Planning is Key
Having watched many training sessions at schoolboy and senior level lately one worrying common theme appeared at most clubs. The training sessions seemed repetitive and without focus beyond physical aspects of the game. I remember a brilliant coach tutor by the name of Maurice Price preaching about training sessions during a Uefa A license course in Kings Hospital, Dublin, Ireland back in 1998. Back then I was a young schoolboy footballer, but I always had an interest in the game not only onfield but off it also. I used to attend as many of those Uefa courses as I could by volunteering as a player for the sessions because the learning to be taken away from the coaches on those courses was invaluable. It was during one talk with the brilliant Maurice Price I recall him addressing the coaches and speaking about planning training sessions. I can’t recall word for word the exact quote but it was something along the lines of ‘if the coach doesn’t have a notepad or clipboard of any kind with him the chances are he is winging the session (making it up on the spot), either that or the kids will be off running most of the night’. Those words always stuck with me and I was reminded of them as I watched many training sessions recently.
Wasting Key Time
Recently I witnessed a schoolboy training session for kids at U13 level. The coach ran the kids up and down an astro surface for fifteen minutes doing physical runs or ‘dogies’ to use a common football term. After that the kids qued up to take shots, that was another fifteen minutes. The kids then took a water break before doing sit ups, press ups and all kinds of S&C as the ‘coach’ termed it. By the time the ‘S&C’ was complete there was just enough time for the kids to have an eight minute match, eight minutes!!!!!. By my reckoning each kid couldn’t have touched a ball anymore than 10-15 times during an entire training session that lasted just over an hour. So what did the kids get from that?. Having spoken to many other coaches it seems that kind of training session is not so rare as you would hope these days. At development age groups surely education within fun challenging football related practices has got to be the priority, most able bodied people can run around on his or her own time for fitness.
The Sign of Good Training
Going back to my own playing experience I’ve always felt the best training sessions I’ve taken part in were the one’s that had a purpose and learning to be taken from them. In order to learn as players you have to be challenged because when errors are made then opportunity to learn and improve presents itself. Running around cones won’t learn you much! Combining my playing experience and coaching experience I’ve developed a personal belief that these key things need to be focused on to ensure training is a place people want to be for many reasons not least fun and learning.
1. Variety: You can’t run the same session over and over again. If players are honest that will inevitably have an impact on application and enthusiasm of the people taking part. Be creative, take ideas and as many sessions from others or create them yourself, there is loads of different ways to focus on a learning topic or outcome.
2. Structure: Have the session planned out and timed.
3. Avoid lectures: Plan your session in such a way that the practices do most of the teaching by challenging players to find solutions. I can guarantee you most players would rather be playing within a possession set up trying to work the ball through lines than be stood on a sideline listening to a lecture about how the ball can move the opposition allowing you to play forward. Yes they might need help and by all means guide them to find solutions, but keep it brief and not a lecture!
4. Purpose: Make the players aware of why they are taking part in each practice. Feeling of accomplishment or the feeling that new things have been learnt is powerful for footballers.
5. Fun: The tone of a session is key and is often set before the main body of the session. Don’t just allow players turn up and start labouring about kicking balls. That often allows players set the mood for the session ahead. Be ready from the get go, set the mood and tone for the session. Something that will set a good energy right from the off.
There is many other things that could be mentioned but above is a good base to start with. To end I would always keep this in mind before planning a training session. Is what you are about to spend crucial time with a group of players doing something they can’t do in their own time individually……that’s usually a good indication of the planning you’ve put into your practices!