This session is set up so that as players arrive they can easily join in without you needing to stop or change the session. The arrival activity shown here is geared towards closing down the opposition in midfield.
You need balls, bibs and cones in an area 20×20 yards. Numbers build up as players arrive.
I’ve started with a 20×20-yard space. The space is important – it’s an inclusive activity, so must have an element of realism and your players will need to show the right attitude. In this session I am using nine players and waiting for three others to arrive. I start with a 6v3 – the team of six must try to keep possession for as long as possible. See how many times their opponents can win the ball. If they do win it or it goes out of play, it’s returned to the team of six. Play for 90 seconds then pause. If in that time a new player has arrived, and the overload team are finding it hard to keep possession, the 6v3 can become a 7v3. Alternatively, if they’re achieving the task quite comfortably, change the parameters so this is a 6v4 instead. If no new player has arrived, switch individual players so that each man can experience the different demands involved in being on each side of the overload. Play until all your players have arrived. You can now move on to the main session.
Make sure players get close to the opposition in order to cut out passing lines. Defensive intelligence is essential, and closing down should be done by the player nearest the ball. If that player has support he can show the passer inside towards his supporting player. But if the closing down player is on his own, he must show the attacker outside and away from any team mate who offers a passing option.
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 Arrival activities, Warm Ups
This simple and fun activity is perfect for use on match days, allowing you to warm up your players with a quick burst of movement and a focus on technique MORE
in Email newsletters, Fun soccer games
Getting back into the swing of training every week can be hard work. Certainly for me when faced with a dozen U9 players training last night was very stop/start as players got their legs working again and tried to pass and receive. MORE
in Arrival activities, Passing, Warm Ups
This five minute warm up drill is all about first touch and anticipating the pass. Good for fitness and getting players ready for movement and passing in matches. MORE
in Email newsletters, Fun soccer games
It is such a busy time of the year and parents and coaches alike still need to think about getting to training and running sessions that keeps the players focused even though their minds are on Christmas. And the fact that they had their Christmas party at the club at the weekend already gives an end of term feel! MORE
This session coaches two-touch shooting, one of the weapons Aaron Ramsey of Juventus uses on the edge of the area to control and fire in a shot. This is a fun game that gets players competing against each other in teams MORE
