Fun Christmas Coaching Session

The kids are getting very excited at this time of year that attend my weekly football centres with Christmas & Santa!  So I developed some fun games that encourage dribbling, passing accuracy, shooting, vision, creativity & freedom!  These games are perfect for Toddler Soccer & even the younger children in Mini Soccer.  They keep to the Christmas theme but you can also easily change them to suit other holiday periods like Easter or Halloween!  Have fun & drop me an email to let us know how you get on with the games!

Holiday Season Games

Emphasis

These games are great for holiday time & can easily be adapted to serve Christmas, Easter or Halloween.

I have based my games below on a Christmas theme but you can change them to the Easter Bunny or Casper the Friendly Ghost!

Set-Up

Every player has a ball inside a 20 x 20 yard grid.  Set up mini games as instructed below.

Objectives

At Christmas at Toddler Soccer we play loads of fun themed games...

1. Warm up planting Christmas Trees. Get the toddlers to place a number of pop up orange cones around the coaching area.  They then run around them.  You can then ask them to decorate them by giving them small disc cones to place on the top.  Now introduce the ball for them to dribble around the trees.  You can add another fun game by having them try to knock down the trees why you fix them.
2. Deliver the presents. All the balls (presents) are placed in the middle of the grid.  On the whistle the toddlers become 'Santa' & have to dribble (deliver) the presents to the children's homes (the goals)
3. Knock the head off the Snowman. Using the large dome cones (snowman's body) balance a ball on top (the head).  Set up a number of them & then have the toddlers pass their footballs (snow balls) to try & knock the snowman's head off!
4. Find the snow. Hide 10 white cones (snow) under other colour cones, i.e. yellow snow (cones!) & red cones (chimney!)  Ask the toddlers to close their eyes while you hide 10 or so white cones.  Hide them under other coloured cones or maybe on someone's head!  They simply have to find the snow.  When they find snow (a white cone) they bring it into you!
5. Snow ball fight. For a bit of fun at the end you can have a snow ball fight.  Let the toddlers throw snow balls (the ball) at you.  Make sure you make funny noises, fall funny - simply increase the fun by acting like a clown!

Progressions

1. Vary what part of the foot you use, i.e. outside of the foot, laces, etc.
2. Have a competition between the toddlers, i.e. time them on the above games.
3. Increase distance for accuracy games.

Coaching

• Dribbling & skills.
• Accuracy of pass.
• Weight of pass.
• Standing foot pointing at target.
• Head up.
• Use of both feet.

If you work with children under 6 or simply are a parent you'll love my Toddler Soccer book!  I share my philosophy & games from my award winning programme in my book.  It has sold in over 20 different countries & has been bought by parents, nursery school assistants & teachers to coaches, teams & pro clubs to use in their community programmes!

Want more info?  You can buy my Toddler Soccer book by clicking here!  Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or You Tube.

Coach Tim’s Session Notes

Not long in from a wonderful Academy session today.  We had a squad of 15 boys aged 11-13 that reported for the session.  It was a lovely morning in Belfast with blue skies & sun.

Structure your training sessions well

I always arrive 20 minutes before the players so I can set my coaching area up and everything runs smoothly.  I set up a coaching area measuring 38 x 20 yards using the throw in line & 18 yard line as a guide.  I used red cones placing one on the throw in line with another 5 yards heading towards the 18 yard line.  Width wise I then set another red cone down every 7 yards approx.  This set up a rectangle scoring grid.  Length wise I set down a yellow cone every 7 yards until I got 33 yards away when I set up another scoring zone (5 x 20 yards) using blue cones.  In the other half I had 2 full size portable goals placed on the half way line & the 6 yard line.  I used cones to make the pitch slightly smaller than the full width but left a 5 yard channel for my themed coaching game.  I also placed 2 dome cones in each corner of the pitch, while the Speed, Agility & Quickness (SAQ) was set up off pitch.  No waiting about for the players!  They moved from one area to the next.

On arrival my players know to get a ball and go for a light dribble.  We used the 'yellow' area for their warm up.  This is their own time as I encourage them to arrive early, get a ball, go for a dribble and have a chat with their team mates – always giving each other a high-5 on arrival.  I then welcome the group, give all the boys a high-5 and ask how they got on in their matches for their club sides.  I then give them a quick overview to the session ahead.  Players then focus and get to work.  They continue the warm up through a series of dribbling, skills, turns & keepie ups.  This morning they worked 3 v 1 keep ball.

By the time my warm up is complete each boy will have touched the ball several hundred times.  Yet how many youth set ups still keep the ball locked away and have their players run laps around a pitch!  There is time allowed for players to stretch & take on fluids.  I always like to use the ball and will always concentrate on possession games setting goals and keeping game realistic.

After the warm up I got my players organised into teams.  6 players remained in their orange Academy tops, while 6 put yellow bibs on & the 3 remaining players but blue bibs on to be the neutral players (although adapt to suit the size of your squad, I had to change from my original diagram below.)  I like to overload the attack, especially at the start of sessions to have a high success rate.  Basically the neutral players played with the team in possession offering 9 v 6.  I keep score to add a competitive edge, i.e. orange 2 up, orange 1 up, all square, etc.

Passing Skill & Possession

Emphasis

Possession game improving passing, movement & support play with direction.

Set-Up

Session takes place on half a pitch with 2 end zones of 5 yards in length but same width as pitch.

Objectives

6 v 6 with 3 neutral players play on half a pitch.

On gaining possession of the ball each team must retain possession & attempt to move the ball into the opponent's end zone & one player must put their foot on the ball in that zone.

If a team is successful the opponents gain possession & attempt to score in the other end zone, so play is end to end.

