Reader,
In March this year, I was lucky to spend some time with Kelly Cross and the coaching team at A-League club, Sydney FC as part of a high-performance study visit.
Kelly is a world-class operator who has contributed to PDP in the past so it was superb to see the programme that he and his team built. Beyond developing players, the academy has a fundamental belief that the children in their care have a positive experience.
One of the highlights of the visit was the simplicity and clarity in their programme around how the game informs practice design. They build their sessions of the fundamental idea that the game (at its simplest level) is about scoring goals and stopping goals.
On the grass, training is then built around practices being directional, with consequence, including goals and within that, varying the area sizes which teams work within throughout their week to get a variety of outcomes.
What caught my attention about the results of this approach was the type of player that I saw in front of me over several days. Off the pitch, the players were confident, respectful and engaged in conversation with our visiting group. On the pitch players had an attacking mindset, there were more ‘dribblers’ than I’d seen in other Australiasian environments, and training consisted of constant attack, defence and transition – sessions looked like the game.
Three things to consider
- It’s easy to over-complicate coaching on the grass with boring, repetitive and unrealistic task design. Ensuring you maintain realism and rewards within your practices can create high tempo, and enhance decision-making. Use the game as the starting point for your session design.
- What values or principles does your club, team or overall programme have that won’t be compromised? Do you really care for the welfare and well-being of the players, or is it about short-term results?
- How can you create consistency in your club’s coaching approach that doesn’t inhibit coaches from testing ideas and trying things out on the grass?
One thing for you to try this week.
If you’re planning a session related to team performance, consider the scenario you want to address (for example attacking in the final third), put a session down on paper that most accurately reflects that moment in the game.
Ensure your practice represents the game, teams and spaces look realistic and players get repeated opportunities to solve the problem. Importantly, allow the ball to roll and the players to find solutions.
One critical resource on the topic.
Check out this Masterclass Discussion with Kelly Cross on the Sydney FC Academy. Kelly shares some wonderful insights, and his experience and expertise make him one of the most highly regarded practitioners down under.
