Sometimes Training is Just Like This!

Courtesy of http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/


A training session I'd rather forget

 

This is the sorry story:

 

Most of my team of U10 girls would have difficulty shooting their way out of a paper bag. When they do get a chance to shoot they often delay for so long, the opportunity is missed.

 

So during a recent session, I decided to work on basic shooting technique and then move onto an activity that would help them spot chances to score and take the chances more quickly. The two games I planned to use, Quick Fire Shooting and Three BIG Goals are tried and tested.

Not a good start

 

It was a very cold and wet night, and as I was leaving the house my daughter told me the cat had been sick in the kitchen and she couldn't clear it up. When I got to the training ground I had trouble turning the floodlights on and half my players arrived late (now, that does irritate me!). So it was not a good start.

 

When everyone was ready, I told the players what we were going to be doing during the session and reminded everyone of the importance of turning up on time. We had a quick warm up and went straight into the first game, Quick Fire Shooting.

It was terrible. Shots were flying everywhere except where they were supposed to go. So we stopped and I went through the basic instep shooting technique with the players:

 

• Approach the ball at a slight angle.
• Make the last stride a hop (this adds power to the shot).
• Plant the non-striking foot next to the ball.
• Keep the head over the ball.
• Look at the ball where you want to hit it (the mid-line).
• Scrunch up your toes (this locks the ankle).
• Perform a good follow through.
• Disintegrating further

The girls went off and had another go at the game, but they seemed to have lost interest. There was very little effort and lots of chat.

 
So I called them to me and said (rather forcefully) that they had to put more effort in. Reluctantly, they did, and in the end there were some decent shots being taken. Feeling slightly happier, it was time to move on to the next activity.

 
But before I could, I was confronted by two girls in tears. Girl A said, 'She's being nasty to me!' Girl B responded, 'She kicked my drink bottle away!' My plans were unravelling. I said, 'Now then, we're a team remember. So let's be nice to each other. No more kicking bottles or being horrible, okay?'

 
Gritting my teeth, I prepared to move on to Three BIG Goals. Then it started snowing.

 
To cut a long story short, the session disintegrated. Some girls started throwing snowballs, some started falling out with each other and the rest simply forgot what they were supposed to be doing.

  I looked at my assistant and said, 'Let's set up a pitch for them to play a match on, hope their parents turn up early and then we'll go for a drink'. And that's what we did.

 

Finally, I got home, opened the kitchen door and guess what I stepped in?

 

 .............................................................................

 

 The pracices referred to in the story:

 

Quick Fire Shooting


This game encourages link up play and finishing. It is also a simple exercise for improving your goalkeeper's technique.
Objective: To improve shooting technique and to practice goalkeeping.
Age group: U7 upwards.
Number of players:Whole squad.
Set up:
Divide your players into groups of five. Set up a a small goal with flat cones for each group of players. Have three or four balls per group positioned next to the goal.
How to play:
Put one player in each goal with the remaining four players in two pairs (pair A and pair B). Have each pair about 20 yards away on either side of the goal.
The goalkeeper passes a ball to a player in pair A, who lays off a pass for his partner to run onto. This player shoots. If he scores, the ball is retrieved by a player from pair B on the other side of the goal. He then provides a pass for his partner to run onto and shoot.
If a player misses the goal, he retrieves the ball and puts it with the spare balls you placed next to each goal. The goalkeeper uses one of these balls to pass to a player in the other pair and the game continues. If the goalkeeper saves the shot, he turns and passes it to one of the other pair of players.

Make the game competitive by challenging each pair to score as many goals as possible in a set time.

Note: You can play this game with groups of four by having a coach and/or assistants make up the numbers. You can also play in groups of three by having the goalkeeper provide a pass for the shooters to run onto.


Three BIG goals


As any top striker will tell you, scoring goals requires a bit more than just good kicking technique. Many young soccer players lack confidence in their own ability and need to be actively encouraged to 'pull the trigger' when they are within range of the goal.
They also need to be reassured that it doesn't matter if they miss the target, and that a miss is better than no shot at all. You can do this by playing Three BIG Goals. It is a fast paced and exciting game that soccer players of all ages enjoy!
Objective: To encourage shots on goal.
Age group: U7 upwards.
Set up:
Create a circular playing area about 40 yards across. Position three big goals (15 yards wide) at equal intervals around the circumference of the circle. Divide your squad into three teams.
How to play:
The three teams play soccer in the circle. Teams do not have a goal to defend and can score in any goal. Play the first team to score five goals wins the game - this encourages quick, positive shooting.
If you want to reward efforts on goal, play first to 10 and award a point for a shot and two for a goal.