THE TYPE OF PLAYER WE DEVELOP

  • Excellent Technical & Tactical Ability.

  • Great Game & Shape Understanding.

  • 1v1 Dominance & Aggression.

  • Like to be challenged and Able to handle pressure.

  • Great Social and Psychological strength.

  • Can stand alone or work together (Self Discipline).

COACHING FUNDAMENTALS

SPORTSMANSHIP

COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS

EXCELLENCE

POSITIVITY

LEADERSHIP

COMMUNICATION

RESPECT

CREATIVITY

DIVERSITY

PARTNERSHIPS

WHAT WE STAND FOR

Be Proud

Wear our badge with Pride

Have Integrity

Anything less than the highest standards is not acceptable – on & off the field.

Strive for Excellence

Aim to be the best we can be individually and as a group

Include

Work together as a coaching team to create and sustain winning teams

HOW WE PLAY

Formation. Our teams will play with tactical flexibility, based on the profile of the players available and the requirements of the match or competition.

In Possession Principles
We aim to dominate possession, selecting the right moments to progress and penetrate the opposition.

Out of Possession Principles
We aim to regain possession intelligently and as early and as efficiently as possible.

CONDITIONS OF PRACTICE

All players must try to set a clear and productive session of work ethic. The work ethic should be based on the key aspects we want the girls to achieve.

  1. Keep possession of the ball FOR A PURPOSE not just for the sake of keeping possession e.g. to exploit space and play forwards to an outcome.
  2. To win possession of the ball at the earliest opportunity (As high as we can) Working clever not just hard off the ball.
  3. Conceding few, scoring many and winning.

All sessions therefore must include the following aspects in their make up:

  • Bouts of high intensity (e.g. regaining possession) and the knowledge of why.
  • A players/team ability to control possession (high, medium and low intensity – not just one pace).
  • An aspect of finishing and practicing ‘readiness relaxation’ (the player is in control of everything at all times mentally).
  • Quality under fatigue.
  • A focus of the movement to support an action from every player on the pitch Even the furthest from the ball.
  • 1v1 dominance, and positive aggression to win or retain the ball.
  • Players must learn how to win and ‘the want to win’ attitude in every practice or game.

SESSION STRUCTURE

Section

% of Time

Description (Typical Use)

Activator / Ball Mastery

10% – 20%

-Warm-up is related to the main activity of the practice

-A ball is always used with every warm up activity e.g. Rondo

-Coaching is kept to a minimum in this phase

-Preparing players mentally and physically for the main activity

Main Activity

30% – 50%

-Focus on one theme

-Depending on the level of learning skill is generally introduced in the following sequence

-1. Non Opposed – skill completed in isolation

-2. Semi-Opposed – some pressure

-3. Fully Opposed

Conditioned Play (11v11, Phase, Function) / Free Play

30% – 50%

-Focused on the key theme of the practice session

-Conditioned play is played with direction and to targets

-Conditions placed on game should encourage players to perform skills from main activity

-Small sided games are the preferred structure, the smaller the # of players involved the higher the frequency of learning experience

-Conditioned play should only be for a % of the concluding activity

-Session concludes with free play defined by no restrictions / conditions or coach interaction

SESSION COMPONENTS

Technical & Tactical

Unopposed – Technique Training

Uneven Sides – Skill Practice e.g. 2v1 / 4v2 etc.

Even Sides – Game e.g. 3v3 / 4v4 etc.

Game Craft – Game as the Teacher

Target: Developing Technique & Game Understanding

Psychological

Practicing, Learning, Experimenting

Decision Making

Learning Styles

Relevant to the needs of the player

Target: Increasing Learning

Physical

Generic Movement Skills: Agility, Balance, Co-ordination, Speed

Soccer Functional Movement Skills: Receiving, Turning, Dribbling, Heading, Striking the ball

Target: Improving Movement & Fitness

Social

Are the players: Enjoying the work?

Included in the process? Challenged?

Supported when necessary (visually, orally, practically)?

Given Ownership, trust & responsibility

Target: Enjoying the Game

DEVELOPMENT STAGES

Stage 1 Early Learning U4 - U6

U4 – U6

Training Sessions – Are 60 minutes long. The main areas of focus: movement education, starting the process of learning to master the ball and developing a love for the game:

-Fundamental Motor Skills

-Agility, Balance, & Coordination

-Introduction to mastering the ball

-Individual Technical Ability

Warm Up – Activities will focus on body movement that can be done with or without the ball.

Main Activities – Are focused around ball control and individual problem solving. Each session should progress to a 3v3 game to small goals.

Each session ends with a 3v3 or 4v4 game to small goals

U7 – U9

Training Sessions – Are 60-75 minutes long. The main areas of focus: mastering the ball, learning how to train properly, and creating a foundation for team work.

Warm Up – Activities focus on different variations of ball control while continuing to develop agility, balance and coordinated body movements. With specific focus on SAQ development to enhance players footwork. Rondo’s can be used for Possession work.

