We help coaches and teachers to create learning through games with MatchPlay Cards© / @The_CoachingLab / [email protected]
30/08/2026
Meet the man behind The Coaching Lab 👇
Jack didn’t set out to build a coaching platform, he set out to fix what coaching was missing.
Swipe through to find out what drives him, what he’s learned along the way, and where he’s taking this thing next.
MatchPlay Cards arrived, but now what? Here’s our 3️⃣ top tips for getting going!
26/08/2026
One deck. Three ways to challenge your coaching.
Our NEW Coach Challenge MatchPlay Cards are organised into three types:
🔥 ENGAGE
Help players feel involved, valued and excited to take part.
🔄 CHANGE
Adapt the game, environment or your approach to create better learning.
💭 REFLECT
Notice your impact, question your habits and decide what to try next.
Pick one card before your session. Keep the challenge in mind while you coach. Reflect on what changed afterwards.
Small experiments can create big improvements.
Which area would challenge you most: ENGAGE, CHANGE or REFLECT?
Comment CHALLENGE and we’ll send you the details 👇
23/08/2026
It’s a game within a game 🎯
MatchPlay Cards give players an extra challenge to solve while the main game continues.
They might need to score within three seconds, complete a particular type of pass or find a new way to create space.
The game stays realistic, but players have a clearer problem to solve.
That means more:
🧠 Decision making
👀 Awareness
💬 Communication
🔥 Engagement
Pick a card. Add it to the game. Let the players find the solution.
What challenge would your players choose first?
Explore MatchPlay Cards through the link in our bio.
Want your players to be more engaged? Do these three things:
Engagement grows when players feel involved, challenged and heard.
Explore our for practical ways to bring this into your sessions. Link in bio.
19/08/2026
Coaches spend so much time challenging their players.
But who is challenging the coach?
Introducing our NEW Coach Challenge MatchPlay Cards 🧠⚡
70 practical challenges designed to help coaches experiment, reflect and improve while they coach.
Choose a card before your session and give yourself a clear focus across three areas:
🔥 ENGAGE your players
🔄 CHANGE the environment
💭 REFLECT on your coaching
No lengthy course. No extra session plan. Just one simple challenge that encourages you to try something different.
Because coach development should happen where coaching happens.
Comment CHALLENGE and we’ll send you the details 👇
17/08/2026
Big group? Limited space? Not enough coaches?
You don’t always need more resources. You might just need a smarter structure.
Try these four ideas:
🏀 Break the group into rotating stations
🙋 Give players meaningful leadership roles
🤝 Share clear responsibilities with your co-coach
🎯 Keep everyone active, involved and learning
Great coaching isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about designing an environment where everyone can contribute.
Save this for your next session and share it with a coach who regularly works with big numbers!
The moment a coach stops being curious is the moment their development slows down.
Keep questioning. Keep experimenting. Keep learning from your players.
Explore our coach development support through the link in bio.
Coaching through games isn’t as simple as setting one up and standing on the side.
It takes a real coaching skillset to know when to observe, when to intervene and when to let players work it out.
The best games-based coaches can adapt the challenge, recognise what players need and create moments that encourage thinking, decision-making and learning.
The game might look simple.
The coaching behind it rarely is.
Want practical tools to help you coach more effectively through games? Explore MatchPlay Cards through the link in our bio.
MatchPlayCards
Open or closed questions?
Both have a place in coaching.
Closed questions can help you quickly check understanding and bring clarity.
Open questions encourage players to reflect, explain their thinking and take greater ownership of their development.
Great coaching isn’t about asking more questions. It’s about asking the right question at the right moment and giving players enough time to think.
Want to bring more purposeful reflection into your sessions?
Explore Reflection MatchPlay Cards through the link in our bio.
MatchPlayCards