Finishing refers to the art of scoring in soccer. It is also loosely connected to shooting and scoring at times. But in reality, there is a difference between the two and that must be clearly understood. When a scoring is intended through finishing, it is much more effective than just shooting which is successful only relatively.
The players can employ any part of their body other than hands of course, to accomplish finishing. It is a difficult task to teach finishing skills to the players but when done so accurately and professionally pays great returns in the game.
So if you would like to teach finishing skills to your players, consider the following drills that will help you teach finishing techniques to your players.
First Touch Shooting
This drill is aimed at making the players attempt accurate finishing at the first touch. You need to arrange a ball per player and 2 cones in order to execute this drill. Now divide the players into 2 groups marked red and grey and make them stand on both sides of the goals. The cones should be placed half yard apart from each other from the 18 yard line.
When you shout start to start the drill, 1 player should start running towards the cone. When he reaches the cone and has made a full round of it, the player from the grey team passes the ball to him. Now you must make it amply clear that the player from the red team should immediately strike the ball without trying to control the ball. The activity is repeated by the player from the red group passing the ball to the one in the grey team and this continues.
You can make the drill more challenging after the kids have practiced it for a while by restricting the players to use only the inside of their foot. Also, make them understand that you would like to see them score a goal at every hit even if it is a loose shot.
Turn and Finish Instantly
This drill is very effective in helping the players improve their turning and finishing skills by making only 3 contacts to the ball. The equipment you need is similar to the drill above. To start with the drill, divide the players into groups and make them stand opposite to each other in 2 lines. In front of each line, place the cones.
This is how this drill progresses; ask a player in the red line to run backwards to the cone and upon reaching it, the second player passes the ball to him. Then he should quickly turn, run with the ball for 2 to 3 yards and then shoot at the goal thereby finishing the drill. Instruct the player to shoot at the 4 rectangles that you see in the image above.
Similarly, the player in the grey line should perform the same drill. Initially, you should allow only 3 touches to the ball. Afterwards, you can allow maximum touches at your own discretion. Another precaution to take is that because this drill is highly intensive, players must be adequately warmed up. Then the drill must be practiced in the middle or end of your practice session. Else, the players may over exert themselves or worse still injure themselves right at the beginning of the training session.
Passing is one of the most basic skills in soccer. It is the art of kicking the ball from one player to another. Obviously, since this is a very generic skill, some players do it correctly and some don’t.
However, if the players are not taught the accurate way of passing the ball from one player to another, it can lead to players losing the goal scoring opportunities as well as the commanding position in the field.
So, as a coach, from the very beginning, you must focus on teaching the right passing techniques to the players.
The very first lesson that players ought to learn in passing is to never kick the ball directly to the goalie. This is fundamental to passing and scoring goals.
The players have the tendency to see the goalie and kick directly at him. This must be corrected. The goalie is the danger man and all kicks must be away from him, either to the right or left.
Before we discuss the drills, here is a quick look at the basics that you must focus on:
• The player must pass the ball to the feet of the other player. If the pass is not accurate, the opposition may steal the ball.
• The body should be balanced over the ball with the knee pointing downward towards the ball.
• Plant the foot next the ball, with that foot pointing in the direction of the pass/kick the player is going to make.
• Hold the ankle of the foot passing the ball rigid and let the leg and foot follow through on the kick.
The following 2 drills should help your players in understanding the basics of passing.
This drill needs a cone and a ball for each player.
Place plastic cones around the field at different distances. Tell the players as to when they can start and also the number of the cones. The players then kick the ball at the cone till the cone is hit. Have only one player, per hole at a time. Make the players focus on accuracy.
Count each kick as a stroke. Players should keep their own score and the person with the lowest score wins.
This drill is a sort of fun game that teaches accuracy, touch on the ball, and calculating the distance.
Knock Down
This drill requires cones and a ball for every 2 players.
Place cones in 2 parallel rows with a player behind each. The players behind one line of cones make team A. The players behind the other line of cones make team B. You can manipulate the distance between the cones as the drill passes on. Start with a close distance and then increase it as the players improve.
Make team A kick the opposite line of cones first and see how much are they able to shoot down. Repeat with team B. The team that knocks down most number of cones wins.
The last line of defense is the goal keeper. So you can understand the importance of the position. To do full justice to the position, the keeper must have impeccable skills such as being agile, quick reaction, ability to think, and of course, be a good shooter of the ball.
If you are looking to improve the skills of your goalkeepers, there are several useful drills that you can employ. In this article, I shall discuss with you certain drills that are great for goal keepers. You will learn how to play the keeper position right, focus on catching, punting, punching and much more. Without further adieu, let’s start:
Soccer Goalkeeper Drill- Arc Drill
Equipment
Keep a lot of balls handy and ask the goal keeper to take position. Have a few other players act as shooters and make them stand in an arc to the corner of the corner of the penalty area.
Instructions
Instruct the players to dribble across the top of the penalty area. As the dribbling player moves across the penalty area, the goalkeeper must move along the imaginary goalkeeper’s arc 2-6 yards from the goal line while keeping their body positioned between the goal and the ball.
Ask the dribbler to shoot at his own free will so that the goalkeeper is alert all the time. The keeper should make the save and quickly move in place along the arc for the next shooter who starts immediately.
Important points to remember
Goalkeeper should drag the feet quickly without crossing them.
