Have a clear objective of what the whole session is trying to achieve. Stick with this theme throughout.
Ensure you arrive 10 – 15 minutes before the players to set up and to greet the players as they arrive.
Make sure that you have the basic football training equipment include first. aid kit.
DNA Coaching Fundamentals
All Coalville Town Youth FC training sessions are designed around the following core principles:
- Use a positive and enthusiastic manner with players at all times.
- Deliver realistic game-related practices.
- Use games whenever possible in training.
- Connect with the group before the session outlining the aims and objectives.
- Connect, activate, demonstrate and consolidate in every session.
- Value and work equally across The FA four corner model.
- Spend equal time delivering, planning and reviewing.
- Use varied coaching styles based on the needs of the group.
- Aim for a minimum of 70% ball rolling time in all sessions.
Warm up
The opening stage of the session must last around 10min and not exceed 15 minutes.
The warm up should include an activity to raise the pulse rate (jogging/skipping/ running forward/backwards), a mix of static (standing) and dynamic (on the move) stretches. You could also introduce a game that gets players moving in a football-related way – short sprints, changes of direction but avoids collisions/tackles. This might just be keep-ball in a circle or perhaps a football/ netball games where two teams pass the ball by hand. You can’t run with the ball and you score with a header or volley into a small goals at either end.
1st Part (Technique Drill)
This should last around 10 minutes.
The first stage of the session’s key part is made up of one or two themed technical skill drills which will highlight the main objective of the session. During this part, the coach emphasises the main subject by various approaches of intervention and giving guidance, thus identifying the session’s theme.
Main Topic
This should last around 15 minutes.
The 2nd stage of the session part is made up of progression of the technique drill, and work on the main objective of the session. This could include a progression from technique drill, possession drill, SSG.
Game Related Drill
This game will be the longest game of the session (20-25 minutes).
Work on aspect of match play – There will be an aspect of your play that didn’t go as planned at the weekend. Try to devote a section of your session to deal with this –Whatever it is try to recreate a realistic scenario where you get to rehearse and improve.
The game can be directed and/or free and must offer children the possibility of applying what they have practised in real “match” situations. During this part of the session, you should provide the player with more freedom to express themselves by letting them play without intervening as much
Useful Tips
Feedback during breaks
Rest breaks offer an opportunity to set challenges, feedback and speak with the players. It’s important to utilise this time, rather than the players returning to the coach after a drink and standing still to listen again.
Start-up activities
If other groups or teams are using the training area before you, starting the session with a game helps to keep the players focused and motivated whilst you set up the session. This will also give you breathing time to focus yourself.
Effective interventions – what do the players need?
It’s important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each type and timing of intervention. For example: how beneficial is it to stop the whole session to speak with one player? The skill for the coach is working out the best approach for the players.
Practice organisation
As space is often a limiting factor for many coaches, this isn’t always achievable. If so, try to set up other parts of the practice inside the match pitch/practice framework. Picking up cones rather than putting cones down is a more effective use of time.
Use games
More often than not, sessions finish with a game, but could you start the session with a game? If the pitch is set up from the start, then you have more time to play. You may even play a game for the full session and coach within the game.
Weaker Players
If you’ve got a weaker player or one returning from injury they can perhaps be given a degree of immunity by identifying a time delay (count of 1,2,3) before they can be challenged, employed as a feeder to restart the activity or designated a small area or channel in which they can’t be challenged
Goalkeepers
If you have goalkeepers in attendance try to include them in all activities. If they are not comfortable in free play then adapt your games so that the ball has to be played into their hands and they have to redistribute with a throw or a placed kick.
If you have no goalkeepers in attendance then perhaps challenge the outfield players to score goals where the ball has to hit the back of the net without bouncing, or hitting the side netting. One-touch finishes from inside an area will also add reality to the game.
No Goals
If you have no goals, set up an end- zone where players have to receive or dribble into to score a ‘goal’ for their team. Other ways to score might include knocking balls off cones, or having target players to feed the ball into.