AHA Training 11-24 Lots of Ideas For Passing

Those who believe that playful football on the beaches explains why Brazil has exported 3087 professional players in the last four years might like to reconsider. In fact, it is the result of hard work and a military discipline that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
-Tito Araujo

I really enjoy working with this group of girls and they are constantly surprising me with how quickly they can both grasp and execute new concepts.  Today they were on top of their game and understood the concepts that I thought would take us weeks to become familiar with.

We are still working on playing with numbers up and the session was all about reading the game and moving into free space.

I.  Ball Masters

II. Two Games of 2v1 Keep Away

Set Up:
Divide a 40x20 yard grid into 3 sections (15x20, 10x20, 15x20)
Players: 6 Total: 2 Attackers and 1 Defender in each outside grid
Procedure:
-The ball starts in one of the grids and the players play 2v1 keep away
-When the opportunity presents itself, the ball is played across to the other grid 

Make It Competitive:
1 point for every pass the attackers make to their teammates in the other grid
1 point for the defenders if they can win the ball and play it to the coach
Play for 2 minutes 

Key Points:
-Always be moving to give your teammate the best passing angle.  As one teammate goes up the other should drop back.
-When in the grid away from the ball the attackers should get as wide as possible so the defender has to cover more ground.
-Play the ball across as soon as possible.  A pass moving forward in a real game is much more dangerous than a square pass. 

III. 2v1, 1v1, 2v1

Same set up as the last game but now there is an attacker and defender in the middle grid.

Make It Competitive:
1 Point if you can play the linking player and she plays it back to the same grid
2 Points if you can play the ball directly to the far grid
2 Points if you can play the ball to the linking player and she can turn and play the ball into the far grid

IV. 2v1, 1v1, 2v1 Cycle
Set up and points are the same as the last game but now we are working on two things:
1) How and when can we get a player to make a run forward to create a 3v1
(For the purpose of this game the linking attacker in the middle grid may not make the run forward into the final third.)

If a player from the starting grid can make a run forward into the far grid and receive a pass it is worth 5 points and you keep playing.

I wanted to work with the girls on recognizing when it is a good time for the player who starts back in the play should make the run forward.  They quickly figured out that you should make your run forward when you are confident your team will keep possession of the ball.  If you are not confident in possession you should keep your original shape.

2) How do we recover our shape as the game changes?
After we make the run forward how do we quickly regain our original shape? 
It doesn't make sense for the person who just sprinted forward to recover all the way back to her starting spot because there are players closer to those positions than she is. 

-The middle player should fall back into the grid with one player because she is the closest one.
-As she does this the other player in that grid may have to shift so they can get as wide as possible.
-In the grid that now has 3 attackers we want the attacker who is closest to the middle grid to move into that grid.

This concept of free flowing movement is difficult for a lot of players because they are so used to thinking that they need to stay on their area of the pitch.  I want the girls to always be thinking "How can I make a play?"  In order to do this they need to be able to read how the game is changing and where the open spaces are.  The more they can recognize everything that is going on around them, the better we will be.

Training Sunday 9-23

To me the Olympics are not about 'dream teams,' they're more about dreamers.  They're not about medals, but the pursuit of medals.  The Olympics are not about being No. 1, they're about sacrificing and trying to be No. 1.

-Herb Brooks

The goal of today's session is to work on first touch and thinking creatively.

I.  Footskills Work

Double Moves:

Scissors

Stepover

Scissors Stepover

II.  3 Person Passing and Receiving Grid

I usually never repeat a training exercise during an entire years worth of training.  But with this first touch and passing exercise I really want to work on our form so we will do this exercise a lot this year.  Today I added the challenge of having the passers moving as they pass the ball.  It is much harder to deliver a accurate pass on the run.  I am also continually asking our girls to pass the ball hard.

III.  5v2 Keep away- Split the Defenders

I love this exercise because it challenges players to think about how the defense will react to each pass.  If you challenge yourself to always be looking to receive or make a split pass you will find that you are always moving and thinking about the next pass or how to set up the split.

Set Up:

-2 Teams of 7 people

-2 players from each team defend in the opponents grid

-If the defenders get the ball they give it back to the attackers

-1 point for every split pass

-Play for 90 seconds

The first time we do this I just let the girls play and see how well they do.  Some of the girls do a good job of moving off the ball and look to make the split, but others stand around when they don't have the ball and when they get it they are only looking to get rid of it, not looking to make a play.

