What should a club soccer practice look like?

[Anonymous]

I have very little soccer experience and I'm not finding much on google. Recently, my 2010 attended practices with two different teams. I was surprised at how different the practices were, so I was curious what typical soccer practice looks like. And is there an optimal format for practice for U14 and U15 kids?

[Anonymous]

Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

I think it depends on the level of play. My kid is on a top team and has practiced with a couple of others and the above is close to what the practices have been like. Individual skills (eg, juggling and passing exercises), then 1 v 1 to small group exercises, and then sprints or running.

Other top team practices at other clubs are similar. I note they are also the similar in terms of efficiency and intensity. Very little time waiting for turns, quick turnover between exercises, and the kids are intense.

My other child plays on a less competitive team and it’s a bit more laidback. But also, they tend to do focus on individual skills one day, fitness another day, and then set pieces and/or scrimmages another day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

[Anonymous]

My Senior joined an MLSNext team this Fall and there is a ton of conditioning in addition to practices where they are playing/moving 100% of the time. The conditioning followed by stretching is at the end of practice. It's not every night of the 4-night practice, but a few times and probably also because it is still pre-season. The kid also lifts weights on his own, etc.

We have paid $ for other kid at a top club where they just basically scrimmaged the entire practice and the coach played in the scrimmage too. There was no purpose to the practices and the Coach was so into beating the players that he didn't even instruct or do any 'coaching'.

As a parent, it's worth sticking around once in a while to see where the $3-5k you are spending is going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We have paid $ for other kid at a top club where they just basically scrimmaged the entire practice and the coach played in the scrimmage too. There was no purpose to the practices and the Coach was so into beating the players that he didn't even instruct or do any 'coaching'.

As a parent, it's worth sticking around once in a while to see where the $3-5k you are spending is going.

I agree with this, you should stick around to see what you are paying for sometimes. We had a coach who believed in scrimmaging constantly, but it seemed like a lack of preparation on his part. The kids could play though. However, they were easily beaten my teams who spent time practicing team discipline with lots of positioning drills. However, at U8-U10 lots of scrimmaging and footwork is acceptable. At U11-U13, there should be a heavier emphasis on fitness, team shape, passing and movement off the ball and discipline. It's hard to say what perfect looks like. But a club should have a deliberate plan for all coaches, so one coach doesn't accidentally derail the success and development. I have 1 technical day with rotating coaches, 1 fitness and team work day for the academy and 1 team pure day prepping for the weekend games coming up. This is at U11.

[Anonymous]

For U13 and up:

if you have a goalkeeper on a "top" team and there is no solid GK training, or no qualified GK coach working with the keeper(s) 1-2 times a week, including working with observing games and scrimmages, look immediately for another club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For U13 and up:

if you have a goalkeeper on a "top" team and there is no solid GK training, or no qualified GK coach working with the keeper(s) 1-2 times a week, including working with observing games and scrimmages, look immediately for another club.

You realize you just ruled out 75% of clubs in NoVA?!? 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

So you never attended a youth practice in Portugal but saw some grandfather making his grandson workout? Okay guess that’s how it’s done in Europe!

Travel and ECNL is about winning(marketing so the club can fill the u-littles) and get kids in college(so the club can fill the u-littles). That mean getting stronger(more muscles) and fitness with technical skill development left to do on your own. This is idiotic and why so many players lack technical skill or do basic things wrong. Glad you buy in to the club telling you to learn your technical skill by kicking a ball against a wall. Soccer coaches are just physical fitness instructors, not someone who should develop technical skills during practice.

The bottom line is clubs stop what little development they do at u15/16. Why? Because you do not need to be a good technical player or even a good soccer player to play in college. You just need to be a good athlete. Now if you talk to college players they will all say they wish they were more technical and wished the clubs had done more technical training. I have never heard a college player say they wished the clubs did more physical fitness.

