Looking Through a New Lens

The Power of Video Feedback

This season we introduced a new tool to our coaching… video analysis. For some of our games we were able capture match footage from a perspective none of us usually get: from above, detached from the noise, and clear enough to spot the patterns, the positioning, the little moments that matter.

At this age group, players rarely get to see themselves in action. They feel the tackles, the runs, the frustration, the joy, but they don’t often get to step back and observe their game like we do from the sidelines. Introducing video gave us, and more importantly the players, a fresh lens through which to reflect and learn.

We didn’t clip specific moments or create highlight reels, we simply shared the full game footage with the players and parents after matches. It was there if they wanted to revisit moments, spot patterns, or just relive the game. We kept it low-key, not overloading the girls with instruction or expectations, just giving them access and space.

The exception came after that first game they won, where everything really clicked, a turning point where belief visibly landed in the group. We decided to sit down as a team and watch the game together. It wasn’t about analysis or corrections. It was about celebrating what they had achieved. We wanted the girls to see themselves in action: how they moved as a unit in defence, their hunger to win back possession, the support lines they ran, and the intensity with which they played. It became a shared moment of pride and insight.

During that session, the girls noticed things they hadn’t in the moment. Moments of skill, teamwork, and determination. They also saw the game from our perspective as coaches, the patterns that don’t always feel obvious when you’re in the thick of the action. It gave us a chance to praise their efforts in a different way and to open up space for them to highlight what they saw in each other’s play too.

That session felt like a shift. The players left more confident, more connected to the game and to each other. It was no longer just about how it felt out there, they’d seen themselves succeed, and that’s powerful. It made things stick in a new way.

Video feedback won’t replace time on the pitch or the lessons of effort and repetition, but it has added another layer of learning. One we’ll certainly keep building on in seasons to come.

Key takeaway: Sometimes the most powerful feedback is simply giving players the chance to see themselves. A new perspective can deepen belief and unlock learning in unexpected ways.

Coaching reflection: What could your players discover if they saw what you see? How might it shift their understanding of their game, and of themselves?