020
BOOK TIP
A football training guide:
Training in the youth sector – in a different way
The guide to coaching youth football is a book for experienced and inexperienced youth football coaches and takes an unusual approach to the subject. This practice-oriented guide lays the foundations for doing a professional job as a football coach in
the youth sector.
Be it with F- or A-juniors, the district league or the national league, here there are answers to many important questions. Valuable tips are given as to how a coach should act, and what should best be avoided. To make the input clear, numerous examples are given and illustrated with photos. The book has been designed as the printed form of a course for coaches, but it is also a reference book.
Two fictitious youth coaches, the strict “Kosta“ and the disorganised “Freddy“ accompany the reader through all sections of the book. Through short episodes with realistic and amusing drawings coaches should be sensitized to Kosta's and Freddy's mistakes, and avoid them.
First the term “training“ and its aims and content are explained. Step by step the author explains what constitutes good football training for children and teenagers and what makes a good youth coach. In the main section of the book, training is analysed with regard to 12 perspectives or quality criteria, and all inputs are made specific with copious examples and illustrated with pictures. The final section, “Miscellaneous“ covers further aspects of a coach's work and continues to offer tips as to how to do a successful job as coach.
The author, Yakub Berntal, was born in Israel 55 years ago. Unable to follow a career as a professional football player, the passionate footballer started coaching youth teams from an early age. Parallel to this he played amateur football and trained to become a sports teacher and football coach. At the age of 35 he emigrated to Germany and has been teaching at a secondary school in Offenbach for 10 years.
The holder of a UEFA A-class football training licence also dreams of founding a football academy in Africa.
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(Editor)