Progressions

1. Encourage variety of passing, i.e. short, long, ground, aerial, etc.
2. Running with the ball to beat the opponent - encourage 1 v 1 duels.
3. Play 1 or 2 touch.
4. Extra point for set number of passes.
5. Time limit to score or loss of possession.

Coaching

Quality passing.

Support & movement on / off ball.

Work rate on / off ball.

Encourage forward passing - penetration.

Speed - counter attack.

Direction & attacking purpose.

Communication.

Summary

The session worked well, although the orange team hammered the yellow team.  They seemed to grasp the concept better.  They used possession well with a number of quick short balls mixed with a variety of driven passes.  Real joy to watch.

After the players had a quick drink they went into their S.A.Q. working speed ladder, hurdles & hoops.  You can find more of my S.A.Q. plans on my coaching website, TrainingSoccer.Org.

Keeping the possession theme in mind we moved onto the half pitch that I had set up at the start of the session.  I wanted to encourage switching the point of attack & width.  This is one of my favourite possession games.  As we now had 'target' players in the game I reverted to 7 v 7 + 1 neutral player.

Shifting Point Of Attack

Emphasis

Directional possession game with 4 mini goals.

Set-Up

The game takes place on half a pitch with a mini goal positioned in every corner.

5 v 5 (+ 2).  Each team has a target player in opposite diagonal goals.

Objectives

Teams must keep possession from one target to the other.  To score you must pass the ball to one of the target players & they must return the ball to the same player or a team mate.

Look to switch & attack the other goal.

Progressions

1. I personally love to see players run with the ball but to encourage passing limit the touches.
2. Target players only allowed one touch.
3. Target players switch with the person that passed it to them.
4. Introduce neutral players that play with the team in possession.

Coaching

• Work rate & movement on / off the ball.
• Quality passing.
• Look to beat opponents by dribbling at speed & use of skills.
• Be direct - look to penetrate.
• Look to switch & keep the ball.
• Communication & understanding.
• Support & shape.

8 V 8 Plus 2 Wingers

Emphasis

Encouraging attacking play through the wings.

Set-Up

Play takes place on half a pitch with 2 full size goals & goalkeepers.  A channel is marked out with cones on either wing & separated in two.

Play 8 v 8 in either half (+ goalkeeper).  4 wide players are positioned in the channels, 2 playing in the attacking half for each team.

Objectives

The objective is to play the ball wide to one of the unmarked wingers.  The cross is then delivered to the forwards who look to finish at goal.

Progressions

1. Change roles.
2. Add restrictions, i.e. limit touches.

Coaching

• Quality of crosses.
• Movement of forwards.
• Movement - check run, make space in front to receive.
• Technique - stop just before receiving the ball.
• Strength - shield the ball from the defender.
• Awareness.
• Quality passing.
• Timing of run.
• Attacking & defensive heading.
• Quality finishing.
• Communication.
• Goalkeeper / distribution.

Let me know what you think of my session and if you try out the sessions how you and your team got on with them and what variations (if any) you made.  Remember you can have full access to all my session plans by clicking here!  As always please add your comments & if you like to use the session & share with others please credit my work with a link back to my blog or coaching website.

Welcome from Coach Tim

Hi and thanks for joining me on my blog.  The purpose of this blog is to share my award winning coaching programme.  From session plans to club visits you can be sure you'll be kept up to date with the latest and most innovative training procedures.  With my experience and flexibility with working with all abilities from Toddler Soccer through to elite players everyone will benefit from reading this blog.

My name is Tim Wareing and I am the Director and Head Coach of the TWSports.Org Group.  I have over 15 years experience in coaching and hold the prestigious UEFA European 'A' Licence.  My passion in coaching and learning will offer you the latest and most innovative training procedures.  This results in my programme developing your team's technical ability and game understanding.

I have travelled to FC Barcelona, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven along with a host of other top English and European clubs to view and exchange methods.  This keeps all my coaching methods fresh and I am able to share these ideas so that your player's receive the best and most advanced procedures to continue their development and enjoyment.  We will insure that you never run out of ideas and help to keep your sessions alive and full of quality.

PSV Eindhoven and SL Benfica accepted my invitation to visit me in Northern Ireland.  They viewed my programme while delivering player development sessions and coach clinics.  Our friendship continued with PSV Eindhoven when I took my elite team to Holland to play their Academy feeder team and Dutch First Division side, Helmond Sport.

Asides from the professional side of the game I am the leader in youth development by introducing toddlers to the game.  I published my first book, 'Toddler Soccer the Essential Guide', which to date has sold in 18 different countries.  I have the experience to introduce a child to football from as young as 2 and teach them the skills in a fun and friendly way.  My programme has won awards from Toddler Soccer and Mini Soccer through to my elite programme.

I spent 6 years at Irish Premiership side, Lisburn Distillery.  I set up a very successful Academy at Distillery introducing children to elite training from the age of 5 that concentrated on the technical side of the game.  Many individuals and clubs not only have requested my blue print but have based the same methods and philosophy in place at their own clubs.  I'll share this with you all!

I have developed many youth players who now play in England and are Youth Internationals.  Many other players that I have worked with play in the Irish Premiership.  Today I work with a number of talents 1-on-1.  One of the boys was scouted for Liverpool at the age of 10 and 1 year on has over 8 clubs from England and Europe monitoring his progress.

To kick off the blog we want to offer you some great information and features.  I fly to Portugal on Sunday to visit a good friend of mine to see the great work he is doing at Braga.  We will view youth sessions through to the first team's preparations for their Champions League game against Arsenal.  You can feel that you are with me by following my reports, pictures and videos LIVE from Portugal!  Simply follow my blog and let your friends and fellow coaches know too.

I look forward to speaking to you again on Sunday from Portugal!  Welcome to our family.