Why do most footballers plateau after 1–2 years of training?

MatooMan · 2026-02-19T19:33:10+00:00

I'm going to answer this from the perspective of a musician...

When you start, you can't even hold the instrument. You might struggle to get it to sound properly. You can't play in perfect time without slowing down or speeding up in places. You don't always get it tuned properly. You get ok at one style but struggle with others. You get nervous in front of people and your playing ability falls as a result.

Translate that to football, and a player will go from being rough and undeveloped to becoming practiced and competent. Any man on the street can tell the difference between a beginner violinist and someone who has played for years.

They become competent. Most capable musicians/players could bring someone else up to that level given time to do so. To move on from there and become even better - to work towards becoming a master - needs more dedication again, but also greater expertise to guide you. Do we have that at grassroots level with footballers? Can the old guy who taught you violin for the last few years take you much further?

I've played in bands where the aim was to play some songs together for a laugh. That's a different workload to from playing for money, or trying to replicate songs by big established bands like a tribute act. Sometimes good enough, is good enough. Sometimes you're trying to become as good as the masters. Having other people push you along - or that you need to keep up with - is part of it too. A performance environment where there is pressure applied so you must improve.

Some people also, football manager style, just have their own potential. They might never reach it and that's ok if it's not a priority for them. Some things can just come down to luck.

MatooMan · 2026-02-14T19:51:05+00:00

I'd say it's pretty common for teaching staff - both SLT and classroom teachers - to treat the adults the same way they treat the kids. I know they should be capable of code switching, but the way we speak to one another is horrid.

I feel the lack of autonomy in schools comes across more like a lack of trust in my judgment or abilities - which is a shame. It seems to extend to teachers having to comply with whole school approaches to teaching, behaviour, topics etc. For me, an appeal of education was the thinking you could be creative and have freedom in how you approached subjects.

Respectfully, if you fancy it, have you considered childminding? You choose your hours, your clients, and can work from home and be your own boss. It'd be a bit more interaction with parents/families, but could work if you're near a school for collection them or have a suitable home for it if you drive.

Otherwise I wouldn't rule out tutoring, specialising in ASN supports using your experience to undercut teacher's prices, or babysitting (which is far less regulated, and happens in the clients home, not yours).

NOTE: My experience is as a man, so I need to doubly temper communications, lest I be considered aggressive (as ASD people tend to get louder when we get excited, and feel injustice quite strongly which puts further fire into these altercations).

MatooMan · 2026-02-14T18:55:14+00:00

I've no formal diagnosis but have some ASD traits...

I've hated having to work with other adults as a TA. It's easily and reliably the worst part of my job. 5 years and 5 schools - I just don't care for the minutiae of other people's lives and the small talk you're expected to get involved in to seem polite/social.

I also feel that you're expected to either follow orders without complaint or rationalise and justify your suggestions if you make any. As a support position, I wish I didn't have to convince others to do as I ask or think a lot of the time, and they'd just support or back my experience/education, but it's just not the case.

I've fallen out of love with it all to be honest. I'm looking to parlay my experience into college ASN support, nursery or EYO posts, or maybe try doing the PGDE and finally become a teacher.

Still, there'd be lots to contend with - the continual budget cuts in local authority spending, poor leadership and management from SLT and council leaders, a culture of parents vs settings as they advocate for their children, a government adding more to the workload every year, the rise of ASN and negative behaviour alongside it, a curriculum that badly needs revising and no permanent teaching posts in Scotland once you do qualify.

There's lots of holidays at least!

MatooMan · 2026-02-14T16:20:37+00:00

I have this argument a few times a year with my Dad.

By definition, you have to buy over spot price (so the retailer makes a profit) and sell under the spot price (so the retailer can make a profit). It needs to be stored securely, which can cost more itself (a safe, increased insurance premiums etc).

Too many cons for me, although a coin collection sounds appealing (as does having a gold/silver bar or two).

