Over the holiday period you want to be playing games and keeping your players aware of the techniques and tactics you will want to use during pre-season and be ready when the season starts.
You need to play games, get the basics right and your team will be ready to go.
At my club we will be going into the break with an eye on gearing up for pre-season and all the extra work behind the scenes that goes into putting a team on the pitch.
Keep players up to date with the shape you want your players to keep next season. Team shape – pass from the back is a great game to play that gets players alert to the ball from the back.
If you have younger players make sure their techniques are up to scratch before you go into pre-season with Dribble the ball 5 yards and score. This works for other techniques as well – try my session for Running with the ball.
Finally Beat two and score is a dream practice for players who love to show off their skill and dribbling ability. Players must compete to dribble outside the opponent’s end line and into a second 1v1 situation where a quick change of direction can give them the opportunity to shoot.
This session is about team shape right up the pitch – it is aimed at encouraging your players to bring the ball out from the back and attack while keeping possession so they are playing through the thirds MORE
Simple way to practice an important technique in matchplay something every age group and ability level needs to do. Also a handy session to run as a warm up MORE
Beat two and score is a dream practice for players who love to show off their skill and dribbling ability. Players must compete to dribble outside the opponent’s end line and into a second 1v1 situation where a quick change of direction can give them the opportunity to shoot. MORE
In this game when you say “go”, each dribbler aims to dribble his ball from the big square into one of the smaller squares. The three middle players must try to win the balls from the dribblers. MORE
It can be very frustrating when your midfield gets overrun by the opposition – winning the ball in these areas is key to making sure your team is not under siege from a strong opponent. MORE
Who is going to be substitute? It is a problem that affects every single coach or manager in the game at every level. How often do we see on our TV screens close ups of a Premier League player looking unhappy sitting on the bench with a whole studio of experts dumbfounded as to why he is on it. MORE
It is not only spectacular goals that you see from players volleying the ball you also see fantastic goal line clearances and defenders clearing the ball from corners or crosses – but what is a volley?
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When it comes to winning the ball back attackers, who are mainly there to score goals, are as central to the plan as any defensive player on the pitch. It is their job to win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible, gaining possession in dangerous areas where the opposition are most vulnerable. MORE
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
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
“I took a free trial and I was blown away by the drills; it made my training sessions so much easier. ”
