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SoccerCoachWeeklyIssue 265 Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Heads up!

1SoccerCoachWeekly Essential tools for your team

Can your players emulate the skills of Muller and Drogba?

Last weekend’s Champions League final showed the value of good heading ability. Both goals came from headers – both very different in their execution, though both incredibly valuable at the time.

However, heading’s about more than just finding the net, so here’s a session that rehearses players on how to best execute a header into a path of a team mate, be that in the opposition’s box or in your own!

Play each drill for five minutes, looking to see how your players develop their technique.

How to play itHeading warm-up• To start with, set your players up as shown in the first diagram, with a 5-yard gap between yourself and the first player.• Simply throw the ball to the player and tell him to head it straight back. Once done, the player returns to the back of the line and the next man steps forward. Create additional lines ensuring you have no more than five players per line.

Speed and accuracy• Now your players are warmed up let’s work on pace and direction. Set up as shown – the heading player is 10 yards from you and five yards from each of players A, B, and C. • The player heading the ball must head to the player you shout out, e.g. “B”. • At first, throw the ball so that when the player heads his feet are flat on the ground.• Then progress so that he has to jump to direct the ball.

Heading teamwork• Now organise five players in a zigzag formation - 5 yards between each. Player A throws the ball up and heads to B, who heads to C and so on, until it reaches E.• If the ball falls to the ground, the next player in the sequence tees himself up and continues the ball’s route – don’t go back to the start or some players may not get many touches! If E can keep the headers going he should try to head it back to D and so on.

Release the ball to the player and receive a cushioned header back

Finally, can players work headers up and down the zigzag line?

TOOLS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

David Clarke Head Coach, Soccer Coach Weekly

Now the player must direct his header to a team mate

player movement serveheader

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5yds

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SoccerCoachWeekly WARM UPWednesday, May 23, 2012

SoccerCoachWeekly Essential tools for your team

Soccer Coach Weekly is published by Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford, GU5 0AB, UK. Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1483 892894 Head Coach: David Clarke Editor: James Evans Publisher: Kevin Barrow Managing Director: Andrew Griffiths

Customer Service: Duncan Heard Designer: Steve Southern Contributors: Michael Beale, Sean Farrow, Terry Jones, Steven Lapere, Yemi Mowak, Steve Watson © Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

Break for the borderHow to play it• Create a 30x15-yard area with a dividing line down the middle.• Teams of six start on opposite sides.• On your whistle, the team on the left sends players across, each looking to avoid being tagged by an opponent, with the aim of making it over the right-hand touchline. How many make it across without being tagged?• Once each attacker has made his move, swap roles so the team of defenders now attack the other side.

Technique and tactics• Reds crossing the halfway line must be positive in their movements in going for the scoring line.• They must also look at the movements of their team mates, working together to create overloads against opposition players, and decoys. Any advantage they can gain will increase their chance of making it over the line.• It’s important for the attacking team to be willing to sacrifice some individual players if it means a large number of team mates make it across.• Defenders must stay aware of their positions, both on the pitch and in relation to one another, given that they are defending a wide space.

Whites make a break through the grey wall, aiming to reach the right-hand touchline

Decoy runners should be used to enable an easy passage for others, in this case the player near the bottom

Less is moreSometimes, as a coach, it’s easy to get

wrapped up in endless training aids, equipment, the thrill of playing on a large pitch, or even the lure of shiny new boots.

But smart coaches know it’s more about being selective - a few session ideas (an issue of Soccer Coach Weekly usually does the trick), combined with the basics for the training pitch, and that should do. After all, do Under-6s really need slalom poles and mannequins?!

And less is certainly more when it comes to your playing area. Remember, the tighter your players are, the quicker their reactions need to be and the better their technical ability to work a way out of a situation. So that means small-sided game pitches rather than one big playing area.

Reducing your clutter makes the channels of communication that much clearer – try it!


30yds

15yds

player movement

Steven LapereAldershot Town Under-10s

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SoccerCoachWeekly FOOTY4KIDSWednesday, May 23, 2012

Cone countdownHow to play it• This is a game for six- to 12-year-olds that improves passing and shooting accuracy. For six-year-olds, I would use a 20x15-yard area, while for Under-12s, expand this to 40x30 yards.• In the example given, I’m using 10 players, five per side.• Set up as shown in the diagram, with four cones placed in each ‘exclusion zone’, at either end of the practice.• The object of the game is to knock over opponents’ cones with the ball, which must be kept below head height at all times, or possession is given to the other team.• Players must stay outside the exclusion zones, except when defenders are taking a goal kick.• Players can only take as many touches on the ball as there are cones still standing in their opponents’ exclusion zone. i.e:

4 cones standing - 4 touches3 cones standing - 3 touches2 cones standing - 2 touches1 cone standing - 1 touch (very difficult and only suitable for older players!)

