| I still cringe every time I walk or drive past the park | | | | closely then the drills can be incorporated into warm |
| on a Saturday morning. | | | | ups and sessions which the players will enjoy. |
| Picture the scene. | | | | I know that there are issues around the time that a |
| 5 or 6 youth soccer teams all going through their pre | | | | coach has to study these methods. After all, any |
| training warm up drills. | | | | parent or adult who gives up their time to coach |
| All different in ages and all going through the same | | | | youth soccer has to juggle work commitments with |
| warm up routine......Running, Running and more Running. | | | | an almost full time second job of running a soccer |
| Apart from one coach who was coaching a warm up | | | | team. This can very demanding especially when you |
| for 10 year old players. He had seen the light and had | | | | have to spend most of your time explaining things to |
| actually realised that work on the ball is the single | | | | parents rather than devoting time to preparing |
| most important part of developing young soccer | | | | coaching sessions. |
| players. | | | | A great solution is to concentrate on the coaching |
| So why were the other teams not using the ball? | | | | aspect of the club. Get someone else involved to |
| I guess it comes down to the coach himself. I am | | | | carryout the sometimes more difficult task of |
| now in my late thirties as are a lot of these coaches. | | | | speaking to parents fund raising etc. When this is in |
| As a coach you will take what you know from being | | | | place then there is time to research new methods |
| coached as a player into sessions. | | | | and develop training session using the ball at all times. |
| The result.......the same tired routines that you | | | | As the players gain in confidence on the ball then you |
| practiced week in week out. No ball in the warm up, | | | | will find that they will do enough running during drills |
| static stretching (which should really be done during | | | | and small sided games. The fitness side of the game |
| the warm down) and running, running, running. | | | | will be a by product of the players enjoying their |
| Even coaches going through approved courses set | | | | soccer therefore eliminating drills based purely on |
| up by the professional associations are coming to the | | | | running. |
| same conclusion. | | | | I do not, for one minute, think that it is easy to |
| Nothing beats doing research and coming up with | | | | devote the extra time to studying new ways of |
| new ideas. Help along the way is at hand with | | | | organising sessions. |
| coaching programs like the Coerver Coaching Method | | | | One thing is definite. |
| and skill training from the Brazilian Soccer School. | | | | The extra time devoted to researching new drills |
| These types of programs emphasise repetitive drills | | | | focusing on skill elements of the game will benefit the |
| which promote confidence and improved ability on | | | | players in both terms of ability and enjoyment many |
| the ball. Once a coach has studied these methods | | | | times over. |