Coach's Corner
January 23, 2008
The Game is the Best Teacher
More and more soccer professionals are suggesting that the best way to teach players soccer is to get right into playing in a game format. This idea seems like a direct contradiction to the previous theories and licenses where you gradually work your way through the session to get to the game but the end result is the same. The warm up, technical activity, game related activity and then game used to be the progression and certainly is still useful. However, now many people believe a session should be similar to: technical warm up, game related, game.
The modern session was conceived to deal with a few issues. First, players enjoy playing games as oppose to training on technique and/or running through repetitive drills. The focus should be more on the players enjoying coming to practice and touching the ball at home which will keep him enthusiastic about the sport. This enthusiasm will help him have an open mind at practice, he will work harder while there and eventually stay in the game longer.
Secondly, the days of taking laps around the field have been long gone for some time now. One way for developing individual technique is to put it into your warm up. Every player should have a ball. If you feel the need to do a static stretch put them in while the players are getting some touches. Combine stretching with the normal technical activity so 15 minutes into the session the players have gotten touches on the ball, became focused on the topic of the session and are loose enough to pick up the pace. By getting into games quicker you do away with the repetition of technique early in the session which is absolutely necessary for the development of individual skills particularly at a young age. This is where you would need to be more creative in instilling technique while the game is being played or in “natural stoppages” throughout the session.
Thirdly, as the players get older they need to learn how to play in small groups. The application of the technique in tight spaces is crucial and where most players start to struggle. By working on playing with others in a game situation they get better at applying their skills to a game environment. How many times have you seen a team perfect the drag back only to never use it in a game?
So how do you instruct? You can’t just roll the ball out and let them play and think that their individual technique will improve. First, come up with a topic for the whole session. Second, like stated before, you put your technique in the beginning during the warm up (15 min.). Third, pick a game related activity that will emphasize the topic or technique you wish (15-30 min.). Lastly, let them play, but put in restrictions to again emphasize the appropriate topic (30-45 min.). Often coaches will bypass the game related part and move right into the game with restrictions. Some possible restrictions on games are:
Mandatory 2 or 3 touches: this forces them to deal with the ball and think about the first touch so they can take a second. This will also stop them from just whacking the ball uncontrollably around the field.
Minimum 1 or 2 touches: this restriction forces players to think before they get the ball. It also helps teammates think about moving off the ball because they know that player must play it quickly. This can only be done at a high level where players are moving to find passes among other skills. I wouldn’t suggest this until around the 11-12 yr. old age groups.
One touch finishing: this restriction helps them set other players up in front of the goal. It also promotes lots of crossing and negative touches in the eighteen yard box. Once you touch the ball you can’t be the one who finishes.
Mandatory 2 or 3 touch finishing: these restrictions forces players to take a preparation touch before they shoot. I find that many players rush too much on goal scoring opportunities and would be better served by taking a prep. touch before shooting.
Mandatory number of passes before they score: this forces teams to build before going forward.
All attacking players must be across midfield when the ball goes in to count the goal: this restriction forces teams to have good shape, moving up together. You’ll find that with good offensive shape and backs pushing forward a bit you will get more then one chance during each attack.
Other possible restrictions:
- must score out of the air
- must play ball wide before you score
- must do a drag back, (or any other move) before you pass the ball
- can only score with your right foot, or left foot
- change goals from two to four, three goals that anyone can shoot at, etc.
- use neutral players on flanks to force them to play wide
- use neutral players on end lines to force them to play direct
- only allowed to score in three passes or less (counter attack)
There are many, many other restrictions. Be creative, have fun with it, but try to keep it to the topic you have chosen for your session.
Sample Session
Topic: Confidence on the ball, dribbling
Technical warm-up (15 min.): Every player has a ball, I call out numbers and they do touches. After every two minutes we do two stretches. Activity lasts 15 minutes and we should cover attacking moves and escape moves. Each player should have two that they are confident in.
Game related (30 min.): Three teams of 6. One team is neutral and place outside an age appropriate 6 vs. 6 field. There should be one neutral on each end line and two neutrals on each side line. Restriction: you must take three touches before you play it. Neutrals must play one touch. Field players must use one of the two moves they practiced earlier in the session. Games are to one, losing team becomes neutrals. Do rock, paper, scissors if they tie after 5 minutes.
