📅 Friday 17th April - Saturday 23rd May 2026
⚽ Banaat: Beyond the Pitch
📍 Alserkal Avenue, Dubai.
At Banaat FC, player development extends far beyond technical ability and match performance. Through our Beyond the Pitch initiative, Coach Lizz led a five-week workshop series designed to help our U11 and U13 academy players strengthen the mental and personal skills that support success both on and off the field.
Week 1: Building Trust and Connection
The opening session focused on introductions, creating a positive environment, and building trust between players and coaches. Through discussions and team activities, participants had the opportunity to get to know one another, establish connections, and lay the foundation for the weeks ahead.
Week 2: Understanding Confidence
The second session explored the concept of confidence—what it is, where it comes from, and how it can be developed and maintained. Through a combination of interactive activities and group discussions, players learned that confidence is not something people simply have or lack, but a skill that can be strengthened through preparation, effort, and experience.
Week 3: Developing Positive Habits
Week three focused on the importance of habits and consistency. Players explored how positive reinforcement can help build healthy routines and how small actions, repeated over time, contribute to long-term growth. The session also examined factors that can disrupt positive habits, including inconsistent sleep patterns, unhealthy comparisons with others, and conflict. By recognising these challenges, players were encouraged to make choices that support their development both as athletes and as individuals.
Week 4: Learning Through Mistakes
The fourth session centred on one of the most important parts of growth: making mistakes. Players discussed how mistakes contribute to learning and improvement, and why a mistake in performance should never be confused with a person's character or potential.
The group explored a simple framework:
Mistake → Reset → Learn → Grow
Through a series of fast-paced games designed to create opportunities for errors, players practised responding positively when things didn't go as planned. The focus was on resilience, learning from setbacks, and having the confidence to keep trying.
Week 5: Managing Pressure
The final session addressed pressure and how to perform effectively when it matters most. Players discussed the idea that pressure often exists because we care deeply about something. Rather than trying to eliminate pressure, the goal is to manage our response to it.
The session explored the importance of focus and how overthinking certain situations can make challenges seem larger than they really are. Through discussion and practical exercises, players learned strategies to stay present, remain composed, and trust their preparation when facing pressure.
Beyond the Game
The Beyond the Pitch programme was designed to equip young athletes with tools that extend far beyond football. By exploring confidence, habits, mistakes, and pressure, players gained valuable insights into mindset, resilience, and personal growth—skills that will support them both on the pitch and throughout their lives.
A huge thank you to Coach Lizz for leading these sessions and helping our players continue their development beyond the game. We would also like to thank NALA for generously providing us with orange juice for the girls.