Goalkeeper should maintain a good position on the arc between the ball and the goal.
Goalkeeper should keep a good distance of 2-6 yards from the goal line and never on the goal line.
He should be always on the move trying to anticipate every move.
Soccer Goalie Drills - Side-to-Side
Equipment
Again, make sure you have a lot of ball handy. Ask the goalkeeper to shuffle from side to side and post to post in the goal along the goal line.
Instructions
On the coaches command, the keeper should drop to the ground in a push-up position and quickly jump back to set position. The coach should toss a ball to the goalkeeper who should catch the ball and repeat. Continue for approximately 1 minute and rest.
Variations
As a variation, you can instead of tossing the ball, serve the ball into the goalkeeper.
Coaching Points
Goalkeeper should drag the feet quickly without crossing them.
Goalkeeper should get up quickly, get feet set and get ready for shot
Goalkeeper should stay on toes leaning forward slightly when set in order to quickly react to throw.
Equipment
Goalkeeper sits in the center of the goal about 3-5 yards from the goal line. The coach should stand about 8-10 yards from the keeper with a supply of balls.
Instructions
When the coach instructs, the keeper should quickly stand, set their feet, get into ready position, and catch the ball that is tossed towards the goal by the coach. The keeper immediately returns the ball to the coach and returns to the seated position. Repeat this for about 2 minutes.
Coaching Points
Ensure that the goalkeeper gets off the ground quickly.
Ensure that the keeper is aware of their position and location in front of the goal.
Ensure that the keeper should get set and ready themselves for the shot quickly.
Soccer Defensive Strategies : Soccer is played with 11 players on both sides on a rectangular field. Many other forms of soccer have also sprung up and are fast gaining popularity like Indoor soccer.
It’s a difficult task for 11 players to play with eleven people on one team because every player has his opinion and distinct style of play. Every player has his designated position on the field, ranging from defenders, midfielders to strikers.
The game of soccer stands on the four pillars of understanding, support, communication, and belief. A winning team includes every player and every position to the best of their ability. Communication is the key to move forward and attack and is equally important to fall back and defend. Support and understanding help the players gel and unite as a team. And most importantly, the belief that you can win, sets your team apart. Soccer is not only a game, it’s a war. And wars are won first in the mind, need tactics, and strategies. Let me share a few with you;
Defensive Soccer Strategies: Defence is at the core of a team, as it is the barrier between the goal and the opposition. Defenders need to be responsive, strong, and quick-thinkers, because a split-second decision can make a lot of difference. Remember, it’s all in the mind.
A defender is only as strong, as he believes himself to be. The sight of an agile striker charging at the goal is not a pleasing one, but a defender has to stand up for his side and perform to the best of his ability.
A defensive formation must ensure proper cover for the goal, and should attempt to cut down any loose balls or weak passes. Generally, two defenders play the part of ‘full backs’. The other two can play as defensive midfielders or wingbacks. This improves the flexibility of a team and helps adapt to any situation.
A team is as good as the communication between its players. The desire to win is what makes a team, ‘The Team’. Doing your best does not promise the spark of silverware. But doing your best as a team, believing in your teammates, and a never-say-die approach surely helps players on their road towards success.
How to defend in soccer: Some of the basic things on how to defend in soccer have been outlined for you. These skills are imperative especially if you are playing in defence. Yet, other positions can also benefit from them.
Containing an opponent - When containing an opponent player you need to lower the centre of your gravity by first bending your knees and then leaning forward. You may also do an about-turn if your opponent starts to move sideways. You should never run straight at your opponent. It will make it very easy for him to get around you. Instead, show persistence and let him make the first move.
Block Tackle - This one is great for getting the possession of the ball from your opponent while keeping your balance. A block tackle is performed by first placing your non-kicking foot in a position that will make it possible to maintain good balance.
Then, the moment your opponent touches the ball, you need to put your kicking foot quickly in the direction in which your opponent starts moving. If you carry out this tackle with strength and full concentration, your opponent will not have a slight chance against you.
Poke Tackle - This type of tackle will allow you to simply take the ball away from your opponent. On the other hand, you must remember to use the foot that is currently closer to the ball. You can’t always expect to gain possession of the ball as this method is a little risky.
Slide Tackle - This is a very effective strategy but can also be quite dangerous if you don’t understand what you are doing. A slide tackle should be used as the last tackling option. For instance, if you feel that you can’t attain the ball by using a poke or block tackle you may then use a slide tackle.
Although this tackle may seem to be pretty easy to perform, you must not forget that a block tackle should never be your first option when the opponent is approaching you.
Soccer Defending Drills:
The most important division of a good soccer team is a strong defence. Without a strong defence your team will not get any good results. The number goals scored have no relevance if your players don’t know how to stop their opponents from scoring. By making use of the defensive drills given below, you will greatly improve upon your soccer teams’ defensive skills.
There are more than a few defensive soccer drills but knowing what type of drills you should focus on can be little tricky, especially if you are new when it comes to “soccer coaching”. So we are going to focus mainly on the defensive feature of soccer.
There are two very common defensive soccer drills you can use while teaching your players how to defend:
Group Defending: The drill covers several features of the actual or live soccer situations and makes the players work together. Decisiveness is the most important role of group defending.
Drill Set Up: Divide your players into defenders and attackers. Give each attacking player a ball. You may use cones or similar props to create a rectangular field.
