What is “Personal Best” in Coaching?

Michael Griffin - Assistant Youth Development Phase Lead at Aston Villa Football Club

Personal Best (PB) is the athlete’s best possible version of themselves at this moment. 

Relative to: 

Their starting point 

Their context (age, maturity, experience, role) 

Their current constraints (physical, psychological, social, environmental) 

It’s maximising self-potential consistently. 

Why PB matters in talent development 

Protects intrinsic motivation 

Reduces fear of failure 

Keeps late developers engaged 

Builds accountability without shame 

Allows comparison without comparison 

How coaches can develop Personal Best 

Coaching Language 

“Is that your best right now?” 

“What would your best look like here?” 

“Did that move you forward?” 

TIP: Language shapes behaviour. 

Make PB observable 

Turn PB into KPIs 

Examples: 

Number of goals 

Number of regains 

Number of forward passes 

Now PB becomes coach-able and measurable. 

Build PB into reviews 

Post training and game or block reviews: 

PB's achieved 

PB's stretched 

PB's to chase next week 

The danger if PB is missing 

Without PB: 

Players sometimes chase team outcome, not individual development 

Confidence can become fragile due to peer comparison which can deter curiosity 

Late developers disappear 

With PB: 

Failure becomes feedback 

Competition becomes fuel and not fear 

Pressure becomes information

Summary 

“Your focus as a athlete isn’t always to be the best here but to bring your best here to ensure you are progressing.”