Becoming a great coach takes time, effort, and open-mindedness. In order to give kids the best possible environment to enjoy the game and develop, we must plan our sessions carefully; connect with our players and get to know them as individuals; de liver practices that are fun and engaging; review those sessions and consider ways to improve them; and create a harmonious atmosphere within our club where coaches, players, parents, staff, and volunteers all work together in partnership. This may seem daunting for […]
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In our latest live session UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright shares an opposed passing practice which focusses on body shape when receiving, and playing forward whenever possible. This session can be used as a lead in to a small sided game and is a great way to begin your practice. The structure can also be adapted based on your team shape to focus on midfielders receiving and playing forward. Dave demonstrates how you can adapt the practice for various player numbers and focusses in […]
[…] can get some positive outcomes from the attacking group also then that’s a win/win. Being conscious of what area you’re working on will only help when looking at all areas of your team. Improve your individuals > Improves your units > Improves your team Below are some video session plans to assist with position specific work: Live Session: 4 v 4 + 4 Finishing School Defending with a High Line Breaking a Block Centrally Releasing & Finishing 3 v 3 Collective Defending Image Credit: Deposit Photos
Passing and receiving are fundamental skills for developing players. In this live session, PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts shares an interference passing practice warm up which leads in to a session focussed on split passes and some key principles. In this session, James gets this group of U11 players moving with an interference practice designed to give the players high repetition with some elements of traffic and decision-making. The focus of part one is to get the players switched on and working on a range […]
[…] the ball Click here to download Session Plan 1 PDF Video Session Plan 2 Takeaways Switching play Width and dispersal Coping with underloads Composure in possession Passing and receiving skills Transition Finishing Click here to download Session Plan 2 PDF Additional Resources Live Session: Dealing with Pressure – Dave Wright Building Mental Strength – John Haime 6 Ways to Build Emotional Muscle for Football – John Haime Live Session: Switching Play – Dave Wright Interview: Michael Inglis – Sports Psychologist – Lara Mossman Using Sport […]
[…] Academy Coach & UEFA A license holder Dave Wright, Co-Founder of PDP and Former Academy Coach at Brentford FC, Fulham FC & Melbourne Victory FC & UEFA A license holder. An Introduction to Coaching Kids Soccer uses a combination of instructional videos, live session videos with real players, PDF session plans, guides, checklists and quizzes to help you improve your coaching skills. Participants will also be invited into PDP’s exclusive online Slack Coaching Community where you can ask questions, share ideas, and find further tips […]
Understanding the Practice This practice is a futsal-inspired session which encourages forward passing, forward runs, combination play and provides an opportunity to work on 1v1 finishing. The framework of the practice can be adapted for a variety of themes and various player numbers. If you’re trying this practice for the first time, locking players in to zones as outlined in the instructions below can be helpful in bedding in the structure of the practice. As you gradually alter the constraints and allow more freedom, […]
In our very first PDP Live Session, UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright hits the training ground to demonstrate a 4 v 4 + 4 possession and positional practice. Working with twelve U15 players, Dave demonstrates how coaches can deliver an opposed passing and possession practice with a number of technical aims. This practice provides high repetition of passing receiving skills under pressure, variety of decision-making and encourages players to take up positions in space so they can play forward early. Dave includes some individual […]
In this Live Session, Dave Wright demonstrates a simple warm up practice that includes ball work, dynamic stretching and multi-directional movement. The structure of the warm up can be adapted easily by changing the space or introducing technical challenges like different types of passes, receiving skills, dribbling and communication. Elements such as combinations, one twos and pressing can all be introduced as players get more familiar with this type of warm up exercise. This practice is a great way to get players physically prepared and […]
In this PDP Live Session, UEFA A licensed Coach, Dave Wright shares a practice designed to help players work on individual possession, really focussing on receiving and retaining the ball. The video shows Dave using a variety of coaching interventions including Q&A, guided discovery, positive reinforcement and demonstrations. Dave presents the session and explains some of the progressions as well as reflections on what went well and what could have been a lot better. The context of this session is a group of grassroots U12 […]
[…] the structure of the practice and how coaches can remove restrictions to allow more pressure. The practice can be used to focus on position-specific roles, receiving on the appropriate foot and allows players a chance to receive and retain under pressure. This session is a great lead in or engagement activity for young players and the space can be adapted to make the practice easier or harder by manipulating space and player numbers. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the […]
In this PDP Live Session, PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts facilitates the second part of his session where the focus is on playing through and around opposition players. This session supports players understanding of space, utilising an 8 v 4 overload in favour of the possession team to find and exploit gaps. The defending team is incentivised with the opportunity to press or screen and subsequently score in the mini goals at each end. As with any PDP session, we strongly encourage you to take […]
Transition is a moment of the game which requires practice. In this session you’ll see a small sided game which encourages a high level of repetition of quick attack, forward runs, forward passing and recovering runs. The game is designed to create overloads in different areas of the pitch which creates a high number of attacking opportunities for the team in possession and challenges the defending team to recover and often defend outnumbered. UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright will talk you through the […]
In our latest live session UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright shares a practice which focusses on switching play. Dave demonstrates how to progress the practice from a lead in to a small sided game using key task constraints to encourage players to use width and focus on dispersal. Dave talks you through some of his own observations and discusses how you can set the session up to suit the age and ability of your players.
In this Live Session PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts builds on his previous work around forward passing, progressing his session with a group of U11 players to include a finishing component. This is the third part in a series of sessions focussed on playing through and around. This practice sees a continuation of the concept of the theme which allows players to find a pass to a player beyond lines who is tasked with scoring whilst defenders recover. The players have to choose the right moment to break lines […]
In this Player Development Project Live Session, UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright delivers a 3 team wave practice designed to work on attacking transition, focussing on forward runs and forward passes. Dave presents the session plan on the whiteboard and then we demonstrate how to get the practice started when the players have never done it before. Dave allows the players a few minutes to understand the rules, then articulates why he sacrifices some realism, in order to increase recognition of the theme. Dave […]
[…] players to work on 1v1 skills with pressure from behind. The aim is for the attacker to try and beat the defender by receiving to face forward, or twisting and turning to find space. The practice can be adapted to a 2v1 session to allow more variety. Defenders focus on winning and securing the ball. This practice is very physically demanding, so be mindful of the size of the area and variables such as heat. Groups of 3 are demonstrated in the video below, […]
[…] come back next season Psychological strength, typified by traits like resilience, motivation, and commitment to learning, has been identified as essential to any player wanting to make it in the professional game, and is something that benefits us all throughout our daily lives. But we can only help the kids we coach and make a positive contribution to their long-term psychological development if they enjoy playing soccer and stay in the game. Most importantly, less than 1% of players will play the professional game, […]