Performing the Drill: Team without the ball will play as defenders while the other team as the attackers . Make sure that the attacker’s team should have 2 more players than the defenders team. The attackers should try to retain the possession of the ball by vigorously searching for free space inside the rectangle. The defenders should try to spot as many players as possible. However, there will always be 2 unspotted players.
While performing this drill, the team which will be defending should all apply pressure inside the box which will make it difficult for the attackers to find passing alternatives.
Central Defence: The purpose of the drill is to improve your defenders cooperation.
Drill Set Up: Divide your players into two parts; defenders and attackers. The attackers should have one ball each with them. To create the ring you can use cones or some other similar props.
Performing the Drill: You should start with arranging the team of attackers in a circle. Their main task is then to keep the ball away from the defenders. Defenders will be positioned inside the circle and if the attacker loses the ball he should become a defender in and the defender who caused him to lose the ball captures his possession.
You may also add variations to this drill by adding 1 or 2 more defenders.
Do your players like marshmallows? How bad? Do you have kids? Do they like marshmallows? … how bad?…
Before we dive into psychology in soccer and in life, I want to share with you Dr. David Walsh kids marshmallow’s test. This experiment was initially conducted back in the 60’s by the psychologist Walter Mischel.
The results? Watch the video below… (the ones who delay gratification and resist “temptation” are rewarded…)
How do you think teenagers would react to a fun variation of this test?
What about adults? Let’s see…
Hope this makes you think for a while. Now, let’s dive in…
Soccer Psychology:
Psychology of Soccer is at the heart of being a great athlete. How many great athletes you know that have no confidence in their playing ability? Just the confidence that a player has in his game can take him to another level. Psychology of soccer is an element that just can’t be ignored.
Psychology of soccer can help deal with many critical issues. How many players render down at the wrong time? Does a soccer player possess the talent to perform equally well in a live match as he/she does during practice?
Over the last few years, sports psychology is playing an ever-increasing role in influence soccer performance.
Studies have shown that successful footballers possess superior mental and emotional health in terms of less anger, less tension, and more vigour than others who may need psychological support.
Also, a player’s performance can depend on his stimulation levels which refer to the level of awareness, attention and alertness. As stimulation levels increase so does the level of performance, although there are optimal levels which should not be conceded.
Keeping the team motivated and preventing players from feeling dejected and losing out on self-esteem is vital. Here, some interesting coaching solutions can help. For example; experiencing achievement through goal setting, stimulating and exciting sessions, and a feeling of belonging to the club may prove to be helpful.
A soccer coach or a player should never feel hesitant to call in the services of a qualified sports psychologist. There is a very thin line between success and failure and players who are mentally strong stand a greater chance of getting success than those who simply depend on their physical and technical ability.
Keep soccer players focused and interest
Having an organized practice session means that your job as a coach has become simpler and the practice activities have become more effective and meaningful. By focusing activities on a few specific points, you can easily maintain player’s attention and reinforce their interest in the game. Here are a few pointers that can help retain a player’s interest during a practice session:
Keep them moving – Try not to have players stand in long lines and use circles instead to make them feel more occupied.
Keep a ball at their feet – Players become more comfortable with using their feet only when they get lots of opportunities to touch the ball.
Keep changing the activities – Research has shown that attention spans are just about 2 to 5 minutes for each year of age.
Keep changing the pace – Younger players have limited aerobic capacity so combine walking, jogging, running, and sprinting. This way they’ll stay fresh for a longer duration. Since live games involve changes of pace, so should your practice sessions.
Make sure instruction is short – Don’t try not to over coach your players or give them too much to think about because they’ll just get overwhelmed. Tell them something and then demonstrate it. If players understand directions and then see what needs to be done, they’re bound to succeed in doing it.
Have your kids perform fun drills – Nothing keeps the players focused and interested in the game that choosing drills that are fun to carry out and develop their skills.
Deal with behavioural issues – If a player refuses to pay attention or interferes with the execution of a drill, then that player should not be allowed to participate in the drill and wait outside the field until he or she is ready to listen. When it comes to younger players, doing extra exercises doesn’t correct behaviour problems but rather reinforces that behaviour.
Just let them enjoy playing the game – Let them play freely and the game is likely to teach them more than any coach can.
Coaches often fail to see what it’s like to be a kid. Kids face a lot of stimulus in their lives and soccer practice should become a carefree outlet for them.
Mental Understanding
We all know that soccer is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. Even if players have the best knowledge of fundamentals and have got the best soccer training, it’s of no use if they crack under pressure, or if they have mental, emotional and lifestyle issues affecting their game.
Bouncing back from a poor performance or handling negative emotions is something that comes from having the right attitude and right state of mind. If you want your players to get ahead of the game, you should invest as much time training your mind as you do your body.
By teaching your kids to deal with stress, anxiety and other psychological aspects of the game, they can outshine their peers who only focus on the mechanics of soccer. This article outlines certain soccer training tips to help kids achieve that.
Envision the Ball: There are two ways to do it: external visualization, where you picture watching a movie of yourself playing soccer, or internal visualization, where you picture playing as if you are actually doing it.
Relax, calm down, and take it easy: It’s very natural for anyone to get nervous before a game or a performance. Sadly, nervousness can also mess with the player’s thoughts, which can cause them to make bad judgments on the field. If they’re alert and relaxed, they can make quick decisions faster when playing under immense pressure.
