First and foremost, training is expected to challenge players of all skill levels. It is expected to advance players to the highest competitive levels. Our goal is to compete on the State and National level – and our expectations should be nothing less.
Training is to prepare players for their next level of competition. It is our goal to give players the opportunity to succeed when they leave the club. It is also important that our top teams are comprised of players who are looking for a long term success in the sport.
Training expectations are high. It is assumed players come to compete for their positions each night. Practice should be at an intensity that mimics that of games, or sometimes at a higher level than games. To compete, players have to be at each session and be committed to improvement. Players that miss practice without valid excuse will miss playing time according to the discretion of the coach (each situation will vary, thus it is left up to coach to determine how much time should be penalized).
Sessions will run for an hour and a half (unless otherwise arranged) and will adhere to a similar structure. Sessions are to begin with ball skills with specific focus on receiving, distribution, or dribbling. Using the inside and outside of the foot, players will learn how to move the ball in the proper direction to set up their play. Dribbling skills are to be taught in practicality of the game and will focus on movements at full speed. Players have to develop a comfort with the ball at their feet, learning cuts with the inside and outside of the foot. Step-overs and other moves are to be taught, but only after a progression of these other skills. Fitness should be incorporated into most ball-skill drills. Drills where players are continually moving and having lots of touches on the ball, will help improve both touch and fitness. Skill work should take 30 minutes with warm-up and fitness.
During the second 30 minutes of a session, trainers are to focus on game-specific situations. Whether it is defensive drills, offensive drills, or possessions drills, it is important that all drills are run at a high intensity and imitate game-like situations. Players are to learn defensive positioning, technique for keeping a player in front of them, the ability to man-mark, and the angles to take in relation to their position on the field. Offensively, players are to learn the speed of attack, the ability to beat a defender off the dribble, and their positioning in relation to the other attackers and the goal. Possession is to focus on control of the ball in relation to playing with other players and the importance of movement off the ball to give your teammates easy passing lanes. Players are to learn to move the ball in space with limited touches as well as to understand their spacing in relation to other players and boundaries. Players should also get comfortable with making decisions while under pressure.
The final 30 minutes of a session is to be spent playing. This does not just mean scrimmages. This includes offense verses defense, box defending, box attacking (crossing and finishing) and building the attack. Teams should spend at least 30 minutes of a session focused on play of the game. Players are to learn the intensity that is required to play this game. Trainers and coaches are to push them not worry about mistakes, but to challenge themselves to keep moving and to keep playing the entire game. It is the trainer/coach’s job to get the player thinking game-like thoughts throughout these drills. Mistakes are to be stressed only when players are not positioning properly, or not putting the proper effort in. Trainers/coaches are not to single out players for miss-traps, miss-kicks, or things of this nature unless players are not fully focused or are not giving their full effort.
Above all else, sessions are to be intense and run with precision. The intensity of each session should push players to constantly improve. Lastly, players are not just to memorize the game; they are to think logically to understand each situation. |