Main Activities – Are focused around developing ball control while learning how to problem solve individually and with teammates. Players learn several new activities that create a foundation for their training environment as they progress over the years.

Different variations of passing and dribbling are to be incorporated. Each activity can build into higher level variations that help develop technical abilities and combination play.

Games can be played to end lines or with multiple goals.

Each session ends with a 3v3 or 4v4 game to small goals

U10 – U14

Training Sessions – Are 60-90 minutes long. The main areas of focus: mastering the ball and learning the principles of play/ Players transition into a Training to Train Phase now that a foundation has been set. New tactical concepts: Principle of Attacking & Defending can be incorporated., learning how to train properly, and creating a foundation for team work.

Warm Up – Activities focus on different variations of ball control while continuing to develop agility, balance and coordinated body movements. With specific focus on SAQ development to enhance players footwork. Rondo’s can be used for Possession work.

Main Activities – Games focus on individual and team problem solving. Players work on mastering activities and expanding on those activities with more complexity.

In Possession focus – switching play, playing out of the back and developing possession using width and depth.

Out of possession details would include pressure cover and balance and delaying.

Different variations of passing and dribbling are to be incorporated. Each activity can build into higher level variations that help develop technical abilities, combination play and problem solving.

Games can be played to end lines or with multiple goals. Possession games can be with and without neutral players.

Each session ends with small sided games to goals.

U14 – U16

Training Sessions – Are 75-90 minutes long. The main areas of focus: developing tactical concepts of the game while continuing to develop technical abilities. Training session will be similar from the previous stage with the areas of focus becoming more complex with more options and details.

Warm Up – Games or activities that work on different variations of ball control and speed, agility, coordination and balance exercises. Rondo’s can be used also

Main Activities – Games focus on individual but a higher degree to team problem solving and game understanding. Players work on mastering activities and expanding on those activities with more complexity.

In Possession focus – switching play, playing out of the back, developing possession using width and depth, counter attack, combination play to goal, various ways to attack.

Out of possession – pressure cover and balance and delaying, pressure to win the ball back, early and high or later and deeper, general defensive and off the ball shape.

Games can be played to end lines or with multiple goals. Possession games can be with and without neutral players. Phase, Functional and 11v11 work to be incorporated.

Each session ends with small sided games to goals.

U16 +

Training Sessions – Are 75-90 minutes long. The final phase of player preparation aims to maximize player performance in all aspects of the game. A player’s capacities are becoming fully established while training to peak for major competitions. Training is characterized by high intensity and relatively high volume with frequent periods of rest.

Warm Up – Games or activities that work on different variations of ball control and speed, agility, coordination and balance exercises. Rondo’s can be incorporated.

Main Areas of Focus  –

Ability to improvise within game situations; independent decision-making; development of effective competition strategies and ability to adjust within games; the importance of set-pieces; maintenance of physical capabilities with the view of maximizing performance; well-developed, refined and individualized mental skills and routines.

Games focus on individual but a higher degree to team problem solving and game understanding. Players work on mastering activities and expanding on those activities with more complexity through the principles of play.

Games can be played to end lines or with multiple goals. Possession games can be with and without neutral players. Phase, Functional and 11v11 work to be incorporated.

Each session ends with small sided games to goals (7v7 – 9v9)

THEMES OF DEVELOPMENT

Possession (Individual) – Developing players to receive the ball and maintain possession on their safe side

Possession (Group Play) – Develop players to receive and play away from pressure in small groups

Possession (Directional) – Possession practices maintaining the speed of the ball from start to finish

Possession (Playing out from the back) – Player rotation to receive high and low to open up passing channels

Possession (Retaining the ball to penetrate) – Working in front or behind opponents to retain the ball looking to play forwards

Possession (Game management) – Playing with and against an overload

Attacking (Individual) – Changes of direction and speed to beat opponents

Attacking (Groups) – Small group attacking practices (4v4, 5v5). Movement/combinations to create and exploit space

Attacking (with/against overloads) – Small sided games working on creating and exploiting space on the transition

Attacking (Counter attacking) – Breaking from the defending third and all areas of the pitch

Attacking (Centrally) – Playing between lines and breaking lines with and without the ball

Attacking (Wide areas) – 1 v 1’s, 2 v 2’s to create goal scoring opportunities

Defending (Individual) – Approach to the ball dependent on the opposition and area of the pitch

Defending (Small Groups) – Possession based practices focusing the change of roles based on the movement of the ball

Defending (Groups & Units) – Defending later, deeper or earlier & higher (Delay or Win)

Defending (Making play predictable, Regains and Possession Decision) – Pressure as the team/group hunting the ball for quick regain and countering.

Defending (Out of Shape) – Against a counter attack

Transition – Decision to employ the best option when the ball is changing possession

Restarts – set piece dominance