This is not how it is in Europe. U13 and under it is very relaxed. Practices are about developing technical skills and first touch to allow a player to play at the next level and develop their speed of play. They play them in shape. They do not do fitness unless it is part of training with a ball. All training is done under pressure against players.

U14/u15 and up it’s about playing against higher level competition- mixed age teams playing against other mixed age teams. You have fitness in addition to training but it is done as part of the program. You are not doing it on your own or outside of practice. By u17/18 only the very technical players are on the field.

You can get an out of shape technical u15-18 player in shape in about 4-6 weeks. You can not turn a fit u15-u18 player with subpar technical skill into an adequate technical player. Technical players are developed by coaches instructing, demonstrating and correcting techniques.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

Every top team that my kid has been on across sports expects conditioning and strength training on your own time. Practice is for getting touches on the ball with your teammates and being able to work on skills with and against competition.

[Anonymous]

It varies. Before he quit soccer (due to multiple concussions), my teen son was on the 3rd team at two clubs. One involved lost of rondos, foot skills, passing drills. The other was boot camp style with a lot of fitness stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

So you never attended a youth practice in Portugal but saw some grandfather making his grandson workout? Okay guess that’s how it’s done in Europe!

Travel and ECNL is about winning(marketing so the club can fill the u-littles) and get kids in college(so the club can fill the u-littles). That mean getting stronger(more muscles) and fitness with technical skill development left to do on your own. This is idiotic and why so many players lack technical skill or do basic things wrong. Glad you buy in to the club telling you to learn your technical skill by kicking a ball against a wall. Soccer coaches are just physical fitness instructors, not someone who should develop technical skills during practice.

The bottom line is clubs stop what little development they do at u15/16. Why? Because you do not need to be a good technical player or even a good soccer player to play in college. You just need to be a good athlete. Now if you talk to college players they will all say they wish they were more technical and wished the clubs had done more technical training. I have never heard a college player say they wished the clubs did more physical fitness.

This is not how it is in Europe. U13 and under it is very relaxed. Practices are about developing technical skills and first touch to allow a player to play at the next level and develop their speed of play. They play them in shape. They do not do fitness unless it is part of training with a ball. All training is done under pressure against players.

U14/u15 and up it’s about playing against higher level competition- mixed age teams playing against other mixed age teams. You have fitness in addition to training but it is done as part of the program. You are not doing it on your own or outside of practice. By u17/18 only the very technical players are on the field.

You can get an out of shape technical u15-18 player in shape in about 4-6 weeks. You can not turn a fit u15-u18 player with subpar technical skill into an adequate technical player. Technical players are developed by coaches instructing, demonstrating and correcting techniques.

I didn't bother reading. But, no, we lived in Spain for several years and my kids played there (ages 8-12).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

Every top team that my kid has been on across sports expects conditioning and strength training on your own time. Practice is for getting touches on the ball with your teammates and being able to work on skills with and against competition.

MLSnext clubs are at practice 4 days a week. Conditioning is done some days. And at my kids ECNL when your team loses you do the sprints/planks/push-ups until the next round. It's built in.

It's funny when Americans think nobody conditions their teams in other countries. 99% of American kids are only training the 2-3 days they show up at practice and so many teams carry large rosters for the $$ that they aren't playing the full 90 minutes and likely couldn't play at full game pace for 90.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

Every top team that my kid has been on across sports expects conditioning and strength training on your own time. Practice is for getting touches on the ball with your teammates and being able to work on skills with and against competition.

MLSnext clubs are at practice 4 days a week. Conditioning is done some days. And at my kids ECNL when your team loses you do the sprints/planks/push-ups until the next round. It's built in.

It's funny when Americans think nobody conditions their teams in other countries. 99% of American kids are only training the 2-3 days they show up at practice and so many teams carry large rosters for the $$ that they aren't playing the full 90 minutes and likely couldn't play at full game pace for 90.

My kid practices four days a week and they run either mornings or before school. They lift at school. It's a waste of time and a sign of a bad coach if the kids are running laps at practice