As soccer players hit puberty and the early teen years of 12 - 16, they are developing and maturing both physically and emotionally. These years are important as strong bonds are forged with peers and individuals become less self-absorbed. Independence is gained, a clearer insight of likes and dislikes and role models such as soccer coaches or teachers come to play an important part in their lives.

Usually by the age of 14, a soccer player will have a realistic idea of his abilities, weaknesses and strengths within the game. He will become conscious that regardless of how many attempts he makes at something, if he does not have the basic ability, then it is a waste of time. However, he will also be aware that trying to the best of his abilities will be appreciated by his teammates. Read The Rest……

Football players obtain energy both aerobically and anaerobically. During a game of soccer, players will run, sprint, jog and walk - all of which use different sources of energy.

As the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems develop, players’ performance during matches and in training sessions will change. It’s essential to understand what is occurring and how you need to plan coaching sessions accordingly. Read The Rest……

If you’re a keen soccer fan and watch games frequently, be they local league, top flight, national or international, you should be able to ascertain which teams exhibit the following key characteristics of a successful soccer squad.

Keep possession of the ball

A quality team will have the ability to hold possession for long periods of time. By keeping possession, it enables the team to: Read The Rest……

Young players, especially teens, go through growth spurts and sudden mood and behavioral changes. Both boys and girls experience these types of changes, though girls will mature a bit earlier than boys. Girls typically experience maturation between eleven and thirteen years of age, while boys go through their peak growth between ages thirteen and sixteen. Also, girls will progress through their adolescence more quickly than the boys. This is often attributed to the fact that boys end up significantly taller than their female counterparts.

As a coach who is leading and therefore responsible for young players, it’s critical for you to have a good understanding of how growth and development affects your players. Read The Rest……

Good coaching requires a lot of different skills, but these seven approaches ensure that your players develop well. When you put these fundamental practices into your coaching system, you’ll see faster development and get the best out of your players.

By looking at your players’ growth from their perspective, you’ll be able to see what they need in order to master the game. When you address their key issues, you’ll be better equipped to motivate them so that they can learn and improve as soccer players. Try these techniques for coaching, and before you know it, you’ll be on a winning streak. Read The Rest……

Some Thoughts On The UEFA A Licence Part 1

When we were able to chat later, I told him what I’d observed. It seems that at the highest level of football, this is something you have to do, and he now does this instinctively. We talked about other things as well, but I wanted to let you know what I observed, why it is crucial for players to know what is happening on the pitch and how they can benefit from it. When players look and assess what is happening around them, they can:

• improve the speed of decision making
• make more effective use of the space they find
• support the rest of their team effectively
• make the opposition work harder by taking them out of their formation and creating more space
• make more use of the first touch to set up additional play
• be more alert as they look, assess and move
• have more options for using the ball, such as getting a touch, making an immediate pass, shielding, dribbling, running with the ball, shooting and so on
• avoid pressure with ease
• improve team communication and organisation. Read The Rest……

I’ve recently been able to attend a UEFA A Licence coaching course. This has given me the chance to talk to several coaches and managers, from both premiership and non league teams. Many current players are improving their knowledge of football coaching by aiming for this prestigious award in the off season break.

The course included sessions where players got coaching on games they were playing in, and the quality of the players on the pitch was variable. I watch quite a lot of live and televised football, but the experience of watching Premiership players side by side with players who were about 25 years past their best was interesting. Read The Rest……

Changing a football team’s tactics is not easy and it’s something to think about when training. Have you ever attempted to get your players to change their play or to use a certain tactic and found that they have not managed it? This may be a regular occurrence.

Don’t worry, all football teams experience this. Around the globe, football managers meet with players, talk about different playing styles and new approaches. They may even practice the new moves when training, but when the whistle blows, footballers who have the skill to carry out your wishes play the way they always do. Read The Rest……