Focus only on goals: Having both short-term and long-term goals for your soccer training regimen will motivate players and give them something definite to strive for. If things don’t appear getting better and you have no goals, it’s easy for the players to feel discouraged and consider quitting.
However, the goals shouldn’t be unrealistic. But they should positively challenge players and force them to step up their game.
Just concentrate: Yes, it’s easy to get distracted while playing a game. Nevertheless, part of developing a good player is overcoming that. Practice concentration drills can help your players improve focus during a game. Some players learn from visuals while others are audio learners. Identify a drill or a pre-game ceremony that works best for you.
By mastering your mental game, you can reduce the anxiety, overcome negative emotions, bounce back from mistakes, and make soccer a more enjoyable experience all around. Since mental soccer training is just as important as the physical, just don’t neglect it. You’ll be pleasantly be surprised at how much players will improve.
In the pre-season and during the course of the season, soccer coaches are faced with getting players’ fitness level up to par at the same time as still focusing on team tactics and techniques. This is because a team with all the physical ability in the world is useless if they have no stamina to last the whole match.
Other than tiresome long-distance runs, which certainly have their place within soccer training there are various ways for a coach to improve his team’s fitness level in the framework of a practice.
Foot speed and Individual Ball Work
A very important aspect of pre-season and early-season training is footwork. A kid’s foot speed is his/her lifeline on the soccer pitch and coaches should pay a lot of attention to it.
The most common footwork drills involve a lot of quick short motions. A coach can do wonders for his team’s fitness level if he can generate a scenario where those motions are happening constantly without long periods of rest. Rather than having two lines of players running the drills through a set of cones, divide the group up into four lines to reduce wait time. Make the players sprint or pedal back to the end of the line instead of walking or jogging. Instead of telling the players to complete a certain number of repetitions, allocate a certain amount of time for the drill.
Use Soccer Related Drills
Long distance running is very important in preparing a player for an upcoming match. But stamina would not suffice to keep a player fresh for the last 15 to 20 minutes of a match. Besides running, coaches should make sure the players are using the same type of muscle movements that are natural to a match.
Take in short sprints followed by periods of jogging or occasional long sprints, 30 to 40 yards, followed by longer periods of jogging. Set up fitness activities that require the player to use bursts of speed, jumping changes in direction, and balance. A player will have to do all these things in a match again and again. By practicing them over and over again, kids improve their ability to do it at a high level in the match.
Let the Games Demand Fitness
No matter how good a player may be, he would get exhausted after undergoing the mental and physical tension associated with playing a 90 minute match. An old coach’s saying “The game is the best teacher” can be applied to fitness as well. When a player observes how his fitness levels positively influence his play, he’s sure to take the steps needed to improve on the day of the match.
Soccer fitness drills: Passing and Shooting directly at the goal and its purpose is to improve upon passing and shooting skills of players.It requires three files of players placed outside the 18 yard box. The file in the middle should have the balls with them.
The first player in the middle passes the ball to the first player in the left file who then directly passes the ball to the first player in the right file. The player in the right file shoots at the goal directly by using the inside of his foot. All the 3 players should keep rotating clockwise.
A variation of this drill is to let the player in the middle, act as defender after he plays the ball to the left file. You can also restrict your players to pass and shoot with the weaker foot.
The first player passes the ball to player number two who directly passes it to player number three. Player three needs to shoot immediately by using the inside of his foot.
The three players keep rotating clockwise and three new players’ start over with the drill.
In order to get the maximum benefit from this drill your players will need to have a solid pace with the ball. You can restrict the players to use one touch on the ball but if they fail to do so, you should allow them to two or three touches. Also, it’s critical to make sure that players understand the drill properly before it is launched.
Soccer conditioning drills
• Pain/Killer Shuttles
The shuttles run or killer shuttles, as some people prefer to call them is one of the most effective drills if performed with effort and focus. However, it is also the most painful soccer conditioning drill that you can find. It is therefore suggested to perform this drill at the end of the practice session because it will squeeze the last piece of power from your kids. They need to perform the drill 5-10 times before taking 2 minutes rest and the number of sets depend upon how young your players are. If they are below 18 then you should try to keep the number of sets to 5.
Following are the instructions for setting up the Killer/Shuttle Runs:
1. Place 4 cones 10 to15 yards apart.
2. The player will start from cone 1, run to cone 2 and back to cone 1, then run to cone 2 and back to cone 1, run to cone 3 and back to cone 1 and to finish, run to cone 4 and back to cone 1.
3. The player should run at a maximum speed.
4. He/ she should rest of 20 seconds during the sets.
5. Each player should perform at least 5 sets.
• Step Jumps
You have the option to make your kids perform step jumps drill either in the middle or at the end of your practice session. But you should avoid doing it at the start of your practice session as players need to adequately warm up before carrying out this drill.
