Introduction
The purpose of this training session is to encourage informed decision
making by young players regarding where to pass the ball, receiving the
ball, and moving off the ball.
Too many coaches of young children tell their players where to run, when
to pass the ball, and where to pass the ball to. Making decisions for your
players may result in short
term wins for the team but it stifles player development. Players from a
young age who are encouraged to make decisions for themselves, to
experiment and not worry about the consequences will turn out to be more
skilled and capable players in the long term
.
Even 5 and 6 year olds can be taught simple ideas and
encouraged to think about their options with
regard to passing and moving without the ball.
The approach of using
guided discovery is used during this practice session. It is a simple
process - begin by asking questions and then encourage the players to work
out the answers for themselves. This is a proven and more effective method
of learning than simply telling children where and how to pass the ball.
A word of warning -
guided discovery requires you to really know and understand what you want
to get out of the training session. You need to think carefully about
the type of questions you need to ask.
Warm-up: passing in pairs
Players get in pairs
and pass and move within a designated area.
Begin with free-style
passing then make it more directed by telling them to run around a cone
that is on the outside of the grid after they pass and before they receive
the ball back from their partner.
Key
coaching points
Some of the questions that can be asked
during this activity (not drill) are:
-
If a player without the ball is running
toward you, where you should pass the ball? Answer: To their feet. As the
coach, you may have to give them the choice of saying either “feet or
space”.
-
If a player without the
football is running away from you, where you should pass the ball? Answer:
To space. As the coach, you may have to give them the choice of saying
either “feet or space”
-
How do I know my
partner (teammate) is ready to receive a pass? Answer: Because they are
looking at you. (Eye contact)
Even in the warm-up, you have asked them
good questions, without you necessarily having to show or tell them. Ask
them! You will be surprised at what they can tell you.
Then play some
SSGs. One of my favourites is
the 1-0 game.
The point of this game is to get into a
winning position and then keep the ball away from the opposition for a set
period of time. It provides young players with many opportunities for
making decisions relating to running into space or a supporting position.
When players are participating in this game,
you will find many moments as a coach to ask them the following questions:
-
If a player with the ball has pressure,
where do you run support or space? Answer: support
-
If a player with a ball doesn’t have
pressure, where to you run support or space? Answer: space
You are planting a seed in their mind of
where they run during a match. As a player, you can only run to either
support or space. The amount of pressure that is on the ball determines
where you run when you are close to the ball.
The entire training session then is
continuing to ask them these questions, not demanding anything, but asking
them constantly what are their thoughts? |