Game: 8 vs. 8 going to two goals (30-45 min.). Restriction: all players must be on their half of the field when the ball goes in or goal doesn’t count. This will promote numbers and runs forward. After I am happy with attacking I would take the restriction off and let them play.
So you see in this practice session they will get plenty of touches on the ball, attack and escape moves, work on playing in small groups and most of all have a lot of fun. As the teams get older you could reinforce the technical topic by doing some fitness at the end with the ball. Think about how different the session would be if I used the same format, but put the restriction of one touch passing. Another important note, be sure not to stop the game too often. Use some demonstration during natural stoppages and communicate coaching points individually while the game is going on. Follow these basic suggestions and you will see that your players will develop and the practice environment will be a more positive, harder working, enthusiastic atmosphere.
Scott Mosier
Hockessin Soccer Club
Director of Coaching
May 24, 2007
Focus on Process vs. Result
By Scott Mosier, HSC Director of Coaching
The information that a coach, parent and ultimately the player puts focus on is crucial in determining the mindset, development and success of a player. This is a fact. Wherever an authority figure places emotion, so too will the players. Therefore parents and coaches must pay special attention to what they emphasize during the games and practices.
So is it OK to get excited about a win? Before you answer think of the fact mentioned previously. If you get overly excited about a win then the same intensity must be true for a loss in a negative direction. The key is to focus on the process of performance, otherwise known as the task at hand. For example, a coach or parent should be happy for the child’s big win, but because of the pieces of the puzzle he needed to do correctly to get that result, not for the result itself. One should encourage the performance, win or lose, not the end result.
Here are two ways of praising a player, “Congratulations on the championship, you guys are the best team in the area” or “Good job today, you guys really played well and finished your chances against a tough team.” They may sound similar, but the second quote places emphasis on their actions today, not that they have a standard that they now have to live up to. The problem with the first scenario is that inevitably they will lose that game and will be extremely disappointed and so they should, but only because they didn’t perform well, not because of the result.
Another reason to place emphasis on the performance and not the result is to perform better. It is known that a player must be thinking about the task and/or technique at hand to perform his/her best. If that player is thinking about whether his success or mistake will ultimately win or lose the game he/she will not be focused on the task at hand, possibly leading into a mistake and more importantly into not enjoying the game. Think of it as if a player is about to take a penalty kick. What do you want their thought pattern to be; "Will my miss lose the game?" or "I'm going to keep my knee over the ball."
The key to developing successful, motivated, enthusiastic young players is to get them to try to perform the best they can at each game and at each practice and to do that they should measure success by their own standard and not by a competitive goal. After all, where there is a winner, by definition there must be a loser.
May 23, 2007
Why Do You Need Space for Practice?
By Scott Mosier, HSC Director of Coaching
Why do coaches need a large area to train? It depends on your topic for that session. If you are working on crossing, finishing crosses, switching the point of attack, playing flat in the back, etc. then a bigger field may be necessary. However, at a young age (we’ll call it under 11) you shouldn’t be working on those topics, at least not often. Topics that should be done are touches on the ball, dribbling (escape and attacking moves), striking the ball with all parts of the foot, receiving the ball. All of this is technical work with as few players to one ball at a time. If you can come up with a practice session at ages 7, 8, 9, 10 where the players don’t leave a 20 yd. x 20 yd. grid for one hour you’ve done well for those players. The goal is to create confidence on the ball and individual abilities. If you asked coaches what kind of team do you want at 13 years old, a team that is sloppy with the ball and can’t take people on 1 vs. 1 but can move and shift or a team of 11 players that are all skilled, great technical ability on the ball and confident attacking the decision would be easy. Most coaches would choose the latter. The theory is that the time you spend trying to teach young players spatial concepts like shifting, angled runs off the ball, most team defensive schemes and lateral passing can be done very quickly in much shorter amount of time with a quality 13, 14 year old team, whereas it takes a long time even at 13 and 14 to develop proper technique. My suggestion is once a week focus a session solely on technique, pick a topic (receiving, striking, first defender, dribbling) then finish with a game doing about 50% of the second session a week on technique touch on some simple tactics, again finishing with a small sided game.
So moral of the story, train in as small an area as possible with as many balls in play as possible. It benefits the individual players and will give them confidence to move on to higher levels throughout their career. Coaches will find that they will actually be able to get more advanced quicker by hammering the basics for as long as they can.