• If too many touches are taken, give a free kick to the other team. All free kicks are indirect.• If the ball goes out of play, start with a kick in from the side line, or a goal kick from inside the exclusion zone.• Play for 10 minutes, or until one team knocks over all four of their opponents’ cones.

Technique and tactics• This game requires players to keep their cool with parameters changing throughout.• It’s a fantastic game to coach, because it goes by the philosophy that the nearer players get to the end, the harder the task gets, and the more they need to work as a team (due to the limited touches).

Teams line up 5v5, each protecting four cones in a designated ‘exclusion zone’

With four cones left to hit, white players players can use four touches each in dislodging a cone


With only one cone remaining, greys use one-touch moves to hit the target and win the game

Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk

A TOP TEAM GAME!

player movement ball movementrun with ball shot

30yds

40yds

The end of the season is here. Have you assessed your club’s season and the performances of your players? Probably. But have you assessed your own performance?

If not, you should, and doing it in the form of anonymous questionnaires to players and parents is the best method.

Remember, soccer coaching is a two-way thing, and the only way you’ll be able to improve your own skill set is if people are honest about your successes and failings.

Here are seven questions that you should be asking your players and their parents.

Seven questions for players:1. Do you like playing football?

2. What’s the best part of training sessions?

3. What is the worst part?

4. Is there anything you would like to learn that we haven’t covered yet?

5. Do you enjoy playing in matches?

6. Do you think I am fair with everyone?

7. If you could change one thing to do with your football team, what would it be?

Seven questions for parents: 1. Does your child enjoy coaching sessions and matches?

2. Could my communication with parents or players be improved?

3. Is hard work and effort recognised properly?

4. Is match playing time allocated fairly?

5. Do you feel your child is a better football player now than they were at the start of the season?

6. Do you think enough emphasis is given to the importance of working as a team and respecting one another?

7. Any other comments?

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SoccerCoachWeekly TOUCHLINE TALESWednesday, May 23, 2012

Emulating the best


Isn’t it great when you hear players shouting the names of their heroes in the professional game? Twice this week I heard a pro’s name shouted by one of my players when they were bearing down on goal, as I’ll go on to explain...

To put it into context, my Under-11s were playing a really important end-of-season match last week. I was nervous for them, as were the cluster of parents gathered on the touchline, but how refreshing to see the kids just playing the game with so much relaxed spirit.

It was a tight first period with relatively few chances, and with the scores level in the second half, a series of passes led the ball to my midfielder Marcus through on goal at an angle. Before he shot, he shouted “AGUERO!” and tried to emulate the player he had seen in his living room score that fantastic title-winning goal for Manchester City.

Needless to say the shot went high and wide – oh well! Even so, that didn’t stop his team mates appreciating at least the fact he had put himself in the right place as we drove forward looking for a goal.

“I heard you shout that!” one of his team mates said with a smile on his face. “That was brilliant!” Another came over laughing and told him he too had thought of Aguero as the move developed.

I find it heartening when I see my players inspired by great and memorable events on the pitch that they want to emulate.

Kids learn by watching and there is no better league for them to learn from than the English Premier League.

Their appreciation for the game is a far cry from some people’s perception that kids are sometimes only taken in by some of the more unsavoury aspects of the modern game. I disagree with that notion. At the end of the day they take the positives, and this season has been full of them – great players, great skills, great goals, but also great stories. And not always on the pitch - look at the reaction to Fabrice Muamba recovering from his heart attack and the draw of affection from the football family, for instance.

I have started to realise there’s a lot in football to inspire those of us in the grass roots game. And if ever, as coaches, we’re unsure which of those influences are having an effect, just watch the kids!

Ask the question


Steve Watson Editor, Footy4kids.co.uk

“I heard you shout that!” one of his team mates said

with a smile on his face. “That was brilliant!”

And handing out questionnaires to parents is a great method for gaining honest feedback

It’s important to get the thoughts of your players

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SoccerCoachWeekly SMALL-SIDED GAMEWednesday, May 23, 2012

Three-player counter with neutrals

How to play it• This game features four teams of three players. Three of the teams start in three designated areas, as shown in the diagram – in the top end zone, in the bottom end zone, and in the middle zone.• The fourth team acts as neutrals - one player working as a midfielder in the central zone (limited to two touches) with one further player in each end zone working as attackers.• The team in the central zone starts the game by attacking either of the goals.• If successful, they return to the central zone, receive a new ball from the coach, and attack the opposite goal.• However, defenders who win the ball, or who manage to stop the attacking team scoring, break out to the central zone to receive a ball from the coach and attack. The team that was previously the attackers takes their place as defenders.• The game runs continuously for a time period to be decided by you.

Technique and tactics• This is a simple overload attacking game, with any team on the attack having to use their advantage well or risk becoming defenders. Players should do this by using quick one-twos and overlaps.• Neutrals must look for space at every opportunity, because their role in proceedings is pivotal.