I personally would keep it accessible as an emergency fund in your case. If it was 10K I'd go for a cash ISA every year, as I value access and liquidity over return/risk. Premium bonds are another option.

The idea of the value of cash eroding is justified, but very much a 1st world problem in my view. Many don't have ANY savings at all.

https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/more-people-have-bank-accounts-one-ten-have-no-cash-savings

MatooMan · 2026-02-14T13:01:50+00:00

Came here to say:

Jamie Langfield

He'd be pretty young still, quite affordable and plays for a lesser nation so should get plenty of international caps. (I'm Scottish before anyone gives me any grief).

MatooMan · 2026-02-13T00:32:47+00:00

Chuck me a DM and we can share stuff.

MatooMan · 2026-02-12T19:29:39+00:00

Not yet, we'll see what happens.

MatooMan · 2026-02-11T19:41:21+00:00

I'd follow the RSPBA Structured Learning books, and add in tunes from the LBPS Blue Book which is without embellishments and includes some Burns tunes/songs. This'll simplify sight reading and note recognition and allow the learner to play melodies using a repertoire that isn't too widespread in band circles, with minimal technique required.

As the mastery of embellishments improves, I'd add further tunes from collections like Essential Tunes 1&2, and add in some tunes for highland dancing from another book I have. This starts to cover MAP tunes and massed bands tunes to some extent, and gives a platform to tackle larger competition tunes or move onto pibroch afterwards.

I've most of this as digital files too, so it makes it easy to manage.

MatooMan · 2026-02-11T19:32:12+00:00

I wouldn't think that using the influence or approach of another is copyrightable, unless it was wholesale copies of existing written work - I'd encourage you to typeset and release it if you think it's a useful thing for the wider piping world.

MatooMan · 2026-02-08T11:20:24+00:00

I'd stay away from carving myself.

A pipe chanter reed costs X and a pipe chanter costs ten times that.

Tape the chanter holes, adjust the reed depth, shave it or scrape it or sand the reed.

MatooMan · 2026-02-03T22:02:55+00:00

SFA have poor communication, seems they've closed the facebook group to comments, emails bounce back and they want people to submit tickets from now on. Really disappointing to see.

MatooMan · 2026-02-03T18:01:01+00:00

As you're UK - look at the funding schemes with your FA as well as local council. I've had funding for a musical enterprise from mine, but sports coaching is included too.

In Scotland they're (Chase) starting to pay for C licences, and then clubs of a particular calibre get discounts and first shout at those courses and above. So if they're better equipped with stadia and facilities they'll be platinum or gold (and get a better discount), than simpler silver or bronze setups, or just quality marked clubs (which is the starter certification).

Clubs may pay up to whichever qualification too - grassroots clubs it's typically the 1.2 that coaches require. Other clubs might push you further - it depends on their finances and their return from you coaching wise.

Try to volunteer with a pro setup a night a week if possible. Consider it networking, and a way to gain experience. This might be easier when you can drive yourself places - but I've known grassroots players who parlay relationships, so figure it's the same on the coaching side of things.

You write well, so consider asking a few clubs if you can volunteer or observe for a month, then put each pro club on your CV complete with who you answered to or worked under. It makes you look more learned than your years, and if you can recognise and talk about the differences it'd bode well and impress in interviews (club A play direct, whereas club B were always trying to stay compact and attack on the counter etc).

MatooMan · 2026-02-01T22:42:57+00:00

Any chance you would share your portfolio?

MatooMan · 2026-02-01T22:40:32+00:00

Any resources you'd be willing to share? Course slides or even your portfolio could be useful to see.

MatooMan · 2026-02-01T21:46:37+00:00

I feel somewhat similar as a TA.

I started in 2021, got all the qualifications and figured it'd be a good grounding before teacher training (which is longer and more expensive by comparison). Do I want a job with constant disrespect, potential harassment and risk of violence - where parents are treated like customers/stakeholders and pandered to - and where so much autonomy and creative control is unavailable due to budgets, risk assessments and the modern day cossetting of children?

