U13 - VERY productive session

This morning we had one of our best sessions of the year with the U13s.  

We had a tight plan, everything was laid out and ready, they kept busy and moved from one phase to the next and we kept it competitive.  The stage was set and the boys' hard work made the practice enjoyable.

I wasn’t happy after last practice because I let the end fizzle.  Today, we had 13 boys out for 90 minutes.

We started off with a run that utilized the one hill at our club and later incorporated the hill into a relay race.  Losers do push-ups.

What I wanted to get done today was:

• Improved 1v1 attacking
• Penalty kicks

I have been trying to use 30-40 minutes/session to work on a variety of things before getting to the theme.  The boys need work all over and we don’t have enough sessions to focus on one each session. 

If I run a session for another team with a very specific theme, my session is more focused.  They are their coach’s work for the remainder of the season and I am brought in to tackle a specific topic.  Because I have these boys all year and need to assemble the complete package, I don’t feel I have the luxury of dedicating the entire session to one topic.  Not when I know most of these boys do not touch a ball away from my program.

Today our drills were:

• Various dribbling turns and sequences
• Keep away (9v4)
• Heading
• Playing the ball out of the air
• Flicking a ball forward
• Striking long, with laces

All are areas where they are building confidence as their technique improves.  AND they are using those skills more in games.

I moved into a setup where we were demonstrating and rehearsing three 1v1 moves, all starting with a slow down and double tapping the ball with the outside of the foot.  The three moves were

• double tap, turn back
• double tap, chop across
• double tap, explode past defender

After the boys repeated those three moves we moved into a 1v1 setup in a grid, giving them ideas of where and when they can apply the moves … then we just let them figure it out on their own.  And they did.  Some of the boys have a lot of ideas 1v1 and hopefully this gives them three more.

Coaching points:

• Change of pace/direction
• All parts of the foot
• See ball & defender
• Deception
• Attack space behind defender

We were assigned the mini field, but I wanted the 1v1 on goal to be on a full size net.  So we let them have a 7v7 small-sided-game first.  What I wanted was to get the boys used to playing balls out of the air again, so GKs had to send the ball in the air to the central part of the field. 

Coaching points:

• No bounce
• Defending team redirect ball to a teammate forward
• Attacking team, look for a flick-on over the defenders

The boys were attacking balls in the air with more confidence and sending them in the right direction.  The nice thing that I was seeing was that they were using their new moves and also playing long passes out of the air, on the run.  I felt the game went long enough to see 15 balls into the middle yet did not go too long as to turn into a circus.

Once the game was over, we snuck onto the full field.  With the attacker starting at the bottom of the centre circle and the defender starting at the top of the penalty area we went into a 1v1 drill again.  The attacker passes the ball to the defender who serves it back and the game was on.  The goal was to finish with a shot.  After the player shot, he became the next defender.  It moved through everybody with relative ease and good flow.

The players were using their new moves as well as their own repertoire.  We did NOT coach the defenders other than to pressure. The coaching points were the same but we did have to remind them to explode and cut back in after beating the defender to create the shot. 

Next session with me, the SSG will be dribbling focused with the goal to dribble past the opposing goal line.  Should I have done it this session?  Maybe, but I am not there next session and I wanted them to get some unconditional, regular soccer in before our season opener Tuesday.

To finish practice today we had all of the boys take 5 or 6 penalty kicks.  We’ve never really gone through the gang to see who can hit a ball off the spot and I would hate to put them in a shootout at a tournament and not be ready.

Did we see improvement on 1v1 attacking?  You bet.

Would I change the plan or organization?  I would if we didn't have to work with 2 different fields.  But it went well.

There was enough time to complete our plan and keep the boys interested.

 

I was happy with our session today and I did see improvement.  It wasn't a text book session in terms of a plan you would use during an assessment,  but I felt it served the long and short term needs of the group.  

If I was tight for time and had to choose, I would run a session with a very focused theme only.

It was nice to have Coach Paul out as well as a parent helper.  Coach Paul is developing some good observation skills and the parent helper keep the session moving by serving and retrieving balls.  I will share the coaching points of each drill so they can offer advice if they feel comfortable.

U17 - Season Game #2 - Too Much Excitement for Me

The boys are not perfect, but they do generate excitement.

Our U17 boys had their second regular season game Wednesday in Milton.  Seven of the boys already had games earlier that day and it was emotional for all of them.  The two main high schools represented on our roster played each other and the victor lost in the next game.  High School soccer is over for this group.

We only had 11 players for our first game.  Wednesday was better; we had 12.  We now have 3 injuries and another boy was working.  Our GK was also hurt, but he played.

A slow start is a huge understatement here.  We were down 3-0 after 15 minutes.  All three goals were finished by a 1v1 with our keeper.  There were holes in our shape that you could pass a cargo ship through, our GK could not be as helpful as usual and some of the boys were mentally weak early on.  As the half progressed we were slowly getting organized and were looking more like a U17 soccer team.

