in this issue welcome from steve...
TRANSCRIPT
In this IssuePage 1!! Top Tip: Three simple tips that will make a big!
difference to your coaching sessions!!Page 2!! The Main Feature: Get the best out of your SSGs.!Page 3!! The Game: The 1-0 Game!Page 4! !Steve’s Coaching Clinic: How can I stop my players
tackling each other?
Dear Coach,!!SSGs are - quite rightly - rapidly replacing drills and all those complicated technical games that require 1000 cones and a degree in geometry to set them up...!!But it's no good just throwing your players a ball and hoping they will learn new skills without any input from you.!!Effective coaching requires a lot of thought and planning whichever method you use. !!Today's article explains how you should use SSGs and get the maximum benefit from them.! !If your team gives the ball away too often, today’s featured game is a classic SSG that will help fix that problem.!!It also helps older players think tactically and most of all…it’s great fun!!!Yours in soccer,!
Welcome from Steve Watson
Three simple tips that will make a big difference to your coaching sessions!
Top Tip
#1 Keep it fun. Picture yourself queuing at the bank and you’re the last person in a 12 person line. Is it any fun? !
Same thing for the players in your team. So avoid using lines in your drills or activities.!
#2 Don’t play elimination games in which a player sits out if she loses. The players that lose are the players that need more practice, not less.!
#3 Have a plan. You don’t want to be stumbling for ideas with 24 eyes looking at you. !
So have a written session plan and carry it with you. After the practice, add to the plan - what worked? What didn’t? What would you do differently next time? Keep your plans as records so you know what and when you practiced.
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Issue 34 26th June 2014
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There is a school of thought that says youth soccer coaching doesn't have to involve drills at all and that every skill and technique can be taught while children are playing small sided games (SSGs).!
I don’t agree. There is still a place for simple, unopposed drills when introducing young children to the basics of the game: passing, shooting, dribbling, turning etc.!
But as children get older and they become reasonably competent in the core skills, SSGs can (and should) take the place of drills. !
But it's not just a case of turning your players loose and hoping they will learn something. !
Using SSGs as a coaching tool is not an easy option; it requires just as much preparation as drill based coaching and you need a high level of confidence in your own ability.!
Here's a few tips:!
Be very clear about what you want to achieve. !
Decide on your topic (improving goal kicks, attacking corners or whatever) and stick to it. If
you spot other problems during the SSG do not get sidetracked - stay on topic.!
Use the moments when the game restarts to return to the learning point. !
If you're practicing goalkicks, for example, restart your SSG with a goal kick every time the ball goes out of play or a goal is scored.!
Freeze the moment but don't over-coach. !
When an error occurs (remember to stay on topic!) stop the play and ask 'was that the best option?' 'was there a better way?'. !
Use quick demonstrations and get your players to tell you the answer, do not give it to them. !
But don't stop the play too often, it spoils the fun and stops the SSG being 'game-like'.!
Mind your language. !
Keep explanations short and simple and don't use long words or jargon. 'Drop into the hole' may mean something to an adult soccer player but say it to a seven year old and all you'll do is get them looking for a hole to jump into.!
Focus on the players who need help. !
Sometimes it is better to speak directly to the individual or 2/3 players who need your help rather than the whole group.!
Don't try to improve on success. !
If a team scores a goal don't show them how to do it better. It's the end result that counts.!
Stand where you can see. !
If you're interested in the sweeper, stand behind the goal. Try to see the picture from their perspective.!
Don’t try to fix problems that aren’t there. !
If the topic doesn't present itself adjust the game. If it still doesn't then drop the topic. Don't coach a coach's problem, it must be the players problem. !
Get the best out of your SSGs
The Main Feature
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Small sided games (SSGs) are a great way to coach children. They’re fast and fun. But you have to know how to get the best out of them.
What is a small sided game?!
A small sided game (SSG) is a 4v4 game of soccer with a condition that allows many repetitions of the problem the coach wants to fix. For example, if you want to improve defending or attacking at corners, you would make it a condition that every time the ball goes out of play during the SSG, a corner is awarded instead of a throw-in or goal-kick.
Objective: to improve your team’s ability to keep the ball, to ‘close-out’ a game.!
Age group: U9s upwards!
Set up: create a 40x20 playing area with small goals at each end. !
Number of players: 8 outfield, 2 goalkeepers. !
How to play: The game begins as a normal 4 v 4 game with the usual rules. !
But there are a couple of conditions:!
• The game last 5 minutes!
• You can only win by one goal!
So when a goal is scored, the team that scored must just try and keep possession - they can’t score again.!
If they do, the goal is disallowed and a penalty is awarded to other team.!
If the losing team equalise and make it 1-1 either team can then score to make it 2-1. !
The team leading then just has to keep possession until the final whistle.
The 1-0 GameThe F4K Game
The 1-0 game can be used to encourage different aspects of play. For example: if your attackers don't take their chances quickly enough or are reluctant to shoot, make it a condition that all goals must be scored with a player's first touch.
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Player movement Ball movement Run with ball ShotKEY:
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Steve’s Coaching Clinic
QUESTION:!Hello Steve,!
I run an U5's team where I have around 22 children. !!There is a very broad skill set but they all have a great time.!!Those who have progressed more than the others are beginning to stifle those that do not have as much skill or understanding and the more advanced children are dominating matches. !!They are tackling their own lesser skilled team mates and those children are not progressing as much as I would like.!!I am wondering what is the best way round this?!!!ANSWER:!
It's good to hear you have so many four year olds in your team and that they are all enjoying themselves. You're clearly doing a great job!!
It's normal to have a very wide range of abilities in young soccer players, especially players as young as yours. Over time the differences between them will narrow (they won't go away entirely of course) and you'll begin to see more co-operation between them.!
The reason that your 'better' players are tacking the not so skilled players is simple - they do it because they can! They have discovered that they have the ability to take the toy (e.g. the ball) from their friends and they will exercise that ability. It's only natural. They don't see any difference between players on their team and players who aren't on their team.!
In fact, that's good for everyone - the better players are practising their new found skill and the others are learning how to keep the ball and, by watching the others, learning how to take the ball away from other players themselves.!
So don't worry if some players are dominating matches.!
Your best option is to keep working on all your players' ball skills. Eventually they will all be able to take and keep the ball (they might even pass to each other one day!) and you'll have a good team.
How can I stop my players tackling each other?
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