Reasoning
Comparison to peers
Responsibility
Performer
Goals
Identity
Independence
Appearance
Values
Play in all positions
MOST COMMON AGE TO DROP OUT!!

Technical training is the focus

A good session might be 30 minutes of technical work, 30 minutes of games that emphasize that technique, and 30 minutes of free play.

Field players:
· 2 Fakes with the ball that can be performed under pressure with either foot
o feint, scissors, cross, see ya, cryuff, cheeks, drag the ball, pull a v, coerver, double sole, Romario
o Shielding
· Directed first touch, all surfaces & on the move
· Receiving ground, bouncing and air balls with the lower leg, thigh, abdomen, chest and head
· Shooting from outside area
· Bending shots
· Finishing inside area
· Chipping to score
· Passing with inside, outside and instep of either foot
· Crossing to the near post and penalty spot
· Heel pass
· Half volley & volley shooting
· Heading - defensive & attacking
· Combination play - wall pass, overlap, sell
· 2v2 attacking: support
· Slide tackle
· 2v1 defending: pressure
· 2v2 defending: cover
· 3v3 & 4V4 defending: balance (to squeeze or not)
· verbal and visual communication for all positions
· half-time analysis with 1 defending point & 1 attacking point
· attack & defend corner kicks

Goalkeepers:
· Footwork & general position
· Distribution - Roll, sling, goal kicks, volley, balls to feet
· Low dives & forward dives
· Angle play
· Near post play
· Shot stopping - ground ball, bouncing, mid-range, head high, 1v1
· Saving penalty kicks
· Introduction to parrying and boxing crossed balls
· Dealing with balls passed back

Training sessions should be well organized.
§ There should be a recognizable progression to the session.
§ It could be warm up, technical activities, themed games, scrimmage, cool down
§ Or warm up, Scrimmage, technical work, build numbers back up to full scrimmage, cool down
§ Or warm up, small group tactics (2v1-5v5), large group tactics (6v6-11v11), scrimmage, cool down
§ Remember, it is not the magic of some activity from an obscure video that will make the players better. It is YOU observing their play and making corrections that they take to heart.

Dribbling coaching points:
· Body mechanics - keeps ball close to body, use all parts of both feet, When turning, lift the toe to wrap the foot around the ball
· Body shape and balance - knees bent & low to ground, arms out
· Change of pace / direction
· Deception
· Protecting the ball
· Vision of field
· When to beat a player and when to pass

Running with the ball Coaching Points
· Use laces of shoe
· Point toe down, and turn foot a little to the inside
· Touch ball every step, keep it close

Passing Coaching Points:
· Non-kicking foot pointed at target
· Lift toe of kicking foot
· Bend knee of kicking foot
· Step into the pass for some momentum
· Follow through straight ahead
· Pass power is from hip down
· Weight of pass
· Accuracy
· Timing of pass with timing of run

Receiving Coaching points:
· Body mechanics
· Body shape & balance
· Early selection of receiving surface
· Eye on ball; read flight of ball
· Body in line with flight of ball
· Relax with ball
· Control to ball to a new space, not stop it dead
· Preparation touch away from pressure to pass, dribble or shoot

Shooting Coaching Points:
· Body mechanics - non-kicking foot points at target, lock ankle
· Body shape, balance, weight transfer - snap leg, finish on shooting foot
· Eye on ball
· Preparation touch
· Vision
· Placement vs. power

Crossing Coaching Points:
· Body mechanics - plant foot to target, turn hips as strike ball, low follow through for near post balls
· Body shape / balance
· Eye on ball
· Preparation touch
· Angle of approach
· Driven, lofted or bent ball to near or far post

Heading Coaching Points:
· Body mechanics - eyes open, mouth shut!
· Body shape
· Eye on ball
· Read flight of ball
· Body In line with flight of ball
· Area of contact - forehead, right at hairline
· Use of upper body to drive through ball
· Defending: height, distance, aggressive attitude
· Attacking: down at goal line, aggressive attitude

Warm up / cool down:
Grab the tail - Everyone in a grid with a ball and a scrimmage vest tucked in the back as a tail. Grab as many tails as you can. #1 - throw them to the ground #2 - keep them & see who can get the most

Triangle tag - No balls. Three players face each other and put hands on each other's shoulders to make a triangle. The 4th player on the outside tries to tag the target player in the triangle while the triangle players shift to avoid that player getting tagged.

Paint the field - With a partner and one ball, get in a grid and at coach's signal, attempt to paint the field imagining the ball is your paintbrush.

Sequence passing - Get a group, number off and pass the ball around in numerical order.
If you don't have the ball, MOVE.

Juggle in 2's or 3's

Toss ball to partner who receives it with thigh and then catches it. Return the toss to partner. Then go to thigh-thigh-catch, thigh-thigh-foot-catch, thigh-thigh-foot-foot-catch. Could start with the feet or with the head.

Passing Box - 10 yard box, a player on each side. Two players facing each other pass the ball. Receive it with one foot & pass it with the other. Then a partner from one pair switches places with a partner from the other pair after passing. The running players stop the ball with the outside foot and return it with that foot. Then

Main Activities:
Target game - 6v6 in a 40x30 grid. Five field players try to play the ball to the hand of their target player who is standing on the endline & can run the length of the endline. Target player then distributes by rolling to the opposite color.

Keeper's nest - 1 triangle goal with legs about 3-4 yards long. One person in the nest while 3 players pass the ball around and score by passing through the nest. If intercepted, the keeper leaves & new player comes in.

Crossing game - 30 x 40 grid play 4v4. Goals are 10 yards in from the endlines and are diagonal to each other. Play does not stop when goal scored, can score from front or back of goal.

Triangle goal - With cones or flags create a goal in the middle of the pitch, each leg is 8-10 yards long. Two teams of 6-8 players play. The defending team uses 3 goalkeepers and the rest in the field. If the defending team regains possession, the GK's leave the goal & 3 new keepers come in. Can play if you score teams switch or stay the same.

1 v 1 tournament - set up a series of 8x8 grids so it looks like a ladder. Put a pair of players in each box. One player stands on one side with the ball facing the player on the other side of the grid. To start, the first player passes the ball to the other player who tries to cross the opposite line with the ball. Ball restarts like this each time. Keep score. At the end of 2 or 3 minutes, the winning player moves up one spot on the ladder - except for the top player who stays put and the loser in that battle goes all the way to the first rung.

2v2 tournament - grids are 15 x 25. same activity as above.

4v4 games - Across the field, dribble the ball over the sideline to score. Across the field, score on two small goals. Length of the field to regular goals.

Four - Six goal game - Play a regular game with 2 or 3 goals on the endlines. Can use no GK or 1 GK to cover all goals on an endline.

3v0 to one goal. 3v1 to goal - if defender wins it, play it back to coach at half. 3v2 to goal and coach. 3v3 to two goals. 5v5 to two goals.

5v5 +1 to four goals - Neutral player is with attackers who attack to two goals on endline.

All up and All Back - Playing 8v8, mark a center line. All attackers have to be across the centerline for goal to count. Play a while. Then any goal scored when all defenders are not back across will count double.