After asking them how it went and hearing their responses that it didn't go so well I picked out the 3 players who I felt did the best job of moving and jumped in and played 4v2 looking to split the defense.  In 30 seconds we more than doubled the high score from the groups that had gone 5v2.  "What's the difference?"  I asked the girls. 

-Movement off the ball (You have to always be creating an angle to either receive a split pass or give one.)

-You have to be looking to make the split (Again, we are looking for creative players.  Players who want to step up to the challenge and make a play.)

-Good first touch

-1 touch the split pass.  (A short pass that causes the defense to shift followed by a 1 touch split creates the most success since the defenders don't have as much time to react.)

-Hard passes (I keep telling the girls to learn how to both pass and receive a ball that is passed hard because the faster the pass is, the less time the defenders have to react.)

-Communication (Everyone is talking about where the ball should go and directing others what to do.  The more info you have, the better choice you will make.  It is not just talking to the person on the ball, but the people who are making runs.)

When I send the girls back out to work again they find themselves having a lot of success. and I added the bonus challenge of nutmegging the defender for an additional 3 points.

IV.  7v7 To Goal:  Look For Split Passes

We finished with a 7v7 scrimmage where we awarded 3 points for every goal scored and 1 point for every split pass.

Training Friday 9-21

The goal of today's session is to improve our first touch and passing. 

I.  Footskills Work

Today's work involved the rollover and all the things you can add a rollover to.

Rollover scissors

Rollover stepover

Sideways Rollover while dribbling

II.  3 Person Passing and Receiving Grid

III.  1v1 Passing and Turning Grid

IV.  4v4 To End Lines

Training Sunday 9-16

I. The Value Of Communication And Knowing Who To Trust

I got this activity from Rick Rassier when we took the Mounds View Girls HS soccer team up to his Jump Challenge Course in Sauk Rapids, MN.  His teamwork and motivational techniques are awesome.  His experiential learning techniques make an immediate impact that is not only remembered, but more importantly it is understood.

I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.

I would recommend any team, business, or school take this training.  Click Here for more info.

Blind Folded Dodge Ball

This is the best activity I have ever seen that shows the importance of communication to the kids, but also how parents yelling from the side lines, well meaning of course, impacts what the players on the field do in a negative way.

Set Up:

-Players and Parents each have a partner.  One partner is blindfolded and placed in the middle of the grid.  The other partner can move around on the outside of the grid.

-The grid contains land mines in the shape of cones and hula hoops

-The grid also contains soft nerf balls or any other type of ball that does not hurt to get hit with

-The coach may be in the grid to hand out balls to players but he may not always help you

Rules:

-The partner who is not blindfolded may only direct their teammate in the middle of the gird vocally.  You may not touch your teammate or enter the grid

-If you run into a land mine, (cone or hula hoop) you are out

-If you get hit by a ball that is thrown by another player you are out.  (In order to get out by a  ball, it must have been thrown by somebody inside the grid.   The ball cannot bounce, once the ball hits the ground it is dead.  It also does not count if you run into somebody while holding a ball.  The ball must be thrown for it to count.)

Procedure:

When the coach says go the players in the middle spin around 5 times and begin the game.  Play until there is a winner

What happens?

If you are interested email me or call me and I will explain.  I don't want to give away all the key points to the players before they do the exercise.  As I stated before, not only is this game great for communication, but if you are interested I can tell you how it is very eye opening for parents too.  The best thing I've ever done with parents to get them to understand how side line talk can have a negative impact on our team.

II.  3v3 Transition

Since we were only going for an hour today I wanted the girls to play a game that would really get them moving for the last 40 minutes.  3v3 transition is a great way to get the kids moving and work on the aspect of youth soccer that happens the most in every game.  Transition play.  So many teams are constantly booting the ball up the field and giving away possession of the ball.  The teams that can counter quickly have the better chance of winning. 

Putting the time restraint on the games really keeps the kids moving, looking to keep the ball, but also looking to attack every opening they get. 

I love this activity because it can be used for so many different topics:

-Transition Attack

-Transition Defense

-Possession

-Through Balls

-Conditioning

-Beating players 1v1 to create numbers up

-Creating space for shots

ect