U13 - Fitness session #2

Tonight we had our second fitness session involving all travel boys players from U10-U13 and U17.  It was VERY cold tonight and we had a lot of boys winding down their hockey and basketball season.  In total we had 47 boys, down from last week's 70.  Five of our fourteen players were missing, 4 for hockey the other for basketball.  Our other U13 team was also missing 7 players due to winter sports.  

I am looking forward to more players and warmer weather.  :-)

The good news from tonight is that the kids who came did so in a big way.  Their work rate was refreshing.  We also had several new parents manning our circuit stations.

I've been thinking about what we want out of this.  My personal desires are:

• Ability to bring a higher work rate in games
• Making the players realize what they are capable of
• Physical literacy and co-ordination
• Team/Club bonding

One of the early feedbacks from a parent-helper was to better explain each exercise or why we do it.  So tonight I did a brief explanation and provided each station person a small list of coaching points.  That is something we'll have to keep improving.  We also did a cool-down jog afterwards, acting on more feedback.

We did the same thing as last week:

• 12 minute run
• 5 40m sprints
• 15 station circuit (twice)

I was hoping to free up the coaches and have more parents manning stations, but the lower numbers took some of last week's parent helpers with them.  I want the coaches to see their kids in action and cheer them on.

My personal feeling after the session was good.  The boys are able to help set up, the level of co-operation was good and I felt I had a better handle on the situation, being the second time doing it.  The kids are learning how to train which is good.  Training is always good, but learning HOW to train is important too.

We re-demonstrated 2 of the stations after our break and the boys really refocused their efforts.

I should have done my homework sooner to see who was there and organize the parent helpers in advance.  I was assuming they would all be there but they weren't because it was their boys who were missing.  Never assume.  This week I will get my ducks in a row to make sure the evening passes a little smoother.

Another item that needs tweaking are the stations.  They were OK, but they need to be changed up to keep the routine fresh.  We may opt to change the format of the second portion altogether.  We'll see.  Now that a system is in place I should consult somebody who is a fitness guru to adjust the stations.

I am starting to see a bit of a trade-off with this.  The positives are definitely the energy of the group, the club atmosphere and the guarantee of good numbers.  The down-side is your ability to coach and perfect the technique of each exercise, due to the numbers and format.

The feedback from other coaches has been positive with good tips for future sessions.

I was not always feeling good at the end of training since January, but that has been getting better as time passes this season.

Next up is Saturday morning ... more footwork, more passing, more soccer.