Training - Tuesday, April 24

6:00PM - 6:45PM Game Observation

I was in a bit of a dilemma regarding training tonight.  I had scheduled Tues, Thurs, Sat training this week in prep for our first State Cup game next Monday, but I also wanted to head down to Cottage Grove to catch some of the U14 Midwest Regional League game between our top U14 team and Eden Prairie.  After some consideration, I decided to try and book a field at the same site in Cottage Grove for training, and was able to do that with the help of Jonathan Schaefer (Bangu U14 Age Group Coordinator and Cottage Grove soccer's coaching director). 

I set training from 6PM - 8PM, having the girls watch the first half of the MWRL game then jump on the adjoining field at the complex to train.  The game started late as there was an issue with a missing ref but I was able to have the girls sit on the parent sideline (as not to distract the teams) to watch the first 30 minutes or so of the game.

Both our U14 Blue team and the EP team are solid teams.  We will face EP twice this summer in league play, and watching them today I think it will be very difficult to stop their big, strong, athletic forwards from scoring.  We'll have our hands full, that's for sure.

6:45PM - 8:00PM Field Training

I. Bombers (one of my favorite possession games)

Set Up

• 2 teams of 9 players (we had a guest player training with us today to give us 18 total in training)
• 50x70 playing area
• One team is designated as the attacking team and has a soccer ball
• The other team is designated as the defending team and has three soccer balls, preferably brightly colored ones but for sure different from the attacking team's soccer ball

Procedure

• Attacking team plays possession soccer and tries to complete consecutive passes within the playing area with their one soccer ball
• Defending team (with three soccer balls) plays handball and tries to hit or "bomb" the attacking team's soccer ball for points
• Defenders may not interfere with the attacking play in any other manner (ie, block or intercept the attackers' passes) aside from throwing bombs as the attacker's soccer ball
• Teams switch roles after 5 minutes

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for the attacking team for every 5 consecutive passes without their ball being bombed or going out of bounds
• +1 point for the defending team for every successful bomb attempt (if a bomb hits the attackers' ball)

Coaching Points

• Attacking players must be aware of their ball AND the three bomb balls at all times
• Attackers should draw the defenders (and their bombs) in with short, quick passes, then look to break pressure with longer passes or quick changes of field (by passing or by dribbling)
• Attacking players without the ball should support their teammate in possession of the ball in areas and at angles that keep them clear of defenders with bombs
• Defenders need to communicate well and move into dangerous positions in which to have a bomb passed (thrown) to them so that they can try and more easily hit the attackers' ball

Progression #1

• Same as above, but the attacking team players are limited to 3 touches or less

Progression #2

• Same as about, but the attacking team players are limited to 2 touches or less

Comments

I love this game, so do the girls!  Lots of good soccer, lots of hilarious moments.

II. 4v4 Tournament

Set Up

• 4 teams of 4 players, each team in a different color vest (with 18 players we had 2 teams of 5)
• Two 35x40 yard fields with 2-yard flag goals on the endlines
• Spare soccer balls behind each goal

Procedure

• Teams play 4v4 to goal, goals must be scored below the top height of the flags
• Teams rotate fields every 5 minutes with every team playing every other team

Make It Competitive

• +3 points for a win, +2 points for a tie, +1 point for a loss
• +1 point for each goal that a team scores
• Whichever team has the most points at the end of the round robin event wins

Coaching Points

• General team shape
• Visual and verbal communication
• Creativity

III.  6v6 Wide Channels

Set Up

• 3 teams of 6 players, each team in a different color scrimmage vest
• 50x70 yard playing area with two goals on the endlines
• Extend the penalty box lines up to midfield, forming a 44x50 yard central area flanked by two 10 - 13 yard channels which are split with a midline forming 4 crossing boxes
• Determine which two teams play first and have these two teams take up sides in the central area
• The third team provides 4 crossing players, one in each crossing box, and two endline bumpers
• Spare soccer balls in each goal

Procedure

• Teams play 6v6 to goal with 5 field players and 1 GK on each team
• Blue can use crossers #1 and #2 as neutral players, along with the bumper behind the goal they are attacking (bumpers can run along the entire endline
• Gold can use crossers #3 and #4, along with the bumper behind the goal they are attacking
• The only restriction on green is that the ball cannot die (come to a stop) in their crossing box
• Play for 5 minutes then rotate team positions (blue goes to cross/be bumpers, gold changes sides to attack the flag goal, green takes up the side gold was just on)

Make It Competitive

• +2 points for each goal
• +4 points for the attacking team if a goal is scored using the wide players or the bumper
• +2 points (half the points) for the crossing/bumpers team for assists on 4 point goals

Coaching Points

• Goal to goal if you can, but if in trouble or if the opportunity presents itself, use the neutral players in the crossing channels
• Once the ball is out wide, get numbers in the box
• Get the defenders ball watching with penetrating passes into the bumper's feet, then make runs to find space to finish
• Wide players should stay behind the ball and wide in order to help ensure that they attack passes played out wide to them and face goal - if a wide player is too narrow, a ball played out wider than that player forces the wide player to run away from goal, if a wide player plays too far forward, a poor pass behind them forces them to run backwards away from goal

* * * * *

If you couldn't tell, I wanted the girls to play a lot today.  We had a very productive and focused session last Saturday and a tough fitness session on Sunday.  My goal is to focus on more tactical play again on Friday, and finish out the week of training on Saturday with another fun, lively session in order to minimize any stress and pressure on the girls prior to Monday's match up.