Instructional Coaching Sessions
Week 3 - Ball Control/Passing
Warm Up - 10 mins
Finding Nemo - One player volunteer or the coach starts with a ball. Player with a ball dribbles keeping it close to their feet and looks to hit players without a ball below the knee using the inside of their foot. Once you are hit with the ball below the knee, you collect a ball and become a defender/shark. Last player standing wins.
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Coaching Point - Encourage each player to keep the ball close to their feet, lift their heads up to see what's around. Inside of the foot passes on the surface, The ball must remain on the ground so encourage the players to keep their knee pointing down over the top of the ball. Nicely weighted passes.
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Make it fun - This can be turned into a team game not Individuals.
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Storm the Castle - 10 mins
Storm the Castle - Next all players need a soccer ball & will aim to knock the cones down using their ball.
Coaching Point - Encourage each player to alternate feet as you storm each castle (tall cones).
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Make it Fun - Competition by setting a time and seeing who can storm the most castles. Have the players shout how many are left or how many they have stormed. Play against the players, The coach tries to rebuild the castles whilst the players continue to storm them or have two teams, one team storming the castles the other team defending them.
The Fortress Game - 10 mins
Two Teams. Each Player has a ball. Set up the correct amount of tall cones required or alternatively balance soccer balls on top of regular cones. Place a halfway line or a line of cones to separate the two teams. Players attempt to knock over there opposing team's cones/balanced balls from within their own team's half.
Coaching Point - Encourage each player to take a first touch to control the ball then use the correct part of their foot, Inside of the foot to pass the ball against the target. The ball must remain on the ground so encourage the players to keep there knee pointing down, over the top of the ball. Nicely weighted pass.
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Make it Fun - Vary the distances of the targets, bring some closer, place others slightly further away.
Head for Home - 10 mins
1v1s without goals. Players go against each other 1v1 but to score a point they have to lift up there head up and return the ball to the coach ideally with a pass. Coach should move around the playing area ensuring that the player in possession has to lift there head up and scan the field.
4v4 Game 20 mins
4v4/5v5 Game. Try to encourage them to touch the ball as many times as possible.
Coaching Point - Diamond or Triangle Shapes, No GK. As the coach have a handful of balls ready to feed in once the ball goes out of play. Try to say to the players "whoever is in the biggest space I will roll the ball to". Also ensure when rolling the balls in that its not the same players receiving the ball. Players that may not be as involved receive the ball to ensure maximum touches.
Encourage all aspects of the session and have fun.