A player-centered approach

With the small-sided games, it's, again, we want to finish with what they're going to see on the weekend and encourage a lot of dribbling, a lot of 1-B-1 take-ons, and again, as you hear the repetitive element of attempting with different surfaces of the foot, evading defenders and eliminating defenders with changes of speed and changes of direction. Most importantly is supporting the player by encouraging them to take risks, to be brave, and if they lose the ball, that it's okay that they will try again and maybe help them with what didn't go as well as they wanted to on the first time, to try to encourage them to continue to get lots of repetition. We're going to play a game of 2-B-2. We start to dribble and we play 2-B-2. They start down here, and it's a normal game. You try to score. The goal goes out, if the yellow is kicking out, who gets the ball next? The green. Okay, and you play until you hear the coach just tell you to stop. Look into score goals and dribble. Play. All right, just get the ball and play, get the ball and now it's coming back the other way. If they score in your goal, just take it out and go and score on the other side . Play. Yeah, the game never stops. The game never stops. We keep playing until the coach just tell you to stop. Just looking to dribble and look into score goals. Yes, can I go and score goals? Yeah, can I dribble in score goals? Love it. Which teams were defending these goals here? So yellow team comes here, pink team comes here, blues, you guys go way down there. Play. Want to see a lot of dribbles, guys? Want to see a lot of dribbles? Be brave. Take that risk. Let's love it. How many of you guys had a dribble around a defender in these games? Yeah? Love it. Okay. So. Play the leg. Amazing. So keep that thought of having that dribble around the defender because this is what we're looking to do today. Gentlemen, the balls will always start with Coach Ross and myself. So if there's a goal, where does the ball start? Yeah. If the ball goes out for a throw, where does the ball start? Yeah. If the ball goes for a corner, where does the ball start? Yeah. Okay, you get the idea. Play. Ready. Here we go. Go and score goals, boys. Lots of dribbles. Oh, that's a great dribble using the inside of the foot to change direction. I love it. Where's the ball? Start. Gentlemen. Watch out. Oh, good try. Can I go in dribble? Go in dribble. Yes. Go in dribble. Go in score. Love it. Oh, well done, guys.

(air whooshing) For today, we're gonna start with just a warmup where they're all gonna be moving in a free space. Everybody, one player, one ball. Then we're gonna put them into groups where they're gonna be passing and moving and that's where we're gonna start to introduce some of those defending concepts in principle. So it's gonna be a one-v-one to start. So they will pass and move with one another and then on that command, it will turn into a one-v-one. So there will be one attacker with the ball and one defender. Great job. Okay, just listen as you go, okay? If I say change, I want you to change directions and accelerate. If I say switch, I want you to switch balls and find another ball. You guys got it? Change. Switch. Find a new ball, find a new ball. Don't be last. Don't be last. Ooh, where is it? Can we find that extra ball? Remember, change and switch. Switch as we switch balls. Switch. Find a new ball. Oh. What we're gonna do now, guys? You're just going to pass and move with your partner inside this grid, okay? Understand so far. When I say play, okay? This time, whoever has the ball is the attacker, whoever doesn't have the ball is the defender and you're gonna try to regain the ball, okay? If you're the attacker and you keep the ball, you get one point. If you're the defender and you regain the ball, off your teammate is one point. For the goalkeepers, there's three of you guys. You're passing and moving, okay? That way, when I say play, whoever has the ball, you guys are gonna take on one of your teammates. You guys are gonna try to go to ground to stop the ball for a 1v1. You guys got it? When I say play, it's gonna be a 10 second. Play. Try to keep it. Try to win it or try to keep it. Just off the one teammate. And time, time, relax. There we go. All right, we pass to move again with your teammate. It's one for the defender or the attacker, one point. For the attacker, I want you to try to take on the defender instead of running away and keeping possession. Use the space. I want you to try to beat the player now. If you're the defender, okay? How can we try to regain the ball in that defensive action? Ready, set, off we go. Pass to move in your grid. Pass to move. Play. If you win it, it's dead. It'll do one more. One more, okay? If it's 1v1, this is the winner. If it's 2-0, try to win the next one. Here we go, pass to move. Last round here. Last round. Pass to move. Last round. If it's 1v1, who's gonna win this next one? Remember, you must take 'em on. Play. Yes, there we go. What were some things that stuck out to you guys in the 1v1? - To be direct. - Be direct, okay? If you're the attacker, be direct, okay, what else? - Go at them with speed. - Go at them with speed, okay? What else stood out to you guys? - Don't step until you make a problem.

Today's session is to start with looking at controlling the area, so dealing with balls coming into the box. However, for this exercise, it's a warm-up exercise that could be used for goal keepers, for outfield players, or for a mix of both, and it's just basically to get the fundamentals of catching the ball from a crossing activity. What we're going to look at today, so my name is Jack, I'm the goalkeeper coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation. Okay, so I'm ahead of goalkeeping here. We're going to work on some goalkeeping stuff. Now, whether you're a goalkeeper or an out-fuel player, it doesn't matter, all right, we're going to give you an opportunity to play as a goalkeeper in this exercise, okay , does that sound good? We're going to play a little game, all right, a goalkeeping game. The idea is this, the pink team, you have to get your ball into the blue end zone there, and you have to catch the ball in the end zone. The non-bib team, you have to get your ball into the yellow end zone, okay? You're staying inside this red area here, so no further than this red area here , no further than this red area here, okay, does everyone understand that? To get into the end zone, if Josephine's on my team, Josephine has the ball, she's going to catch it, she's going to throw it to me. When I have the ball in my hands, I'm not allowed to run, okay, so I have to say, but Josephine can run, okay, and she's going to get into the end zone, I throw to Josephine, she's going to catch it, we score 1-0, okay, does everyone understand that? Yeah, everyone understand the rules? Yeah, if you drop the ball, you just carry on, okay, if it goes out of the pitch, I will start with another ball from the side here, okay, does everyone understand? Yeah. Yeah, we all happy? Okay, ready? We'll start with the pink team. Go! That's what we're doing, yes, go and get it, play on, play on. Good save, yes, both from this side, yes, Josephine, play, good catch, love that, well done, good, yes, keep going, keep going, good, all play on, play on, you're still outside the pitch, we'll play on, great catching girls, yes, we're in deception, play, keep going. Blues have got it, play, blues have got it, blue ball, play from the side there , I'm a terrible referee, keep going, good, anybody can score, we need someone in that end zone blues, we need someone in the end zone, yes, so we're going to change the rule now, okay, so now in this exercise you have to catch the ball above your head, okay, so when you throw it to someone you have to catch it above your head, can anybody show me how you catch it above your head? You show me, ready? I throw it to you, perfect, okay, watch shape with her hands in, a diamond, nice, okay, so there's a diamond shape, okay, so the hand was a little bit like that in the diamond, okay, or a W shape, or just anywhere where it's the shape of the ball, so we have to catch the ball above our head, does everyone understand the rules, yep, everyone happy, okay, if you don't catch it above your head the other team will get the ball, okay, ready, okay, blues can start, go, play, yes, you're so free, what a catch, yes, good, keep going girls, well done, good, play, you've got it, play on, great catch, love that, and you 've got it, play, nice, oh, not above your head Josephine, a lucky bit to the pinks, and play, off you go, still one nil to the blues, good, I think the session whilst it looks messy , there are lots of elements in there that I was really happy that came out, so the girls were catching the ball above their head, they were playing a game, so an invasion game to try and get into an opponent's area, and it was also competitive and fun, and I think they 're the main parts of me to get to this age group.