Reader,
One of the most common challenges coaches face is arriving at the training ground with a well-thought-out plan, then suddenly, things change due to illness, injury or unavailability.
You’ve planned for 16 players, but only 11 show up. Like it or not, adaptability is a key element of effective coaching.
First of all, don’t panic. This is a challenge all coaches are faced with, and we won’t always get it right, but it does present a real opportunity to learn.
Secondly, remember that whilst tactical sessions may be more challenging with lower numbers, there is plenty you can still work on. More so, small group sessions can be a brilliant opportunity, a chance to really work on technical detail with the group and build connections, giving players more of your time.
During my time working at Fulham’s academy, I found myself tasked with delivering individual technical sessions based on players’ individual plans. This would involve a group of somewhere between 5-8 players, all with different technical targets, whom I had to combine to get the outcomes they needed. Not only was it a great coaching challenge, but it also taught me to think on my feet and be able to tailor the practice.
Three Things to Consider
- If you need time to think, set up a small arrival activity like a small-sided game, some rondos or passing practices and let the players lead it while you adapt your plan.
- If you cannot deliver your phase of play with a tactical focus because players didn’t turn up, can you still consider units in your team that could benefit from tactical work on a smaller scale? For example, if you planned on working on playing out in a 1-4-3-1 (9 of the 11 players in a 1-4-3-3) with your back four, midfielders and a striker and three of them haven’t arrived, it’s still possible if you have a goalkeeper, back four and a central defensive midfielder. Put them up against a front three and a central attacking midfielder who can play in opposition. This picture is still realistic for those players at training and provides tactical work on a smaller scale.
- If you find yourself with low numbers on the grass, consider some of the areas the players might need support with and test yourself to pull together a plan based on individual needs. For example, one player is working on long-range passing (crossing), one is working on 1v1 attacking, and the other 1v1 defending. You could match the 1v1 players up and get the third player working on crosses into the attacker. Alternatively, if you work in 3v3 or 4v4 type practices, you can still coach almost any theme or moment within these games because these types of pictures appear all over the pitch.
One thing to try this week
Create a ‘Plan B’ for each activity in your next session.
If you have planned three parts to your practice, ensure you consider some adaptations for uneven or smaller numbers should it eventuate.
One Critical Resource on the Topic
If you need support to create a session plan quickly, check out our free AI-powered session-planning tool, Coach Frank. Available on Apple or Android.
