Soccer Drills and Practice Plans for your youth soccer team
Sizing-Up Opposing Teams During Warm-Ups
As a student of the game, I like to take in all the information I can about my opponents, and warm ups present a great opportunity. In all likelihood, I can pick up a few different things about the other team I can hopefully take advantage of before the game is over.
The first thing I notice about the team is their energy and how into “it” they seem to be. A team that is lazily going through the drills while the coach looks over is likely to start slow, and if it continues all the way through the warm up session, it is a virtual guarantee. If I am confident in my read, I will let my players know that a strong, energized start will catch the other team off guard.
Likewise, if the other team warms up well and their play is animated, I also let my players know that this team is gunning for them, and a slow start is not acceptable. More or less, I try to turn whatever I notice into a vitalizing force for my players.
The other thing I like to watch is for individual strength and weakness. On the strong side, I want to make sure that if the other team has a play maker, that he is marked properly. On the other side, if they have players that appear to be weak links so to speak, I want to know so I can exploit them.
If I notice anything, I am not likely to tell my players, but will instead keep the information in my back pocket and see if my intuition was correct. If it is, a few choice words to the player(s) involved can make them aware of their important role (defending the other teams star, or exploiting a weak player) and serve as a confidence booster.
I will never forget a game I played in under-12’s at an out of state tournament against a team we had never played. Before the game, our team started with our standard warm up half lap with the players split into two tight lines, and one of the dad’s on our team overheard a discussion amongst their players, who were sitting on the sidelines, not yet warming up. “They look like bees,” one player said to another, referencing our black and yellow jerseys. “Yeah, killer bees,” another player remarked. That dad told our coach, who in turn, decided to tell us. We knew we had them beat before we even took the soccer field, and we scored in the first 3 minutes and cruised to a 5-0 victory. Of course, sometimes it is better to keep information from your players, but if you know you can use what you have to spark them, share it.
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Ever notice that there are some players whose performance in practice is fantastic, but they are not contributors at game time? There are also players who do not seem motivated at practice, but are extremely effective during the game. Why is this?
I think it has to do with psychology. Some players are very comfortable with the practice environment, because they know the players around them. There is an element of security and familiarity that is not present on game day. Some players also suffer from performance anxiety, so they think too much about the outcome and not enough about the task at hand.
It is also common for players to have mental blocks, so they associate failure with certain scenarios. These players typically stress after a mistake and it takes them very long to recover. Some never do and their performance deteriorates as the game progresses.
Then we have the player that coasts through practice and is your best player on Saturday. This is also a psychological issue. This player loves a challenge and rises to the occasion on game day. He/she is confident and wants to prove to himself/herself as well as to the opponents that they can play. This player is not motivated at training because they have the incorrect interpretation of its purpose. To them it is just practice and they do not see the need to go all out against their teammates.
There are pitfall with both players. The player that works at practice, but can’t translate this to game time has to overcome their personal fears. This takes time and experience. Some coaches do not have the patience and these players are left out. Especially at the higher levels. I know you are thinking how does a player with the ability, not translate it to the game? Well here is a possible reason. This player may have played for a coach when he was very young that stressed results…a screamer. This coach probably took players off every time they made a mistake and never offered a solution.
The game player is really no better off in the long run because they never get to full fitness. The training habits begin to catch up with them as their talent alone will not see them through at the next level. Training habits and discipline are key to success, so unless this player gains an appreciation for the intangibles, then they too will be left out eventually.
How is this type of player created? Here is another possibility. He/she was always physically gifted and the team relied heavily upon them for success when they were younger. He/she never had to push themselves at training because they were way ahead of the rest, so it was acceptable to the coach. This player played the entire game and was the focus of the team. They got the ball to him/her at all times regardless of outcome.
Obviously this player gained tremendous confidence, because of the treatment received from the coaching staff. The sad thing is that when these players become part of team where everyone is treated the same and is expected to work at all times, they sometimes fail. They now have to perform a function clarified at practice (an environment they have never taken seriously) and the game no longer revolves around them.
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The 4-4-2 is the most common formation in British soccer. So why is it so attractive here? Find out more in this article.