When half time arrived the boys came off down 3-0 and my son says “guys, we’re not playing that bad”.  He was right as the boys did show some positive energy, but was 3-0 too much to overcome?

I had pointed out to them that we were losing our shape on attack and that was causing holes that made it easy to counter-attack against.  We were throwing ourselves at their net in 6’s while our defenders stayed back at half.

Coach Ben pointed out that players are leaving their positions to defend somebody else because they did not trust the person there to do their job.  That actually caused the first goal against.

We also had to rein them in mentally.  They were starting to bicker with the official and each other.

The boys started the second half with the positive energy that was building the first half.  And it didn’t hurt that an opposing player was sent off in the 47^th minute for persistent dissent.

We were starting to penetrate down the wings, switching the play and using support from behind.  Crosses were coming in and attempts were made on goal.

A penetrating pass to a winger who finished on a first touch shot brought us to 3-1.  The same player on the same pass was brought down in the box to make it 3-2 on a PK and the attack continued.

We started to break down a bit and the boys needed to be reminded of their shape and philosophies we have been following.  Some boys were trying to fix the game on their own at one point.

The boys were positive with each other and worked to stay organize, but their overall fatigue was evident.  Being a man up was the best gift they could have received, especially when that player scored 2 of the 3 goals we conceded.

In the last minute, another penetrating pass caught a midfielder running through.  A collision with the keeper caused the ball to pop loose and our player was in a position to slide it in to tie the game.

It was another good moment for the team, but I can easily live without the tension.

We do need to reinforce our team shape and paint a better picture at training of how we should look on the field.  With school soccer over, we can have some more productive sessions and move towards a more cohesive team on the field.

U13 - Poorly planned ending to an otherwise good session

Last night we had training with our U13 boys, and I think I made it a bit too long, or planned the ending poorly.

We had a 2-hour session on one of our club fields.  I had 2 parents help us, which was a very good thing.  I wanted to cover a variety of things before getting to my main topic, hitting the ball firmly with the laces.

Before getting to our topic we did:

• Keep-away (they are getting better at it)
• Heading
• Flick-ons, redirecting an oncoming ball over the defender behind you
• Playing the ball out of the air while running, from the front and side

I was glad we touched on all those things and I see the boys’ confidence continue to build slowly.

When we got into striking the ball with the laces, I set up several scenarios:

• With a partner, pushing ball out and striking after 1 step
• Running with the ball and striking with laces
• Receiving, turning and striking a low, penetrating pass with laces to a running winger, through 2 poles serving as defender

The coaching points were:

• Toe down
• Knee bent, over the ball
• Head and Chest in appropriate positions depending on purpose of strike 
• Jump into kick with plant foot, leaving hips open
• Lock ankle
• Follow through

I still see a reluctance to hit the ball cleanly with the laces.  There is still a tendency to revert to the inside of the food if they can get away with it.

The mini-game at the end is where I feel I blew it.  There was quite a bit of running before we got to this point and the game was a giggle-fest.  A more appropriate ending might have been a spirited competition testing their accuracy with a laces-driven pass.  Maybe I should have let them play and left them alone.

We have 2 more training sessions before our season opener.  I will have to make sure to spice them up with exciting endings.

U17 - First game of the season

Last night, the U17 boys had their season opener at home.  The game was interesting even before the first player showed up to the field.

With a 17 player roster, the team had 11 players the entire match.  Very dangerous considering it was hot and humid and most of the players had a school practice at 2:30pm.  2 players were suspended from last season, 2 players are injured and 2 players were sick.  The U16 team was still at a tournament in Erie, PA, so there was no chance of using their boys as call-ups.

Playing with 11 players leaves your team so vulnerable: tactically, emotionally and physically.  Our opponent was Oakville SC.

I was unable to be there for the first half due to a family function.  Upon arrival, we were down 1-0.  Watching the boys, I saw that one striker was running out of steam and one of our central defenders was in discomfort (limping).  Trouble was brewing.

I was happy to see they were staying organized and playing intelligently.  The team was adapting to their partially healthy teammates and picking their punches.

We drew even off a set play.  A long ball was played wide and over the defenders.  A player hit the ball out of the air back in front of goal, where it was redirected in by our striker.

After a change in tactics and formation to further compensate for our fatigue and suffering players, one of our guys was brought down in the penalty area.  He converted the PK to go up 2-1 with a few minutes left.  The team shuffled the deck again to hold their lead and finish out the match.

There were a few times where I was worried about 17 year-old tempers hurting our team, but those incidents were quickly diffused by calmer teammates.

There are things a coach can observe and comment on after every game.  In this case, you celebrate the incredible effort and teamwork, take your 3 points and go home.  I am hoping the team uses this effort and result as a springboard to an enjoyable season.  

Congratulations AGAIN Sabrina! Senior WNT call-up

Welland's Sabrina D'Angelo continues her exciting journey in our national program by getting called to be a backup goalkeeper for our women's national team, this Wednesday vs China in Moncton, NB.

Link to pregame story
Link to Sabrina's profile