Add time limits to make your soccer drills more challenging
When you're coaching young soccer players, remember that children thrive on having a time limit to work to and nothing focuses them better than working against the clock.
I did an experiment recently with a squad of 12-year-old players. They were given a basic passing soccer drill – running up a channel in groups of four, passing along the line. There was no pressure and I stood back and watched.
After two minutes I noticed that none of the players were running on to the ball and taking it in their stride and the drill lacked energy and accuracy.
So, I set my players a challenge, asking them how many runs they could do in one minute. There were still one or two poor passes so players had to stop and go backwards to receive the ball, but the pace was up and you could see the concentration on their faces.
Their passing and receiving technique had also improved. Balls were being passed in front of players for them to run on to. When asked why there was such a big improvement, the overwhelming answer was that they all wanted to beat their previous score and that meant focusing so they didn't have to wait for passes.
Dos and don'ts of timing
- Do vary the amount of time you give your players, depending on their age and the skill you are practising. Thirty seconds of work is more suitable for younger players.
- Do tell them the players their score each time and challenge them to beat it.
- Don't worry if the skill level drops the first few times. This is normal as players are trying to do everything as quickly as possible. They will soon realise that the more accurate they are, the faster they will be.
- Don't time everything. The novelty and effectiveness will soon wear off
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