To perform the Step Jumps drill:
1. The players should place a cone or a ball in front of them.
2. They should themselves stand beside the cone or ball.
3. They should then start jumping both vertically and laterally off the ground and over the cone/ball.
4. They should land on both feet and then jump back in the other direction.
5. Each set should last around 60 seconds.
6. Players should perform 4-8 sets depending on their age.
• Sick & Sack Runs
This drill is always performed in pairs. Instruct your players that they will have to compete with their partner. This is how the drill is set up:
1. Divide your players into 2 equal groups.
2. Tell each of your players to identify a partner in the other group.
3. Place 5 cones 10 yards apart.
4. Players should perform minimum 5 sets (of course depending on their age).
5. They may rest between the sets by jogging back to their respective lines.
• Lost Runs
This drill is called lost runs because once your kids start with its execution, they will actually feel lost. On the other hand, this drill is both fun and effective for developing your kid’s overall condition.
This is how the drill should be set up:
1. Place 6 cones on the same way like in the image.
2. Players should try to run at their maximum speed and perform at least 4 sets.
3. They should take rest by jogging back to the line between the runs.
Although you should work upon your kid’s overall conditioning during the whole season, it is important to put some extra focus on conditioning training 2-3 months before the start of the season. This is the most critical period and a player with a poor pre-season behind him will not be able to perform well during the competition.
The soccer conditioning drills in this newsletter can be performed during your regular season or as a compliment to your pre-season training program.
Before we dive into today’s topic (how to build teamwork) I’d like to share with you that until midnight eastern tomorrow (no exceptions!), you can grab my top 40+ collection of “Extremely Fun Soccer Practice Games” to breathe a new life into your practice sessions and help you make training more FUN for your players!
With that said, let’s dive in. If you are one of those soccer coaches who think soccer is won only by mastering the technical skills of the game; think again?
In addition to their individual skills, it’s the player’s ability to work with their teams that leads to harmony and cooperation within the team. Although a lot of players show individual ability but only good team players can take the game to the next level.
So as a soccer coach, what you should look at is a well-formed soccer player, whose teamwork skills will fit into your training system from day one.
Practice with the team: Like any other skill, practice is essential in building player interaction. It is highly recommended that you devote one training session every day to team-oriented play.
It is estimated that generally 50 percent to 60 percent of the time the players spend with the ball involves practicing with a team. You can do the same with your players. Let your kids know where they should play a specific position on the field; make it a priority to interact with teammates, and develop an instinct for how each player reacts.
Participation is the key to developing teamwork: Make it a point that all players attend the practice sessions. This will allow them to build relationships with their teammates which are almost second nature, a kind of innate telepathy. They know where their teammates are going to be on the field and what they’re going to do with the ball.
Relationships like this can be built only through many hours of practice as a team.
Building teamwork off the field: Condition your players to learn to live with the good and bad about everyone in the team. They must always remember that once they step over the line on the field, they’re one. They’ve got to be one on the field and off the field as well.
Social activities have the potential to bond teams together so kids can understand each other’s personalities. For instance; arrange for players to take cultural excursions together, or a hiking trip, or something similar. It doesn’t necessarily have to be soccer-related.
Training like a professional: Soccer coaches must incorporate team building skills into their training plans in order to build winning teams. Trainers who get their teams to work together create outstanding possibilities as they enjoy the benefits of teamwork.
Great teams are not made accidently. Building successful teams takes a lot of work, patience, and sacrifice. It requires professional leadership that guides individual players and teams toward a shared vision or goal.
Team dynamics: Anyone who travels around the world and observes different people can readily notice that human beings spend a good amount of time doing things together in groups. So a team’s performance can be a reflection of the added individual talents of its individual players or a team’s performance can be a reflection of a sum that is greater than, or smaller than, the total of each of the individual performances. Team members need to have a balance of close proximity, distinctiveness, similarity, as well as team goals and rewards (individual and team goals).
Applying team building skills to stay on course: You must know the importance of teamwork and have the ability to turn things around by making sure that each player is commits to the same vision and values of the team.
Simply put, you need to establish a “buy-in” by requiring players to announce whether they are in or out.
When everyone commits to the same set of beliefs, a climate of trust develops and the players start to work together like never before.
Having said that, I’d like to ask a simple question; why is teamwork so important?
You must realize that before players will commit to and place the needs of the team before their own; they have to be convinced that their sacrifices will be worth it. And it is up to the coach to exercise team building skills that will create harmony and enable their team to achieve its long-term objectives.
A team building exercise can encourage a team player’s attitude while at the same time; it serves as a leadership development exercise. Like we’ve already discussed, team building requires hard work, persistence, and sacrifice and the coaches must spend sufficient time necessary to build their team.
Physical fitness scenario: Since fitness is important in soccer, physical fitness training is a great vehicle for developing teambuilding qualities amongst players.
Here is an example to develop leadership and teambuilding skills and then employ the benefits of teamwork.
Let’s say your team is going for a 4-mile run. Of course, there’ll be some members who will be faster than others and your goal is to increase each individual’s speed and strength. However, the primary motive is to improve the team’s collective performance.
Now, here lies the challenge. How would you maintain the interest of the top performers without discouraging the weaker runners?
One technique that you can use is to take the team on a 1-mile group warm-up run, then go to an already decided area for a 2-mile “release run,” and finish it up with a 1-mile group run back to the point where they started.
It’s the 2-mile “release run” that plays a critical role in accomplishing individual goals and part of the overall team building exercise.
Learning the Importance of Teamwork: During the 2-mile out-and-back “release run,” individual players push each other to run as fast as they can during the designated time. Some players may run more than two miles while others less than that, but the key here is to keep pushing each other to be better and encourage all along the way.
