Soccer Practice Games: 5 Sure-fire Tips On Game Progression
In comparison to drills, anyone who has the same bent of mind as mine will understand the importance of soccer practice games. To begin with the kids must concentrate only on learning the skills and then improving upon their consistent movement with the ball. However, as they progress with their soccer training, there are a few things that you must observe.
We’ve already discussed it previously that kids enjoy the game more and also get a chance to work upon their individual style of play when divided into groups. Initially, restrict the size of the groups to very few players which will give them enough freedom to make decisions out of their free will.
Subsequently the kids will fell free to move about in the large and open field, get a feel of the ball more often, and feel liable for the decisions that they make since the players in their group are significantly less.
On the other hand, make sure you initiate changes as soon as the players get comfortable playing in small groups and are improving. You should now introduce progressions in soccer practice games. This means that more players should be added, game rules should become stricter, and make the kids practice in larger fields. You should also introduce more complex strategies that focus on not just player’s skills but also the larger team objectives.
There is something that I’d like to mention here and it calls for your special attention. Many coaches go wrong when they teach too many things too soon to their kids in the anticipation of preparing them well in advance. You need to understand that it may prove dangerous in the long run. Just like soccer drills, you cannot mechanize the process. It must be a natural growth with time.
The plans suffer and results decline when coaches lay a lot of emphasis on competition, introduce players to soccer terminologies early, or make a lot of rules and regulations. This causes problems in their natural learning and growth.
As the players make a move from small batches to large ones, they should understand the purpose behind devising the games. It is important to understand how to put the team’s interests first than yours and using your skills to make the team win.
In this period, along with games, you must also encourage free dialog with your team. Understand that the players have now matured themselves in the game. Hence, it is an error of judgment to doubt their abilities in soccer exercises.
Involving them in decision making and encouraging them to come out with their thoughts will go a long way in inculcating a sense of responsibility in them.
The games should now concentrate on making the kids think proactively about winning matches. When the players think themselves as a team and not as individual players, you have succeeded in your job as a coach.
Now make good use of this learning in your plan. Soccer practice games make for a valuable tool in soccer training and you must create them in a way so that they help the kids make natural progress. sJoin our youth soccer coaching community to gain more knowledge on such games and strategies.
Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Soccer Practice.