20yds

20yds


The whites use a neutral to score against the black team

They launch an attack on the opposite end...


...but the blue team stops them from scoring, then attacks the opposite goal

Michael Beale Premier League Academy soccer coach

OVERLOADS

IN ALL AREAS!

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SoccerCoachWeekly YOUR SAYWednesday, May 23, 2012

TACKLED: Coach AND play?


Yemi MowakWitney

I’ve always joined in when it comes to training, and I know it’s something my players appreciate. It shows them that I’m one of them, willing to put myself through the drills, practices and exercises in exactly the same way as they do. It reassures them that the set-up of the team is so that everyone is equal; that we’re all in it together. I think that’s really important.

On a practical level, it’s much easier for players to take on board ideas if I’m involved in the thick of the action. From there I have the ability to stop a practice because I’m close by. Coaches participating are also able to spot technical points that would be missed if the trainer was hanging back not at the heart of it. Even on a practical level of being able to convey information, the closer the coach is to the action, the more chance he’s got of getting a clear message across.

With the coach participating in something like a small-sided game, he can ensure play is directed to those who need it most. The coach can feed the ball to players who, for whatever reason, aren’t passed the ball as much as they should be by their team mates. That means that no players are ‘hiding’ on the pitch, so that means more practice, which leads to quicker, more efficient development.

At the end of the day, we’re not saying that coaches are going in with their studs showing. Instead, they’re merely artificially altering the flow of a game when it might benefit from it. And certainly, the idea isn’t to step in and tackle players, more stimulate and provoke play in areas where the ball is doing nothing.

And no matter what skill level kids are at, they often put adults to shame when it comes to fitness, and I for one could do with the exercise!

When it comes to training sessions, should you, as a coach, join in with drills and games with your kids?

“It’s much easier for players to take on board ideas if you’re involved in

the thick of the action.”

Terry JonesRhonda Reds Under-9s

It’s a definite ‘no’ from me. Adults rarely realise their own strength when it comes to playing around kids, and there is always the temptation to relive an element of youth by thundering into a 50/50 challenge, or thumping a ball into the top corner of the net. That type of volatile contribution can be dangerous, and isn’t in any way reflective of the spirit of youth soccer.

There is an elephant in the room (or a human version of one) when adults join in with kids. In something like a small-sided situation, kids won’t play their natural game. If they’re trying to find a skilful outlet they look for the adult, or a striker will ‘goal hang’ down one end of the pitch because he knows a long punt by the coach will put him in the clear. What’s the incentive for him to track back and win possession? It’s an artificial way of coaching.

We’re always telling players to invest the same elements in training as they would do match day, yet the parameters are completely different if an adult plays.

There should never be the need for a coach to play. Take something like a small-sided game, for instance. Why is the coach there? To balance up team numbers? Well he shouldn’t be – in an instance such as this, he should be instructing players on the effectiveness of overloads and letting them find that out for themselves.

Most coaches will state that they’re not the players’ ‘mate’. How can they be? We need to get away from this mindset that everyone’s an equal. On the contrary, there is an authority aspect, and that’s diminished if a coach makes himself questionable in terms of what he does on the pitch, compared to what he directs passively off it.

“There is an elephant in the room (or a human version of one) when

adults join in with kids.”

YES NO

PUT IT TO THE VOTE: Which of our guest coaches do you agree with? Visit our Facebook page or email your thoughts to David Clarke at [email protected]

This week Sean FarrowMidway Under-12s

Q My players will tackle each other in training, but

they seem to lose their nerve in matches. What can I do about this? Simon Range, Bishops Cleeve

A This is most likely to do with who they’re up against and

the environment. Think about it - in training they are playing with their friends in a safe, familiar environment. They are also not under any pressure to succeed from parents on the sidelines. Consequently, they will play in a confident, lively manner.

In matches they are in a strange, adult-orientated environment. They are facing children they don’t know and there may be a lot of loud advice coming at them from the touchline, not to mention occasional chatter between opponents.

This can make them afraid, both of the general situation and that they might fail and embarrass themselves, their team, their parents or the coach.

You can help them relax on match days and to play more confidently by making sure your parents encourage all the players on the pitch. And remind players that matches are simply an extension of training sessions where they can practise what they’ve learned earlier in the week.

At the end of the match, praise effort – not achievement – and treat winning and losing in the same, calm way.

If you can do this consistently, your players will treat matches like another training session, and they’ll tackle just like they do during the week.

TACKLED: Results

Here’s the result of the poll we ran in Soccer Coach Weekly 262 (May 2)asking if you felt we should discourage penalty shoot-outs for our younger players.

SCW Surgery

YES

75%

25%NO

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soccer-Coach-Weekly/111136435679022

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