Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer Skills, Soccer Training | Tags: AC Milan, blindfold, juggling, Kaka, keepy uppy, Real Madrid
Here’s a great piece of fun you can have with your players – never mind pin the tail on the donkey, in this game you’ve got to see who can keep the ball in the air the longest (the most kick ups) while blindfolded.
Young and old can try this, it isn’t easy but you’ll have a lot of fun doing it. Keep a list of who can do the most and try to beat it for 10 minutes at the start of your training sessions. You’ll be amazed how many turn up early just to try to beat the record
Watch Kaka below doing it blindfold and copy his style!
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Fitness, Soccer News, Soccer Training | Tags: fouls, free-kicks, hard tackles, physical
Sometimes your young players are going to play teams that are very physical, and your players will find it difficult to play the way they normally do. It’s not nice to be knocked over every time you get the ball.
We played an U14 team who were bundling my players over constantly. Of course this annoyed them but I kept reminding them that they would get free kicks out of the physical contact which they must remain cool and take advantage of the situation.
Watching the professionals play you see the way they are constantly hit by big tackles and bundled off the ball. This results in free kicks in dangerous positions, which is why you see so many players diving once they are touched. Watch the video of some tackles that have been flying in during the season then watch Dani Alves take advantage for Brazil with a free kick.
There is a physical side to the game, but there is also a man in charge who will give your players an advantage they can turn into goals.
Filed under: Dave Clarke, Soccer Coaching, Soccer Skills, Soccer Team Management, Soccer Training | Tags: Barcelona, beach volleyball, ibrahimovic, messi, training on the beach, valdes, xavi
In the months of the school holidays, when it’s more difficult to get players to come along to training – usually because there are no matches – I like to do something different with my players as an incentive to come along.
We’ve had weekends away, day trips and changes of venue all to places where we can get some time in for training or playing games.
I was reminded of this when I saw that Barcelona goes training on the beach as an added incentive to their players. They play games like beach volleyball, or volleyball using their feet. You can see a clip of this below.
It’s also a good team bonding experience.
So taking a lead from one of the world’s best club teams you should think about where and when you could take your team to have a coaching session with a difference – maybe once or twice a season.
Try taking your team to one of the five-a-side centres which have lots of artificial pitches to play and train on – something different that your players won’t want to miss.
