As with every coaching session, the plans never quite go to the written down version you have in store. Or the version in your head.
I'd planned a number of games, using a constraints-led coaching approach, to change the task after every mini-game and rack up the challenge, getting progressively harder each time.
Well, when I say make the game harder, the boys were going to make the game harder. They were going to suggest the conditions each time, deciding what the rules were each time to build on difficulty. For example, all-in for the first game but after fifteen minutes of play (with no stopping it from me), they had to decide what was next - two changes per game. This could include; weaker foot finish, include offsides, two-touch in midfield third etc.
Let the children go wild with their imagination, within the realms of what would really happen in the game though. Give them the ownership - it doesn't have to be all about the coach.
What I also wanted to achieve from tonight was seeing how much the boys were capable of making decisions for themselves. When you start to introduce new things to children (like being allowed to think for themselves), depending on what they have been used to, this can be difficult. If they are used to just being told what to do, whether in school, at home, from previous coaches, this can be a strange world to move into.
Even simple questions - "what do you think?" - can be unusual for them. Hopefully, if they have a good teacher and a good coach before, this process can be made easier. Therefore, when asked to lead their own team talk and discuss tactics for the second half of the 7v7 at the end, one team just talked about positions they were going to play, and not HOW they were going to play. This will take a little bit of time but worth the perseverance.
However, with the Under 9's only having 5 players tonight (summer holidays etc) and being new to the Club as their first year, we decided to put them together and play mini-games with the 9's and 10's mixed up. It gave Del and Andy the chance to see the boys coping with some physical challenges (which they coped with very well in fact) as well as the other three corners of development. I was very impressed with a couple of their players in fact, two very neat and tidy lads, excellent technically, composed and confident and friendly.
The first half hour is all about movement skills and we are fortunate to have, in my opinion, one of the best coaches around for this. Absolutely top drawer, works with the first team all the way down to the U9's, and has the skills, personality, adaptability and knowledge to be excellent at both ends of the spectrum. I purposely get in early to see him work, always learning something.
Highlight of my night though was a lad from my team last year thats now an U11, that I hadn't seen for about eight weeks due to work and end of season, coming up and saying he'd missed me. He's a nice kid, and sometimes developing nice people is just as important as getting them in the first team.
No comments:
Post a Comment