[Football] Robbie Savage is right about kids football

[Reinelt12]

If you're an FA Licensed coach, have you gone through all the session plans on the Licensed Coach website? There isn't an extensive list, but there are a few there to develop and work at and they are listed through age groups. Anyone in your club who has done the FA Level 2, or the Youth Modules (as they previously were) should also have some good ideas to show you from their manuals. I often find trawling through YouTube has some good ideas too. U9s to U10s is quite a big transition, going from little kids running around 6, 7, 8 years old, to starting to get to grips with the game, 7v7. The jump to U11s and 9v9 with offsides and no retreating to halfway then seems a giant step.

I am a licenced coach and have tried to look on the website but find it quite difficult to find anything - I have done one of the youth modules and have quite a few ideas from the folder I got with that - which is what I have been using, but am running out of ideas now.

I hadn’t thought of YouTube though, which is obvious! So will have a trawl through that and see what I can find... thanks!


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[hans kraay fan club]

I am a licenced coach and have tried to look on the website but find it quite difficult to find anything - I have done one of the youth modules and have quite a few ideas from the folder I got with that - which is what I have been using, but am running out of ideas now.

I hadn’t thought of YouTube though, which is obvious! So will have a trawl through that and see what I can find... thanks!

Youtube will sort you out. Tonnes of stuff to look through.

Here's one simple idea for you though, which I've used many times and find is pretty beneficial: do the absolute opposite of playing two-touch games in training. Letting the kids have a maximum of two touches SEEMS like an obviously good idea, right? It makes them pass and move, after all?

Actually what it does as well, is it offers those that are not confident on the ball an excuse to get rid of it like a hot potato. Try sometimes playing small sided games where they HAVE to take a MINIMUM of three touches before passing it on. They then have to take a good first touch, and have to think about using their body to protect the ball before moving it on. Give it a try - results are interesting.

 

[Reinelt12]

Youtube will sort you out. Tonnes of stuff to look through.

Here's one simple idea for you though, which I've used many times and find is pretty beneficial: do the absolute opposite of playing two-touch games in training. Letting the kids have a maximum of two touches SEEMS like an obviously good idea, right? It makes them pass and move, after all?

Actually what it does as well, is it offers those that are not confident on the ball an excuse to get rid of it like a hot potato. Try sometimes playing small sided games where they HAVE to take a MINIMUM of three touches before passing it on. They then have to take a good first touch, and have to think about using their body to protect the ball before moving it on. Give it a try - results are interesting.

I like that idea - I have players very comfortable on the ball which would like it, and others not so which it will challenge... maybe I do a mixture of both, for those more comfortable they can only have 3, those uncomfortable minimum of 3 - that will challenge both types (or it will over complicate it and be a disaster - worth a try though!)


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[The Upper Library]

Youtube will sort you out. Tonnes of stuff to look through.

Here's one simple idea for you though, which I've used many times and find is pretty beneficial: do the absolute opposite of playing two-touch games in training. Letting the kids have a maximum of two touches SEEMS like an obviously good idea, right? It makes them pass and move, after all?

Actually what it does as well, is it offers those that are not confident on the ball an excuse to get rid of it like a hot potato. Try sometimes playing small sided games where they HAVE to take a MINIMUM of three touches before passing it on. They then have to take a good first touch, and have to think about using their body to protect the ball before moving it on. Give it a try - results are interesting.

I like that idea - will try it our next session. Cheers


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[BN9 BHA]

My favourite is when you a coach in full team tracksuit (with his initials on the front) screams "SHAPE!!!" at a bunch of 7 year olds.

I have a photo in my head of this type, seen and heard this many, many times.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Youtube will sort you out. Tonnes of stuff to look through.

Here's one simple idea for you though, which I've used many times and find is pretty beneficial: do the absolute opposite of playing two-touch games in training. Letting the kids have a maximum of two touches SEEMS like an obviously good idea, right? It makes them pass and move, after all?

Actually what it does as well, is it offers those that are not confident on the ball an excuse to get rid of it like a hot potato. Try sometimes playing small sided games where they HAVE to take a MINIMUM of three touches before passing it on. They then have to take a good first touch, and have to think about using their body to protect the ball before moving it on. Give it a try - results are interesting.

The key head on nail phrase is “small sided games”. Keep everything small, do as many Rondos based activities as possible, and for under 10s, keep everything as basic as you can unless they’re an exceptionally talented group.

 

[macky]

My kind of kids football coach Ah the good old days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9nDHupVqVw

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Under 13 game in Scouseville ffs

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/fa-investigate-after-wirral-sefton-13902941

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Well it's not for the girls team there that I manage. Every squad member that turns up at a game gets at least to play one half, normally making subs have way through the game. We aim to win but aren't going to lose any sleep if we don't. We'll also match up with the other team, ie if they turn up with only 8 players then we'll only play with 8 even though it's 9 a side. That said I think generally the atmosphere and approach in the girls game is completely different to the boys game where it is over competitive.

