Why Grassroots Footballers Learn Better From Video Than Words

"A lot of footballers are visual learners. They don't take written information well. You can give them notes on WhatsApp, and they'll read it. But if you send them a video where they can see themselves, I've always seen a much bigger reaction from the players I've coached," says George Plank, manager at Shrewton United Football Club.

Plank discovered this truth while managing his Step 7 team through an unbeaten season. The difference between text-based feedback and visual proof became impossible to ignore as players responded dramatically differently to seeing themselves on screen versus reading coaching notes.

This challenges the traditional assumption that grassroots coaching relies primarily on verbal instruction and written feedback to develop players.

Building a Team Without an Analysis Department

George Plank has been building Shrewton United into a competitive force in Step 7 football. His coaching experience spans youth academies and grassroots football, giving him perspective on how players at different levels absorb information.

Shrewton United operates without the analysis departments or meeting rooms that higher-level clubs enjoy. Plank faced the challenge of delivering tactical feedback to adult players who, like many grassroots footballers, balance football with full-time jobs and have limited time for traditional coaching sessions.

This challenge reflects a broader issue in non-league football: how do you help players improve when they can't spend hours in tactical meetings and when verbal feedback from match day fades from memory within days?

Before implementing video analysis, Plank struggled with a fundamental communication problem. Players would hear his feedback during or after matches, but the message rarely landed with the impact he needed. "When they're coached or told something, they've seen it differently in their mind, or they don't quite believe what the coach is trying to explain," Plank says.

The problem intensified with adult players. "Even with adults, I see this happening, sometimes even more so, because they're really opinionated about the game. They'll say 'no, I saw it this way.' So sometimes there can be a clash," Plank says. Verbal feedback often led to disagreements about what actually happened during matches, with players remembering situations differently than the manager saw them.

Traditional coaching methods at grassroots level rely heavily on memory and subjective interpretation. Without video evidence, coaches and players frequently talk past each other, debating whose version of events is accurate rather than focusing on improvement.

Without a way to show players objective proof of tactical situations, Shrewton United risked stagnating despite having talented individuals. The communication gap between what Plank saw from the touchline and what players experienced on the pitch threatened to limit the team's development.

Showing Instead of Telling

Plank turned to automated camera technology after seeing how other coaches used video to support their feedback. The shift from telling players what happened to showing them transformed how his squad absorbed tactical information. "When you have this video and you can sit down with them individually, or send them clips on WhatsApp, it takes out the confusion," Plank says.

The delivery method evolved to match grassroots realities. Without a clubhouse with screens and projectors, Plank adapted by using mobile devices. "I get my iPad and sit with the players and show them clips from that day's game. Or I'll put it on my laptop and send it through WhatsApp," Plank says. The informal setting on the training ground or quick video messages via WhatsApp made video review accessible rather than intimidating.

The response from players exceeded Plank's expectations. "It's been a game changer over the last year for us," Plank says. Players who previously questioned or forgot verbal feedback couldn't argue with video evidence. "The proof is in the pudding. It's right in front of you," Plank says. Seeing themselves make decisions on screen eliminated the subjectivity that had created coaching friction.

The impact extended beyond resolving disagreements. Players became genuinely interested in studying their own performances. "They're eager to review what they did, why they missed a shot, why they got called for something," Plank says. The visual format connected with how modern players, raised on smartphones and video content, naturally process information.

For Shrewton United, currently unbeaten and top of the table, video has become essential to maintaining their form. Players understand tactical instructions faster, remember corrections longer, and take ownership of their development in ways that verbal coaching never achieved. The technology hasn't just improved communication between manager and squad. It has fundamentally changed how the team learns.

Plank's experience reveals an important truth about grassroots football development: the medium matters as much as the message. Players at this level aren't less capable of tactical sophistication than professionals. They simply need information delivered in a format that matches how they learn. For a generation that grew up watching themselves on video, showing beats telling every time.

Plank's approach shows how video analysis can transform player development at any level. Ready to discover what visual feedback can do for your team? Veo experts are standing by to help you get started.