Written for the 82nd minute.
We plan strength, speed and technique down to the week, then leave the skills that decide games to chance and personality. These pieces are about that other half.
Every player you coach will meet their own 82nd minute. They deserve to arrive trained for it.From "What Argentina's final meltdown reveals about self-control"
The red card that changed how I coach.
I failed a test of my own emotional intelligence in front of my players. What happened, and what I changed.
Self-controlHeadCoach blog, July 2026What Argentina's final meltdown reveals about self-control
Two bookings, a red card and a brawl. Why self-control gets zero minutes on the training calendar, and what a trained reset looks like.
PressureHeadCoach blog, July 2026Messi missed. Again. That's not the story.
Threat or challenge, and the seconds after a mistake. What Messi did between the miss and the final whistle can be trained.
ConfidenceHeadCoach blogConfidence for wellbeing and performance
Competence is only one pillar of confidence. Read through Maslow's deficiency and growth needs.
OptimismHeadCoach blogOptimism for footballers and coaches
Two midfielders, two dressing rooms, one goal conceded, and what thinking about the next action looks like in a real game.
HabitsHeadCoach blogWhat have habits got to do with emotional intelligence?
Self-regulation sits inside every model of emotional skill. Habits, worked back from needs, are how it gets built.
PurposeHeadCoach blogLive your life with the end in mind
Jim Loehr's tombstone exercise, and habits that line up with what you want to be remembered for.
CoachingHeadCoach blogHow emotional intelligence transformed my coaching
The original version of the red card story, with the research behind what I changed.
Pieces marked HeadCoach blog are published at headcoachapp.com.
Talks, workshops, or a question about developing players and coaches.
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