The Soccer Coach- Don't Lose Your Balls.

When designing a training session, the coach must create a training session that is specific to the sport. The design of the activities should replicate the demands of soccer on match day. If this replication is missing then the transfer of learning from training to the game is not optimal.

I’ve seen many training sessions over the years and even been a part of some terrible ones myself that teach bad habits. When practicing shooting, it is common for a coach to set up the station just outside the penalty box. A player will receive a ball at the edge of the penalty box while taking a leisurely 5 or 6 touches and then shoot towards goal. Can anyone see the problem with this? This does nothing to prepare the player for match conditions. In a real game the player will not be allowed so much time and space on the ball especially near the goals.

Coaches must be cognizant of the principle of specificity and plan the practices to reproduce as much of the match conditions as possible. Coaches have control over the training session and choice of activities. There is no excuse. Coaches must take care and put the players through game related activities that incorporate the components of soccer. If they do not or lack the ability to do so, should they be coaching soccer at any level?

Lets demonstrate this with an example. Most shooting exercises, as mentioned above are stationed just outside the penalty box. Players are allowed to leisurely dribble in and shoot. Does this replicate match day? What happens when we place players 1v1 or 2v2 within a grid outside the penalty box and ask the 2 strikers to find ways at shooting at the goals. All of a sudden we have replicated a match situation. We know have added some tactical elements to the training drill. The strikers have to earn the right to shoot at goals.

Lets take the above scenario a step further. What will happen if we add another goal for the defenders? We’ve just added the important tactical element of transition. Once the defenders dispossess the strikers of the ball, they have possession of the ball and are now looking to score a goal. As a coach, if you keep scores you have also added competition to the drill and a psychological element to the drill. Does this look like soccer now? Does this prepare the players for a game of soccer? I’ll let you decide.

The main objective of training depends on which part of the season your in. Off-season, pre-season or in-season plays a significant role in the types of training you’ll be orchestrating. During pre-season, the main training goals will be fitness, strength and technique while during the season the training sessions will be based around tactics and fitness maintenance.

When planning a training session every activity or drill should involve the ball. The players have not enrolled in athletics, they need the ball to play soccer. You cannot replicate soccer without the soccer ball. Sounds pretty straight forward doesn’t it? But how many training sessions have you had when you didn’t touch the balls? From personal experience I can honestly answer too many.