Anyone who follows me on social media will have noticed that I recently had a book published. The book, Developing Skill: A Guide to 3v3 Soccer Coaching, is my first. This is the story of how the book came to be and hopefully it can help/inspire others.
The foundation of the book comes from a question I asked on social media.
“Does anyone have any good 3v3 football resources?”
(Or words to that effect)
I had been looking at 1v1 and progressing that into 2v2 but the practices left me unsatisfied. The nature of 2v2 lacked many key elements of football that the extra player of 3v3 allows (I go into this in previous articles and the book itself). I was aware of Horst Wein’s brilliant work but could find precious little else.
Social media came back empty.
There was only one thing to do. Create the resource myself. Over a relatively short period I pieced together around 40 practices. At one point that was around 60 but editing, progressions and quality control dialled it back. These were then released onto social media, given away, for free.
Then people said “you should put them into an eBook”
I was reluctant and hesitant. The idea dismissed.
Then more resources were created. Additional 1v1 games, warm ups and further progressions of 3v3s. Each set of practices released onto social media, given away, for free.
The eBook comments came in again.
Eventually I felt I had sufficient material of high enough quality to justify a book. Not only in the many practices but from the articles I had written. It was time.
To me an eBook simply would not do. My old style journalism training says that it is the hard copy that counts. If I was going to write this it was going to be primarily a book, with the eBook as a spin off.
The logical step was for me to look up publishers. As a coach I am a hoarder of resources and my shelves are full. As I looked through them a number of names cropped up with regularity but one stood out. Bennion Kearny. They seemed to have a record of giving coaches an opportunity, exactly what I needed. An email was sent. I laid out what the book was about, how I saw the structure and why I thought people might be interested in reading it.
Bennion Kearny came back to me quickly. They requested some example practices be sent over. They were definitely interested. Following a number of back and forth exchanges we discussed aspects such as the contract. I was also given a warning. Often with first time authors in a market such as football coaching it is not unusual to sell as few as 100 copies. This didn’t put me off. I didn’t care. I cared about being given an opportunity.
My biggest challenge was time. Fitting in the writing of the book alongside coaching and completing a coaching qualification. I tried to set myself a target of a chapter a week (or two weeks). There was no true deadline aside from what was self imposed. The content was already there, it needed to be converted.
Chapter one had it’s own unique difficulty. The chapter had to explain the book but not give too much away. Showing the reader that there is an inherent value to 3v3 while relating it to 11v11 was not too difficult, those ideas existed inside my head for a long time. Normally the task is getting ideas out but that had already been done, it just had to be retooled. It was just a question of how much detail? How much information? Chapter one was probably the hardest to balance.
After the first chapter it became a case of editing, rewriting, cutting and pasting. Repeatedly. Coaches have been educated that planning is a key component of their process. We end up with old plans everywhere. On pieces of paper, on electronic devices, in books… I used to keep a journal. Every night after coaching I would write an entry outlining who and what I had coached that day. As well as reflecting on my coaching it meant I kept a record. Eventually time meant that this process slowly fell away but also other forums were found, such as social media. These became my journal. The plans became my book material, just as they could for other coaches.
At all times I was concerned about the length of the book. My belief was that the material definitely justified a book but would it be long enough? I recall the sense of disappointment when ordering a book and upon arrival finding it to be rather slight. Consulting the books upon my shelf I kept checking for what seemed a reasonable target. It had to be over 100 pages. Over 120 would be ideal.
All through the writing of the chapters I had sent them across one at a time, with the publisher returning them with feedback. There came a major note. We needed a stronger conclusion, a more substantial final chapter.
We needed another chapter. A proper conclusion. For a while this stumped me. Then I settled on a type of How To? Which can be lacking in books. The How To? Ended up giving the rest of the book greater context.
Then came the hard part. What would we call the book? This went back and forth for a week. I was too abstract, the publisher too dry, at least in my opinion. Eventually a compromise was made but it was less of a creative process and more of a negotiation.
The title was made to look easy by what followed. The battle for the cover. I am fortunate to be friends with a graphic designer and very early on in proceedings he was on board to design the cover. With everything completed it was only the cover that remained. For two weeks we bounced back and forth. Designer to me to publisher to me to designer…. It wasn’t dynamic enough… the circles needed shadow… Add a ball… Eventually we got to the design we have now and I admit that all the back and forth was worthwhile.
Then came a wait.
A message came while I was on a team building exercise with work. I had to leave to come home and polish the book. I returned the next day to find that everyone now knew about the book. A few people already knew, it was no secret but I had not been shouting about it to all and sundry. “When is it out?” I couldn’t answer, I didn’t know. All I knew was that the book was being sent to the printers.
The big email then arrived. “Congratulations!” The book was complete and available to pre-order. I scrambled the jets. I was my own marketing department and all I had was social media. Though I am not a big Facebook I set up a page. I made an Instagram account. Posted on LinkedIn. However, Twitter is my main domain. The bulk of my marketing has been done there, testing the patience and good will of those who follow me, but I have limited options without spending fortunes. All I have are ideas and imagination. How far can these go? I am still finding out.
This is not about sales. This is about reach. If I did not believe in the material I would not have written it at all. A genuine belief that the book can help coaches is the driver, not profit. Small packages of resources are helpful but a solid book has a more convincing, more legitimate air. I am certain that many other coaches have useful resources and plans that they could package together. Should this be tied into an ideology that is all the better, if it isn’t, no matter, people want coaching resources and always will.
When coaches have spent time reflecting on what they do and why they will posses a greater clarity of vision. From their own deeper understanding of their motivations and methods can be built a path to follow. The actions of the coach become more authentic, more resonant, more powerful.
I would suggest they go for it. If you only help one coach to expand their knowledge and develop it will be worth it.