At the end of the designated time, each player returns to the point where he/ she started, but if one player returned before the others, he/ she won’t stop running. Instead, this player will circle back until he/she finds the last person on the return leg and matches pace with that individual, encouraging him along.
Here, cheering and supporting the teammates was not an option given to the players; it was required and expected of these young aspiring leaders. The faster runners helped those who were slower and everyone knew the group would finish together, just as they started, highlighting the importance of teamwork.
Every player knew the rules, that is, the values you were attempting to instill in your future leaders.
Leadership and Teamwork Go Together: A good part of this leadership development exercise described above was to have all players encourage their peers to do their best instead of allowing players to find reasons to get discouraged, slow down, or to stop.
Every team building exercise serves as a leadership development exercise, and vice-versa. It’s just that the player’s roles may have to be reworked depending upon their areas of strength.
In the example given above, these kids or future leaders learned to be team players as well as team leaders.
Consider Exercises for Your Team : Review the opportunities available for your players to exploit and utilize the benefits of teamwork.
Every player has his own share of strengths and weaknesses. When they get the opportunity to contribute, they make full use of their strengths to help others and everyone benefits as a result.
It’s a good idea to implement programs where different players get the opportunity to lead in those areas where they are strong.
It will develop leaders, improve teamwork, perk up the morale, and increase the overall performance of your soccer team.
At any level, what separates the great players from the average players is speed. Speed in soccer demands more than just running fast. It calls for speed of thought, the ability to change directions quickly, using speed in possessing the ball, and quickness of the feet or agility.
These are a few attributes that young soccer players need to be taught with respect to improving their speed. The ability to run fast or absolute speed of a player is determined by a number of factors, for example; genetics and efficient speed training.
The first objective of your soccer speed training schedule should be to increase your player’s sprinting power especially acceleration and off the mark speed. Soccer players usually sprint less than 50 yards in a straight line.
Then, another equally important objective should be to increase kid’s speed endurance . Speed endurance training drastically improves recovery after a session of repetitive sprints.
Third objective of a soccer speed training program should be to improve dexterity, foot speed, and response time. Lay more emphasis on short, sharp movements of a high quality rather than physically taxing exercises.
Lastly, make sure you incorporate the ball into few of the speed and agility drills, so that all those gains in the player’s speed can be transferred to the field of play.
Improving Speed in Soccer:
There are 4 important elements that will make you a faster athlete.
1. Strength and Power Training : Power is directly related to speed. It is a combination of both strength and speed. If you aim at increasing either one, you’ll increase power. But ideally, you should work on increasing both. Include weight training that increases strength, and plyometric training that “translates” this strength into speed and power.
2. Sprint Training : During the season, introduce sprint drills in mid to late pre-season and carry on right through the in-season. Since these drills lead to a lot of fatigue in players, you should perform these only a day before a game. These drills help increase mental sharpness in training players for the approaching game.
Since the purpose is not to tire out the players, these drills should be completed over short distances, with sufficient rest between the sprints. Also, these should be performed at the beginning of a training session when the players are fresh.
3. Speed Endurance Training : Drills aimed at building and improving speed endurance are quite intense. But the rewards are worth the efforts and the pain you may feel during and after a short session.
Your team can perform 2 speed endurance sessions in a week with a gap of one to two days during the pre-season, and this can be reduced to one during the in-season, or even omitted, in case there are 2 games in a week.
As taxing as these speed endurance drills may be, they make a soccer game feel easy and are a real confidence booster for the players.
4. Flexibility training : A muscle can contract only as fast as its opposing muscle can relax and flexibility training in soccer helps release tightness and promotes this speed of relaxation. An increase in the range of motion also helps in extending the leg stride that is important for quick and agile changes in direction.
Incorporate in your workouts, some stretching exercises after the completion of a training session when the muscles are still warm. This should be done at least three times a week.
Soccer Speed Drills:
When it comes to soccer, muscles are conditioned for speed in a different way than they are conditioned for strength.
You can use these sample soccer drills to improve your kid’s balance, their control over the body, foot speed and co-ordination. As I mentioned earlier, agility drills, like speed drills, should not be physically tiring.
With a view to allow complete recovery, a slow jog or a short walk between each drill is recommended. However, the emphasis should be on the form and quality. A typical agility training session could consist of not more that 3-5 sets of 10 repetitions in total.
Weave In - Weave Out: Place 4 markers in a straight line approximately 3 yards apart. In between each set of markers, place another marker no more than 3 yards to the left. Tell kids to sprint from one marker to the next, bending down to touch each one with their hand.
Here, the emphasis should be on taking quick side steps, rather than turning to face the marker and sprinting forward that takes a lot of extra time and you don’t have a lot of time in a real match.
Follow the Leader: Mark out a large area, approximately 20 yards by 20 yards. Pair up two players and make them run randomly within the defined area. Instruct the players to maintain a 2 yards distance from each other at all times. Also, they should be constantly changing direction and their pace.
Mini Shuttle: Place 2 markers that are about 20 yards apart and in the middle only 3 yards to the side. Guide your players to start from the middle marker, sprinting to one end (10 yards), turning and immediately sprinting to the other end (20 yards) and then coming back to the start (10 yards).
Instruct your players beforehand to turn on a different foot at each marker and make an effort to touch the ground using their hands.
