Heading into the winter training months (Nov 1, 2020 - Feb 28, 2021), I was committed to addressing the players’ disappointment I saw in our fall league games due to the limited playing time the girls were experiencing with our 18-player roster (see Team History 2020/2021 - U12 Pre-ECNL for background info).
The solution?
We played in training. A lot. Probably like 80-90% of the time.
This was a FAR different development approach from what I had done in my coaching career to this point, where I would have the team maybe play (scrimmage) the last 10-15 minutes of a training session - which would translate into 15-20% of play time overall.
We were usually assigned 1/4 of the dome for training (roughly a 35yd x 50yd space) for winter training, and would occasionally have access to 1/2 the dome (on some weekends or when teams assigned to the opposite 1/4 of the field were traveling or had cancelled training for some reason.
There were plenty of goals in the two domes to use, so we typically had two goals for playing. On the rare occasions when we had only a single goal, we would either use flags for the second goal, or play a 3-team 1/2-court game to one goal.
Based on the numbers at training, the girls would play 2-team 5v5 or 6v6 games with subs, or a 3-team cutthroat (winner stays) game., and the majority of teaching instruction I did came in this playing environment.
If the focus of the session was going to be on Give-and-Gos, for example, the coaching of this topic would be within the play structure, and teams might get bonus points for successfully completing the combination.
Many times we would begin the session with play, stop and do a specific exercise in the middle of the session, then finish with more play - always with the day’s coaching topic in the forefront of everyone’s minds.
And the girls absolutely loved it.
They loved coming to soccer knowing that for the better part of the next 60-90 minutes they were going to play the game they were passionate about.
I noticed more attention at the training sessions, and I felt the girls were more open to learning. Every time a girl touched the ball, there was direct feedback from me.
And the progress!
I have NEVER seen a team develop more over the course of the 4-month winter training period than this team did.
People say the game is the best teacher (as long as there is a quality coach in place). I’m a believer, and it changed everything I did from that point on.
The girls really started clicking by February. Their passing/possession play improved dramatically, mainly due to our training approach. I tell them all the time that they are their best competition - that the development happens in the training sessions when they are pushed by like teammates. As our training intensity increased, the girls became more comfortable in possession of the ball under pressure. That allowed them to be able to pick their heads up, see the field, and move the ball smartly.
This goal (below) exemplified the progress of the team as a whole. Without a doubt, the best team goal I’ve seen scored at this age group…ever.
