practice format and favorite drills

[Anonymous]

As a newer coach, but one with a lifetime of soccer, I have a couple of questions that may be a fun discussion for all.

A.
For practice. I liked the play-drill-play format someone linked to in the last few months.
Do you guys like that format? Any other recommendations?

B.
Bigger question: what are your must-have drills? What are the ones you couldn’t do without?

When answering, please list your age group. One or ten answers are fine, but again, please indicate which are your priorities.

[Anonymous]

Games fine too.

[Anonymous]

I’m a parent not a coach. Our club uses play-drill-play. My son is u11 and really enjoys the approach. On the rare occasion they just do drills, he comes off the field grumpy. My son’s first choice would be to scrimmage the entire practice and that does happen when the team is preparing for a particularly tough game but I can see why that’s not an option the majority of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a newer coach, but one with a lifetime of soccer, I have a couple of questions that may be a fun discussion for all.

A.
For practice. I liked the play-drill-play format someone linked to in the last few months.
Do you guys like that format? Any other recommendations?

B.
Bigger question: what are your must-have drills? What are the ones you couldn’t do without?

When answering, please list your age group. One or ten answers are fine, but again, please indicate which are your priorities.

What age group are you coaching?

[Anonymous]

I find many scrimmages to be basically babysitting, unless the coach is actively involved in the play as it goes trying to make corrections. Sure you let them have it out a bit, but there are times as a coach that you need to scream 'freeze' and point out what is going wrong in the play and what a player should be looking for at that moment. They need to see the tactics in person in more or less real time to start to resonate.

As for drills, the biggest problem I see with some drills is that X number of kids are active and 3x kids are waiting their turn. Drills need to include as many people as possible moving or observing.

The only other observation I've had here (having arrived from overseas last Fall) is the number of water / hydration breaks is frightfully low. We came a much warmer climate so we probably overcompensated (water every 10-15 minutes) but I've been to several 90 minute sessions here with only one water break despite kids showing signs of need more hydration. Maybe just my club.

[Anonymous]

I like fitness (warmup), drills, coached play, free play, fitness, recap.

Fitness is often done with a ball so it ends up being combo skill drill and fitness. Also like Man. U test style fitness (i.e. interval, active recovery, interval).

Drills are reemphasized in the coached play section. Lots of freezing and correcting or showing alternatives of creating space, finding space, splitting defense, penetrating balls vs safe passes, depending on where on the pitch etc. when to take people on when not to, etc.

Free play has little coaching but lots of positive reinforcement when a player does something really well, smart, or creative.

Recap is cool down and reflection time. What did they learn that day and what do they do well or want to improve.

[Anonymous]

From U7 through pro....rondos! You can teach just about every aspect of the game in a rondo. It can include everyone, you can have a few observe and rest. So functional. It's play and a drill at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a newer coach, but one with a lifetime of soccer, I have a couple of questions that may be a fun discussion for all.

A.
For practice. I liked the play-drill-play format someone linked to in the last few months.
Do you guys like that format? Any other recommendations?

B.
Bigger question: what are your must-have drills? What are the ones you couldn’t do without?

When answering, please list your age group. One or ten answers are fine, but again, please indicate which are your priorities.

What age group are you coaching?

I’m u9. But I think there is one u8 sibling joining us. Good player.

When I asked, I didn’t share, hoping it would open up ideas for other coaches/age groups too.

[Anonymous]

When Barcelona was here two years ago they had an open practice session. The one takeaway I had from a short observation was the intensity level of every drill. The rondos, the scrimmage, the other drills--the players were pushing hard on every play, every move. I swear a couple of fist fights could have come out of that scrimmage.

Replicating that level of intensity would be my choice for favorite practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When Barcelona was here two years ago they had an open practice session. The one takeaway I had from a short observation was the intensity level of every drill. The rondos, the scrimmage, the other drills--the players were pushing hard on every play, every move. I swear a couple of fist fights could have come out of that scrimmage.

Replicating that level of intensity would be my choice for favorite practice.

That's fantastic! Intensity is so so important. How do you (or how did they) get that intensity when many of these teams are just friends playing soccer together as opposed to kids trying to advance to higher levels of play or whatever. If you have 16 kids on your roster lets say, it's hard to get them all to be intensity. You're lucky if half are in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When Barcelona was here two years ago they had an open practice session. The one takeaway I had from a short observation was the intensity level of every drill. The rondos, the scrimmage, the other drills--the players were pushing hard on every play, every move. I swear a couple of fist fights could have come out of that scrimmage.

Replicating that level of intensity would be my choice for favorite practice.

That's fantastic! Intensity is so so important. How do you (or how did they) get that intensity when many of these teams are just friends playing soccer together as opposed to kids trying to advance to higher levels of play or whatever. If you have 16 kids on your roster lets say, it's hard to get them all to be intensity. You're lucky if half are in my opinion.

You demand it and push them while keeping in mind each individual player’s threshold. If they need to sit out or get some water it’s fine but they need to be animals as soon as they’re back on the field.