I am talking 24 years ago and I am sure that the culture would have changed with new personnel involved and the FA changes to junior football. It was back in the day of 22 little kids charging around a full sized pitch where the kids were lucky to get the ball into the 18 yard box, let alone anywhere near the goal!

 

[1066familyman]

I coach an U9 team and the league already enforce the retreat rule, powerplay and pass back - and our club ethos is about equal playing time, play all positions, mixed teams. My priority at this age group is developing the individuals, not winning - but of course the parents want to see their kids win! (Which we do mostly in the top division - I’m lucky I have a brilliant set of players frankly who can mostly play anywhere on the pitch)

I don’t shout too many instructions, mainly just praise and “unlucky” (which got me in trouble with an opposition coach when one of my players was unlucky to give away a foul!)

The matches are played on a neutral 3G pitch and the parents are not allowed on the sideline - they are caged away at the back - makes my life a bit easier although I still hear a few shouting instructions from where they are - “don’t listen to him, do xxx” etc

I love it, the kids seem to love it and that’s all that matters - they are 8 and 9 - it just needs to be fun, and if they can develop at the same time, then fantastic.

The hardest part for me is coming up with training sessions - I try to make them all match based (FA coach drummed that into me) - but it now feels like I’m copping out and just letting them play! If anyone has any ideas or knows anywhere to look for session plans for this age group - that would be great!


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Good stuff!

Have a look here for some ideas. Always used to be loads of session plans there when I was coaching.

http://www.footy4kids.co.uk

 

[Reinelt12]

Good stuff!

Have a look here for some ideas. Always used to be loads of session plans there when I was coaching.

http://www.footy4kids.co.uk

Thanks! Just taken a quick look and looks really useful, much appreciated!!

Back to the early post on FA rules - Had my first experience of the Powerplay rule today, went 4-0 up against a newly promoted team, and asked the opposition coach if he wanted to send another player on, he decided he would and I was happy to see if my players would deal with the challenge of an extra player and less space... they adapted very well and it meant a couple of their players got more game time so win win really!

Also was really pleased to see their players playing with a smile on their face even while losing - don’t see that very often, but these kids were just having fun - superb!


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[Reinelt12]

I attended a child safeguarding course run by FA recently. The tutor was a coach from the Albion academy and he told a story about himself from when he was running a youth team about 10 years ago. His team had got to a cup final and were wining and he chose to bring on one of his subs with only a minute left as he perceived him to be a weaker player and didn't want to risk losing. He described it as the worst decision of his youth coaching career- one that still haunts him today. His team won the cup but for that boy he had deprived him of playing in a cup final - an opportunity that is very rare for any player.

I think it really hit home to a lot of us listening.


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I used to co-coach my eldest sons team at under 15s... I remember one league game late in the season when we were winning and very much on top.

We had a pacy striker who was causing all sorts of problems for the other team... with about 15 mins left I noticed that the mother of a player I had taken off earlier, had turned up to a game for the first time, late, but she had made it... the first time one of his parents had come to watch him.

So I took off the striker and put on this player - so his mum could watch him play... we lost momentum and lost the game. I didn’t care, and still maintain I did the right thing, even though I got a LOT of grief off parents for doing it (I didn’t feel the need to explain myself for the decision)


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[Sirnormangall]

That's a really tough decision - trying to please one boy and his parent with the risk of alienating 10 others. Not sure what I'd have done. Demonstrates the dilemmas that us volunteer coaches are faced with each week, knowing that we can't please every one all the time.

 

[1066familyman]

Thanks! Just taken a quick look and looks really useful, much appreciated!!

Back to the early post on FA rules - Had my first experience of the Powerplay rule today, went 4-0 up against a newly promoted team, and asked the opposition coach if he wanted to send another player on, he decided he would and I was happy to see if my players would deal with the challenge of an extra player and less space... they adapted very well and it meant a couple of their players got more game time so win win really!

Also was really pleased to see their players playing with a smile on their face even while losing - don’t see that very often, but these kids were just having fun - superb!


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I used to co-coach my eldest sons team at under 15s... I remember one league game late in the season when we were winning and very much on top.

We had a pacy striker who was causing all sorts of problems for the other team... with about 15 mins left I noticed that the mother of a player I had taken off earlier, had turned up to a game for the first time, late, but she had made it... the first time one of his parents had come to watch him.

So I took off the striker and put on this player - so his mum could watch him play... we lost momentum and lost the game. I didn’t care, and still maintain I did the right thing, even though I got a LOT of grief off parents for doing it (I didn’t feel the need to explain myself for the decision)


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You're welcome.


Loving these positive stories. It's exactly what all kids coaches/managers should be like in my book.

I always think back to what kids themselves do when they have kick arounds, jumpers for goalposts and left to their own devices. As kids we would always come up with innovative ways to even up a game if things became too one sided, otherwise we used to just bugger off home for our tea early rather than keep playing until dark. Rush goalie, players swapping sides, even narrowing the 'goalposts' at times Took nothing away from our competitive spirit, but always kept things fun, which is exactly what any GAME should be.

All power to your elbow. Keep up the good work!