We were finally able to play some early season games last weekend. With the stops and starts we've had to our training during the late winter and early spring seasons it was hard to know what to expect. Add to that the fact that we were missing a number of players from each of my teams because they got a head start on their Spring Break trips. That gave us the opportunity to bring in some guest players from the teams below ours. The players we brought up did … [Read more...]
#172 Functional Shooting Activities
Last weekend I had just one game with each of my teams. Really not much to tell. The kids played well and are continuing to make steady progress in the areas we've focused on. Looking through my session plans I realized that I haven't done a shooting session in a while. Striking a Futsal ball is very unforgiving. If your technique is flawed in any way it's hard to generate any power. I decided this week was a good time to do a session that revolved around ball … [Read more...]
#164 Training Combination Play to Score
Last weekend was another tournament weekend. It was local and it was nice to play a tournament close to home especially because the forecast was for rain all weekend. I had three teams in the tournament which may seem like a lot but it was manageable because it was spread out over three days. Friday was perfect, it was a great evening to play. The rain didn't start until overnight. Saturday morning was stormy. The earliest games were canceled and … [Read more...]
#088 Balanced Shooting
Last week's episode on the qualities and habits of the world's best coaches was the most popular episode we've had in a few months. If you missed it, I'd suggest that you go back and listen because there's some great food for thought there. We can all incorporate these qualities into our coaching and become much more effective and successful coaches. This week’s question is from Dennis and concerns how his team defends. Dennis gave me some background … [Read more...]
#053 Agility and Competitive Shooting Games
Last week was spring break for the schools in Kansas. The spring time here means that we often alternate between 80 degree temps on one day and snow the next. It also tends to be very windy at this time. I think the wind is one of the most challenging elements to train through. Especially when you’re on turf. It’s not just balls in the air that are affected but just dribbling and passing on the ground accurately becomes difficult. Each spring we have a … [Read more...]
#044 The Key to Being an Effective Coach
I'm sorry that last week's podcast wasn't released until Sunday. Our internet was out from Thursday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. I've prided myself on releasing a new podcast every Friday so this was extremely frustrating. If you missed the episode I'd encourage you to go back and listen because there's some great information there on shooting activities you can do with your team during the winter months. This week I want to focus on what I feel is … [Read more...]
#043 Great Shooting Activities for the Winter Months
Lots going on this week at WORLD CLASS COACHING. We sent out a survey to all of our members so that we can send them exactly what they’re looking for in terms of coaching information. In exchange for the 60 seconds it takes to fill out the survey we gave them our latest eBook, ‘Modern Soccer Drills’ for free. If you’re a member you should have received an email about the survey and free eBook. If you’re not a member, you can become one and receive another … [Read more...]
#034 Getting More Out of Your Finishing Exercises
I like to end every training session with a shooting exercise of some kind. Sometimes it's related to the topic of the session and sometimes it's not. The important factors for me is that it's realistic and competitive. Early in the season the exercises tend to be more on isolated shooting technique. As the season progresses and the players demonstrate an understanding of the key principles of shooting then I start to make the exercises more … [Read more...]
#023 A Progressive Shooting Session
At the beginning of each season I always plan to do a shooting session in the first week. I have a shooting exercise or game in each training session but what I’m talking about here is a complete practice focused on shooting. I set the session up as a progressive practice that begins with a focus on technique and gradually becomes more dynamic and functional. I feel that this is a session that you could do with just about any age group, especially early in … [Read more...]
#003 Exercises to Develop Creative Finishers
In this episode I want to share a set of exercises to improve your player’s shooting and finishing ability. They are progressive so they begin with basic movements that focus on the technical aspects of shooting and then begin to add pressure and complexity. The exercises are functional so they present problems that are similar to those that the players will face in the game. They are also scalable so you can use them with large groups of players and still … [Read more...]