If you ask an Englishman what formation the national team should play, he will always say 4-4-2. But why is that? What is so special about 4-4-2.
Simplicity
First of all the formation is very simple and easy for all players on the pitch to understand. You have four men in defense, four men in the midfield and two strikers. From the very beginning it is very easy to see what each player’s primary responsibility is
Adaptability
The 4-4-2 is also highly versatile and adaptable. The primary duties were listed above but each player can also deviate from that a little to suit the occasion.
Wing Backs Running Back And Forth
For instance, the left-back and right-back can become wing-backs and make quick runs along the flanks and support the wingers in front of them to devastating effect. If they do this then they will need to make sure that they quickly run back into defensive positions if they are dispossessed further up the field.
Attacking And Defensive Midfielders
Another way to adapt is to look at the two central midfielders and allow one to be more attack minded and the other to be more defensive minded. Sometimes they are named attacking midfielders and defensive midfielders respectively.
This is a great way to provide a link between defense and attack. The defensive player can mop up and stop the other team reaching the defense while the attacker can deliver the ball to the attackers to score goals.
Why Is It Common In British Soccer?
It’s difficult to pin this one down but British soccer has always had a solid foundation in defense with four defenders who each know what their role is. With four at the back, this limits your options to some degree.
Next, we have always had a fast and flowing game. The British game without wingers would be like fish without the chips for the British.
So with a solid back four and two wingers the 4-4-2 formation is created.
Drawbacks To The 4-4-2
In recent years, managers have tried to adapt the 4-4-2 because it is seen as not having enough players in the centre of midfield to stop the opposing team breaking through to the defense. Going forward, it is a little one-dimensional too.
This has been solved by some managers making both central midfielders defensive minded and asking the wingers to also come into the middle of the park as well as play along the flanks.
Other managers will ditch the formation altogether and choose a fundamentally different one like 3-5-2.
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Almost every team has a player or two that is below average, and finding a position for these players can be a real difficulty for the coach. Regardless, each player deserves quality-playing time but the problem is that weak players are often easily exploited and the level of play might drop off considerably when they come onto the field. The question becomes, where is the best place to play these players?
I think the general rule is to play these players on the outside of the field, preferably at forward. Playing them at defense is simply too great a risk, because if they are considerably weaker they will be likely to get beat and it will cost you a goal. If you play them up front, they won’t necessarily help you, but they can’t hurt you either. This will assure that the drop in play is minimal when the weaker players are in the game.
If you plan on playing a weaker player in the midfield, make sure you have an above average defender behind them, and if possible a superb center midfielder who can pick up some of the slack. If you are playing a 4-4-2, outside midfield is a perfect position for the earlier described player.
I also recommend taking the time to analyze the other team to see who their weakest players are, and if possible match your weaker players up with their weaker players to neutralize the chance of your player being exploited. This is good for your team and the other team, and will give both players a chance to play against someone that is at or near their skill level.
My last piece of advice is never say anything to your team about one player not being as good as the others players on the team. First, it will destroy the confidence of the weaker player making it all the more likely they won’t improve, and it will give the other players on the team a reason to doubt them.
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Throw-ins may seem like a small part of the game, but they can make a huge difference in the final outcome. With that said, there are two points I like to make with my players that go beyond the basic technique of a throw in and into the strategy of the game.
The first point is that a quick throw-in can lead to a great scoring opportunity. Especially in the offensive third in the field, try to get the ball into play quickly and try to catch the defense on their heels. Since there is no off-sides on a throw in, a quick thinking thrower with a player making a run into the open space behind the defense can often result in a great scoring opportunity. As far as coaching points, remind your players to take quick throws when the defense is not in position, and that there is no off-sides.
My other “secret” is related to those times when the ball goes out of play, and it is not clear who touched it last. Tell your players to always pretend like the other team touched it last. You do this by reacting quickly, going for the ball and throwing it in, even if the Referee hasn’t made his call yet. Before you give him a chance to call it the other way, pick it up and throw it in. If you act like the ball is yours and the Ref is not sure, your reaction might sway his decision. One word of caution however, sometimes you can over do it, or if the Ref is on to you it won’t work. In my playing days, I received two yellow cards for making this play, but making it benefited me on multiple occasions.
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