Making soccer practice fun should be one of your top priorities as a coach. How do you know your players are having fun? Just watch this short video and let me know how you feel while you’re watching it. If your players are feeling the same during your practice sessions then you have passed the “fun” test
Now that you are on the mood let’s talk about improving the soccer passing skills of your players…
Having learned the importance of strategy, one of the most important skills to develop in applying it is passing the ball. Good passing calls for good technique and involves making the right decision at the right time.
Passing allows your team to keep the possession of the ball and find gaps in the opposing team’s defense. As a team, try to keep the ball moving and spread the defense, thus taking advantage of open spaces. The best way to achieve this is to play one and two touch soccer.
In terms of teamwork, the player to whom the ball is supposed to be passed must go to the ball. At the same time though, teach your kids to make their teammate look good by taking care of a bad pass and keep possession.
Have your players train in game-like situations, with the right kind of intensity and pressure.
You can restructure game-like conditions by making the areas you are playing in small so that there is a continuous pressure on players having the ball. And once players get the right intensity, open the game up and have them play in a larger area. For example, start with 8 versus 8 in the goal box and then open up into the whole half later in the game.
Instruct players to work on their passing technique as well by kicking the ball against a wall. Make sure they use both right and left foot. Train them to keep the ankle locked and strike through the center of the ball with pace. They need to get their body behind the ball with an unvarying strong sense of balance.
Let’s discuss a few drills that can be used to teach players the skill of passing the ball.
Drill 1: Pass and Move Drill : It starts with three lines of players behind three cones, arranged in a triangle. The player in the front of every line passes the ball over to the next. As this player completes his or her pass, he then moves over to the back of the line that is opposite to the direction of his pass.
This drill includes many fundamental aspects of passing.
First of all, all passes are made in a triangle, which is the basis of all the ball movements. Secondly, the players must move immediately after releasing the ball. This enforces the dynamic concept of “pass and move.”
This drill requires the players to keep moving the ball from one cone to the next , and after a pass from Line 1 to Line 2, the player who makes the pass must go back to the opposite of Line 3 and so on.
Drill 2: Combination Passing : In this drills, three evenly spaced players take the ball forward through combinations of dribbling and passing. This drill has a lot of variations. As the diagram shows, the ball is dribbled to the middle and then passed to the outside.
Combination drills are great for young players because they teach many fundamental principles of attacking. For example; maintaining width is important because it challenges and draws out the enemy defense.
Drill 3: Keep away: This drill is used to develop passing skills in a dynamic game-like environment. It requires that the players are spread out in attack and compress around the ball when defending. Restricting their movement could also be implemented for increasing the level of difficulty.
For example, prohibit the players from making back passes, where the ball cannot be sent back to the player who passed it. You may also impose a limit on the consecutive touches per player with a view to increase the challenge.
Two teams of players attempt to maintain the possession of the ball in a restricted area. They keep the ball with them and complete a given number of consecutive passes.
In order to develop great passers, you need to make your kids familiar with the different kinds of passes, and the various ways in which they are used. I’ll discuss below some of these techniques with you.
Inside of the foot: This is the most helpful part of the foot to use when passing the ball. Since it’s the part of the foot with the most surface area, it gives the maximum control and accuracy.
Inside edge of the foot: This is similar to the above but uses the upper portion of the foot to bend the ball. Teach your kids to wrap their foot around the ball so it curves into your teammate’s feet or into an area, as with a cross or shot.
Outside of the foot: This kind of pass is useful when you want to pass the ball to a teammate or into a specific area. Sometimes a player’s body is in a position where it’s difficult to make even a simple pass. If this is the case, attempt to strike through the ball. Follow through with the upper part of the outside of the foot.
Long passes: This is for used for driving the ball towards a teammate. If you wish to pick a player out, you don’t have to follow through the ball. Rather, strike the ball sharply and stop the follow through just after hitting the ball.
By fine-tuning your player’s skills as excellent passers, you can considerably increase your team’s chances of success.
Great soccer players are highly responsive to what is going on around them, even before they receive the ball. This allows them to make decisions fast, thus giving them the edge.
As players get more experienced, the game gets faster, thus demanding more speed. At this level, there is a greater need for first-time passes and an accurate first touch on the ball.
Generally, players cannot always play a first-time ball. Therefore, they must trap the ball and dribble it too if no teammates are in position to receive a first-time pass. Space and time go hand-in-hand in soccer. The less time a player takes to pass the ball, the more time they will have to take advantage of it.
It is necessary for your players to develop a feel for the ball. Feel means touch, and a fine touch requires that a player is comfortable touching the ball with all parts of the foot. Remember, that good control is the ability to take the ball with one touch in such a way that the player can play the ball with his or her next movement without having to run after it. The ability to control the ball with the feet is the basic aspect of soccer. A good touch may be very instinctive to some players but difficult for others to comprehend. No matter what the level of your players, regular practice will always help improve their first touch on the ball.
Below are a few techniques and passing drills that will help your team improve both ball control and their first touch.
It is vital for all soccer players to master the skill of getting the first touch right. When players take too many touches to take control of the ball or let it get away from them, the offensive game disintegrates. But, with these distinct drills given below, your kids will learn to neatly maneuver the ball off the pass and greatly improve their flexibility on the field.
As a rule, combine two or more of them with a view to construct a complete practice session from these drills.
