Individual training vs. Team training

[Anonymous]

Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

There was a debate in another thread regarding the usefulness of juggling. Most people believe juggling, a solo activity, to be very useful in developing touch and feel for the ball. Individual training is similar in this regard. However, soccer is a team sport and at some point the ability to play tactically and under pressure is obviously necessary and that can only be achieved via team or small group settings.

[Anonymous]

Individual training gives a player better touch, foot skills and moves. In addition to tactics and decision making, team practices/games/scrimmages provides for increased speed of play and timing.

My U11 DD has very good foot skills, etc due to individual training but is still adjusting to competitive teams’ speed of play and timing of when she makes her soccer moves when fast defender are charging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

One without the other will generally be a problem.

I know a good number of players who are technically strong, but who don't make decisions quickly enough (with and without the ball at their feet) and who wrestle with anxiety of playing against sharper players. It leads to their *seeming* unskilled.

Meanwhile, players who are in game conditions, but haven't put the time in to have clean touches and who lack nuanced touch are hard to play with. They're more like athletes wearing soccer jerseys than actual soccer players.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Agree on all the points made above. But is being in a team the only way to develop decision making and speed of play? Can it be substituted with small group training, pickup games, camps, etc., until a certain age?

[Anonymous]

I think individual training and game/film viewing and analysis is what separates the elite at the highest levels. Natural athleticism and talent can only take the player so far, but the internal drive to get better at any cost, including studying the game and working on one's own, is what pushes the athlete over the top. Of course, both group and individual training are complementary and important in tandem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree on all the points made above. But is being in a team the only way to develop decision making and speed of play? Can it be substituted with small group training, pickup games, camps, etc., until a certain age?

And much of this is what a team should provide. A team IS a small group. League and tournament games are pickup games.

Soccer is a team sport and the actual game element of the sport can only be learned by playing games. Small group training only provides skill based but rarely any tactical training. In spite of what many may say kids can learn the tactics of the game at a young age, but the emphasis is generally geared more towards the technical skill that allow the kids to even execute the most basics of tactics.

It is generally best to enhance team training with all the things you mention, small group, individual and pickup games. But to rely on a patchwork of training as the basis, that is a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree on all the points made above. But is being in a team the only way to develop decision making and speed of play? Can it be substituted with small group training, pickup games, camps, etc., until a certain age?

Camps and regular training programs like HP Elite or other similar programs mentioned on this forum are a good way to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree on all the points made above. But is being in a team the only way to develop decision making and speed of play? Can it be substituted with small group training, pickup games, camps, etc., until a certain age?

Camps and regular training programs like HP Elite or other similar programs mentioned on this forum are a good way to do this.

This is wrong. HP or camps cannot substitute game pressure decisions or experience. HP can supplement creative and tactical elements but that is a just a piece of the soccer pie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree on all the points made above. But is being in a team the only way to develop decision making and speed of play? Can it be substituted with small group training, pickup games, camps, etc., until a certain age?

Camps and regular training programs like HP Elite or other similar programs mentioned on this forum are a good way to do this.

This is wrong. HP or camps cannot substitute game pressure decisions or experience. HP can supplement creative and tactical elements but that is a just a piece of the soccer pie.

No one said "substitute" the reference was to enhancing speed of play and decision making. If you have ever attended an HP elite camp, you would see that there are drills that can help with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

One without the other will generally be a problem.

I know a good number of players who are technically strong, but who don't make decisions quickly enough (with and without the ball at their feet) and who wrestle with anxiety of playing against sharper players. It leads to their *seeming* unskilled.

Meanwhile, players who are in game conditions, but haven't put the time in to have clean touches and who lack nuanced touch are hard to play with. They're more like athletes wearing soccer jerseys than actual soccer players.

I don't disagree with the last comment, but unfortunately, I see clubs reward the athletes over the technical players. I see those athletes play full games -especially if they are the "constant" runner types. They just run around like ninnies but get rewarded for it. While the more technical players aren't supported enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

One without the other will generally be a problem.

I know a good number of players who are technically strong, but who don't make decisions quickly enough (with and without the ball at their feet) and who wrestle with anxiety of playing against sharper players. It leads to their *seeming* unskilled.

Meanwhile, players who are in game conditions, but haven't put the time in to have clean touches and who lack nuanced touch are hard to play with. They're more like athletes wearing soccer jerseys than actual soccer players.

Good examples. So the question is for these two groups of players, which one can be developed further past u15/16 or have better potentials?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

One without the other will generally be a problem.

I know a good number of players who are technically strong, but who don't make decisions quickly enough (with and without the ball at their feet) and who wrestle with anxiety of playing against sharper players. It leads to their *seeming* unskilled.

Meanwhile, players who are in game conditions, but haven't put the time in to have clean touches and who lack nuanced touch are hard to play with. They're more like athletes wearing soccer jerseys than actual soccer players.

Good examples. So the question is for these two groups of players, which one can be developed further past u15/16 or have better potentials?

Neither. You can't coach aggression/dominance into a timid player and you can't reform runners at U16 who have no soccer talent or decision making capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which is more important to a player’s development, for younger players, say u15/16 and under, when high quality training cannot be obtained through both individual training and team training?

In other words, can a player have as good or better development if mainly trains individually without spending a lot of time training in a competitive team environment?

One without the other will generally be a problem.

I know a good number of players who are technically strong, but who don't make decisions quickly enough (with and without the ball at their feet) and who wrestle with anxiety of playing against sharper players. It leads to their *seeming* unskilled.

Meanwhile, players who are in game conditions, but haven't put the time in to have clean touches and who lack nuanced touch are hard to play with. They're more like athletes wearing soccer jerseys than actual soccer players.

I don't disagree with the last comment, but unfortunately, I see clubs reward the athletes over the technical players. I see those athletes play full games -especially if they are the "constant" runner types. They just run around like ninnies but get rewarded for it. While the more technical players aren't supported enough.

This. All of the time this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Agree on all the points made above. But is being in a team the only way to develop decision making and speed of play? Can it be substituted with small group training, pickup games, camps, etc., until a certain age?

Camps and regular training programs like HP Elite or other similar programs mentioned on this forum are a good way to do this.

This is wrong. HP or camps cannot substitute game pressure decisions or experience. HP can supplement creative and tactical elements but that is a just a piece of the soccer pie.

No one said "substitute" the reference was to enhancing speed of play and decision making. If you have ever attended an HP elite camp, you would see that there are drills that can help with this.

Actually, the OP literally did ask "can it be substituted ...?"