It’s been a team effort.
If you think what may be regarded as an old-school approach has gone entirely out of fashion, you may have to think again.
What is more, it can still prove highly effective.
And at the very least, it has in the case of one particular family.
“It was just about playing”, recalled Nigel James who in the past would use somewhat ethically questionable techniques in order to motivate his three children.
“I used to set them challenges in the back garden and if they did well at that, I’d give them 20p and then another 20p”, he remembered.
“Before you know, you’ve changed up £20 into 20ps and they’re all gone! It became fun.
“The key thing was that they were doing the right things. If you don’t know the standard that you have to set yourself then there is no way they will improve. In the end they pushed themselves to get better.”
Nigel James is not one of those parents who some may describe as crazy or out of touch.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
The father of Joshua, Reece and Lauren – the latter two of which have recently become the first-ever brother and sister to be called-up to England senior national football teams – is a highly-regarded football coach who has reportedly played his part in the development of an impressive total of over 20 professional footballers.
Once a promising, but eventually an unfulfilled player himself, he makes no secret of his approach to coaching youngsters.
“It’s all about discipline“, the founder of the Nigel James Elite Coaching (NJEC) academy admitted.
“Having the right kit, making sure your boots are clean, and acting professional at all times. These things are vitally important. I wouldn’t expect anything less.
“You’ve got to show that authority. If you’re straight with them, you can expect them to be straight with you.”
There is more to Nigel James the coach, though.
Much rather than letting out his own frustrations, he wants to provide young players with what was not afforded to him back in the day.
“After the injury [James senior suffered in a motorbike accident while on the books of Aldershot] I lost confidence in myself”, he told TalkSport.
“If you’re not surrounded by positive people in those situations who help pick you up, then it plays on your mind even more.
“When I was at Aldershot I didn’t feel as though I had that support network. I fell out of love with the game.
“I was in a very lonely place back then. I was living in London and getting the train to Aldershot and then getting back home late at night. I wasn’t enjoying it.
“To make matters worse you get told a pack of lies. The usual stuff like ‘keep your head up and try to be positive’.
“The bottom line is I was sold a dream. People sell people a dream just to keep the numbers up. That’s the reality of it.”
James stopped his playing career at the tender age of 19 and moved into coaching. His under-8 team soon included the likes of Conor Gallagher (now on loan at West Bromwich Albion from Chelsea), Ian Poveda (Leeds United) and Alfie Doughty (Charlton Athletic) as well as his own children.
His approach may be seen as old school indeed.
But with a reason.
“Having that mutual respect goes a long way,” he believes. “Here at NJEC we have that with all of our players and parents. We’re a big family.”
There was no messing about in his own family’s back garden either.
Frequent coaching sessions may have helped in Joshua – who was on the books of Fulham and Reading at youth level – Reece and Lauren all falling in love with game.
“Lauren had to learn quickly,” he told The Guardian. “Otherwise she didn’t get the ball.
“When she and her brothers were having a kickaround, they wouldn’t let her just come and take the ball. She had to work very hard to get it. And when she did get it, they made sure she didn’t have it for very long!”
The type of father he was Nigel would never step in.
Success requires determination, he knew all too well.
Maybe it is not then all old school after all.
BREAKTHROUGH 