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It is an exciting time of the year for young players when they all gather together again to catch up on what has been happening since the end of last season – and a chance to get back out on the pitch. Half your players’ minds will still be on the beach or perhaps some of your players are still on the beach having a late summer holiday. Getting the team back together can be a tricky business 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.
in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters
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in Email newsletters, Goalkeeping
The goalkeeper is often the player that is the most neglected when it comes to training nights yet is one of the most important players on the pitch. Certainly at lots of clubs players take turns to play in goal – I have no problem with that but if that is the case you need to make sure the players have the basics covered. MORE
in Arrival activities, Email newsletters, Warm Ups
What I love about my U9s team is that when I come out to warm them up before a match they are all ready and sitting there waiting for me... with a cheer they all descend on the bag of training balls and start warming themselves up. MORE
in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters, Soccer dribbling drills
When it comes to dribbling all sorts of things can determine when and where a player does it and also the effectiveness of the dribble. MORE
in Email newsletters, Set pieces
It is important that players are prepared for all the set-pieces in a game as these can become troublesome areas for young players to cope with. After all these moments happen a lot in matches and players must grow their confidence in dealing with them. MORE
