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Wow that has been some off-season this year with the pandemic and all the changes that have had to happen to get coaching soccer back on track. Some places will still be feeling the after effects but slowly around the world we have been getting back to pre-season work and ready for some normality in the season ahead. Getting the team back together can be a tricky business at the best of times so you can make use of Soccer Coach Weekly’s Pre-season Guide to help you get the team ready for the first matches of the season.
Fortunately young players don’t require the same level of fitness building as older players (whose diets and generally less active lifestyles tend to catch up with them over the break) but there’s still lots of important work to do.
And the chances are you’re dealing with players moving up to a new format of the game this year, so while you worry about that, why not take some of the pressure off by following our 4-week pre-season plan.
And don’t worry there’s plenty of ball-work involved.
Here’s the first in our series of pre-season training sessions that will ensure your players are in the best possible shape for the season ahead.
Our plan helps you and your team shake off the cobwebs as we assemble a targeted, up-to-date schedule that’s as easy to coach as it is great fun to participate in.
The first session back after the summer break gives everyone the chance to link up, brush off the cobwebs and get back to soccer. But the second session is, in theory, where the hard work really begins.
So having eased yourself and your players back into the swing of things, now is really the time to extend thinking, develop ideas and deliver a programme that will see your team flourish.
Pre-season training is in full swing. You’ve recapped the basics of passing, possession and fitness, and there has been plenty of small-sided game-play thrown into the mix as well. But now you want to delve down into what your players are going to produce this coming season.
The start of the season is almost upon us, and over the last three weeks, you’ll have seen your players getting into the sort of physical and mental shape that is going to guide them through the long season ahead.
The final pre-season session is all about stepping up and brushing up. You’re looking for the final pieces of the jigsaw to fall into place with your players, as they put into practice everything they’ve learnt so far.
We had a meeting this week at my club, where we were discussing the changes we face in a few months time. My U10s team goes from 7v7 into 9v9 and that means we are facing offside decisions. So how does a coach go about preparing for that? MORE
As coaches we are all obsessed with keeping possession of the ball... of course we are the best teams all do it and if you've got the ball the opposition can't score. And there is just that other coach called Pep Guardiola who swears by it... MORE
Fast is a word I like to use when my teams are attacking. Do it with speed and watch the opposition shrink away from it. It makes life difficult for your opponents and helps your team to dominate when in possession of the ball. MORE
The season has suddenly taken off again after 4 months of Coronavirus lockdown. I've been coaching for 14 hours for the last two weeks in an attempt to get the players back into some kind of shape for playing matches. It has its benefits but also it has a downside. Two of my players picked up injuries, one an ankle injury and the other had what he called "tired legs". Find out how we got on... MORE
in Defending, Email newsletters
Defending against overloads can happen whether your team is in an organised or disorganised state. You can plan defending when organised much easier than when you are defending disorganised. MORE
in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters
I was talking to a coach this week about how to control balls in the air, especially when heading the ball in training is off the menu for most clubs. I imagine that there will be much more of a contest to win the ball with a volley once it has dropped from head height. So how do you coach controlling balls in the air? MORE