Exercise 1
This drill is performed in a 10- by 10- yards area in a group of three players. Make sure each player has a ball of his own. Two players with the ball take position on one side of the square and the third player faces them on the other side.
The player with the ball passes it to the third player on the opposite lane that receives the ball with the inside of the foot and takes the ball a couple of yards to the side in one action. On the next touch he passes the ball back across the square with his other foot. Then the remaining two players switch places with first and repeat the action.
Keep reminding players that it’s important to give a good pass so that it is easier for teammates to receive the ball and control it with their first touch. Allow two touches to start before restricting the players to one touch.
Exercise 2
This drill is performed in a 10- by 10- yards area in a group of three players. Make sure each player has a ball of his own. Two players with the ball take position on one side of the square and the third player faces them on the opposite side.
The first player passes the ball to the opposite player and runs around him/her. The receiving player taps the ball to the side, as the running player comes around him/her. The second player passes the ball to the next player facing him/her who then repeats the action.
Exercise 3
This drill is performed in a 10-by 10-yard to 15-by 15-yard area. The players are divided into groups of up to four players at each corner. One group starts with passing the ball.
Players pass the ball anti-clockwise to the first player in the next group and then follow their passes. The receiving player touches the ball softly by the incoming passer, runs around and makes a pass to the first player in the next group.
To increase the level of difficulty, you can introduce another ball.
Since many players around the world struggle to keep the ball with their first touch, it is a good idea to have them watch the best players around the world as they have invested countless hours polishing their technique on how to control the ball properly.
In soccer, to be in control of the ball is of great importance to every level of player and the first touch is what makes all the difference between success and failure in almost all situations during the match.
If you coach youth soccer but don’t have the time, desire or ability to plan effective practices, the following tips and suggestions can help you carve out a successful soccer strategy in training young players.
You don’t need to write a hundreds things down. In fact, a few simple ‘memory joggers’ on a notepad or in a small notebook is ideal.
But before you step onto the practice field, it’s very important to decide what skills or techniques you want your kids to work upon. You also need to decide how you’re going to arrange the practice and what warm up exercises, games and drills you’re going to use.
You should also have an idea of how much time each activity will take and how you’re going to effect the transition from one activity to the next.
When you know what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it, you can make the best use of your practice time. It also keeps you players disciplined. Nothing encourages kids to misbehave as much as a coach who mishandles his or her way through the training session!
Decide Beforehand What You Need To Do At Practice
The best coaches aren’t always the most knowledgeable but rather the most organized, adaptable, and empowered. Begin by asking yourself “What exactly do I need to train my kids on?” The answer will depend on the skills and the age of your players.
The first and the foremost skill to learn is dribbling. At early ages or for beginners, the most important skill to practice is dribbling. Many soccer practice games are self teaching and players can easily learn by playing those games.
If your team is U8 or older, you will want to teach them control dribbling, speed dribbling into open space, how to “cut” the ball, and passing and receiving the ball. The best way to teach dribbling, passing and receiving is by performing related practice games that involve pressure and competition. The reason is that they prepare players to perform those skills in practice sessions as if performing in a live tournament while under pressure.
Always remember that playing different practice games at every practice session does not help much. Instead, incorporate games that are most effective and use the extra time to play games that teach skills such as “Chipping the Ball” or “Throw-Ins”.
How to Choose Practice Games
When it comes to soccer training of players, it’s very important to have at least one ball per player.
Let’s face it. Laying out an effective practice plan takes time and effort but it’s execution requires proper knowledge.
It is a known fact that players learn best through repetition in focused drills. But at the same time, the drills have to be stimulating and progressive in nature. As a coach, if you don’t have the time or ability to compose a quality practice session, your players will be the ones who suffer the most.
The drills should start at the basic level and advance in a logical progression. Following this, you will be able to adjust the speed at which you move forward without any difficulty, based on the age, competitiveness, and the abilities of your players.
You can use the drills to prepare a solid foundation for your team and take them into new ground with a variety of complex variations.
How Can You Design the Practice Sessions?
Balancing the facets of fun and work is imperative for achieving success in improving your team. A good coach should realize that while it is important to get in work at soccer practice doing specific training exercises, your players must also remain interested in the drills.
The moment practice stops being fun, players stop learning. They may even quit showing up for practice. To avoid such situations, weave in less entertaining but necessary drills with other vibrant exercises that will not only focus your player’s learning, but also maintain their interest in the game.
Small-sided games and other soccer drills that involve elements of scrimmaging are an effective way to allow players to play the game and simultaneously guide their play to work upon certain important aspects of the game.
For example; laying down rules such as limiting the number of passes before a shot can take place, or regulating the count of touches on the ball is a good way to keep the drills stimulating enough for players and helpful in improving their skills.
A good practice plan must also progress over the duration of the season. Starting with the basics, the practice plan should progress to new levels that relate to the old drills, but takes the players understanding a step further.
Ever wondered how having your entire practice schedule pre-planned could take a whole bunch off of your shoulders? If your short on time, and don’t know exactly what you are going to do, you can refer to this training schedule created beforehand.
By following the above stated plans, your players can build a love for the great game of soccer, develop ball skills, improve game understanding, and work as a team. It will not only allow you to meet the needs of your team, but also add in some of your own favorite drills.
Remember, learning new skills is fun to players and they enjoy being challenged.
Do you have kids? Do they like marshmallows? … how bad?… 
Let’s see…
