By Jeremy Boone
Many of today's youth soccer clubs are
limited to between one and three practices per week. Although there are
a
few clubs that are fortunate enough to train more than this, a common
soccer coaching complaint is that it is difficult to try and cover all aspects
of technical, tactical, and physical work in the time available.
For coaches who are holding extra
practices to get work in, or are limited by weather conditions, here are
five ways you can make your practices more efficient and effective when
given time constraints.
1. Be Prepared...Have a Plan
Many coaches come to practice knowing what they want to do but yet don't
write it down. Instead it is all kept in their head! Keeping a record of
each training session will allow you to develop a solid training plan
that is both progressive and sequential in nature. Without a written
plan it is difficult to peak your team at the right time. Remember the
old phrase 'failing to plan is planning to fail'.
practice plans
2. Don't separate conditioning &
playing the game
It is not always necessary to include additional fitness exercises at
the end of a practice. Be mindful that playing the game is conditioning.
Incorporating training variables such as the number of players, the
number of balls available, the size of the field, and touch restrictions
are all ways to create various conditioning effects.
3. Include speed work in your
warm-up
Speed wins soccer games. A great time to incorporate this type of
training is at the tail end of the warm-up. The players are fresh and
the training volume required for speed development is not very high. A
quality speed session that focuses on technique may only take 5-8
minutes. This time invested will prove huge results on the field.
games and drills that improve fitness
levels
4. Incorporate circuit training
Circuit training is a beneficial method to use when training large
groups of athletes. It is also used to raise work levels and can be
designed specifically for a strength, a conditioning, or even a
flexibility emphasis. For example, set-up 8-10 exercise stations on the
field and in groups of 2-3 players per station. Begin with 30 sec. of
exercise at each station and 15 sec. rest (time to switch to the next
station) and complete the circuit twice.
indoor soccer coaching
5. Organize practice so only minimal
setup is required
Taking time to set-up drills can eat up the clock. Therefore where
appropriate, make use of one space to accomplish multiple goals. For
example, begin by having a team play a 7 v 7 non-directional possession
game in a medium size grid, then progress to adding direction to the
possession game, and then finally play to goals. A session of this
nature can easily last 45 minutes to an hour with minimal setup
required. You can even do all of your warm-up and speed work in this
same area!
Jeremy Boone is the
speed & conditioning consultant for the Atlanta Beat (WUSA).
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