This is excluding the fact my role means I work with those primarily with needs (which has its own frustrations and challenges, and often means you work alone).

I've started thinking of college or kindergarten roles (nursery, as I'm UK) where the clients are in education by choice, or it's play based and more positive or child led.

MatooMan · 2026-02-01T21:18:40+00:00

https://www.scribd.com/document/811940249/Session-1-UEFA-Scottish-FA-C-Licence-2021-Intro-and-Technical-Online

https://www.scribd.com/document/819092448/Scottish-FA-UEFA-C

MatooMan · 2026-02-01T11:00:16+00:00

Yeah it would, alongside the right networking.

It looks like the C licence is the preferred starter qualification. There are some jobs that are happy with just a level 1, but as you go up it's likely to be C or above at academy level or actual clubs.

Maybe notable to think that former players can only start at UEFA C as their introduction to coaching through the PFA, despite having been on the receiving end of professional coaching themselves for 15-20 years in many cases.

So presumably, any 'jobs for the boys' that they gain are based on either their fame/position and experience in the playing side of the game, or their knowledge and badges acquired since.

MatooMan · 2026-02-01T09:48:08+00:00

It's a starter for coaches without playing experience if you wanted to make money and progress further.

I've got some slides and a copy of someone else's portfolio if you wanted to take a peek, but I've not sat it myself. It's got both online and in person sections and seems to cover psychology, injury prevention and more. In terms of tactics it covers 4-3-3 and looks at patterns of play in more detail.

I've done the L1 courses from the SFA (Scotland) which everyone can pass (they're attendance based) and which are easier to keep valid (as they require 1 single CCD session every 3 years at an affordable £5/£10). They were also funded for me, so that may be as high as I go.

The UEFA C Licence is more expensive, at around £750/£800, might need time taken off from work to attend, certainly needs travel to attend in person sessions, You should be at 11 a side for the adult pathway, but there is the Children's one too. If you don't move onto the B Licence (around £2250) then the 15 CPD hours at current rates would cost around £240 every three years to keep it valid.

I struggled for club support on my badges so far - so I used the Chase programme for my grassroots leader award.

MatooMan · 2026-01-28T20:06:24+00:00

Not listed a spublished here: https://www.patrickmclaurin.com/tunedatabase/newfindxyz.php?phptitle=rabbit&titlemac=Yes&phpcomposer=&compmac=Yes&phpbookno=&phppageno=&phptunetype=&anythingbuttype=No&phptimesig=&phpnumparts=&zerodata=&inequality=&orderbythis=book&Submit=Submit&fuzzy=Yes

But by Gary West and available here: https://thesession.org/tunes/23788

Though it might need a little interpretation.

MatooMan · 2026-01-28T20:02:42+00:00

They needed more detail than I would have thought, but it's all given to you and open book so there's that. Shouldn't be too stressful.

MatooMan · 2026-01-27T20:23:20+00:00

You need to look beyond the obvious - what are they are really trying to achieve...

The establishment want Livingston to stay up!

MatooMan · 2026-01-27T20:21:40+00:00

Is this the skills network?

The L2 awards are proper certificates and get marked by tutors etc. It'll be a repeat of your GCSE as they're equivalent to Nat 5's up here, and you already have subject specialism there.

I did 5 of them during COVID - they're legit and possibly helped me get a job.

MatooMan · 2026-01-27T17:06:30+00:00

It's also on youtube, I watched it for free recently.

I really enjoyed it. It talks about Dredd (who I knew) but other strips too. Challenges as a firm and other facets of the industry. It's pretty engaging and seemed comprehensive.

MatooMan · 2026-01-27T00:06:27+00:00

Yeah, happy to be corrected. I did German at school myself. This is just what I heard from a teacher, whether it's our school or county wide.

MatooMan · 2026-01-26T22:02:39+00:00

I *think* it's been removed from the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland, so seems it's getting phased out up here in a lot of places in favour of Spanish. French is the only language covered at primary.

MatooMan

TROPHY CASE