Players Understanding the Training Sessions:

Successful coaches spend a fair amount of time preparing their training sessions. Coaches do whatever they can to learn more about the game. They create their training sessions based on their teams needs. However too often they don’t explain the sessions to the team, and how it relates to the game.

Often, players are good at the activity in a training session but have no idea why they are doing it or how it relates to a real soccer game. An example would be a simple activity such as 5 V 2 keep away. How many coaches explain how the support in 5 V 2 is exactly the type of support that is needed in a full-sided match? How many show how the support by the two closest players to the player with the ball is the “triangle” that so many coaches want their players to provide during games, or that the pass that splits the defenders is the penetrating pass from a back to a midfielder or from a midfielder to a forward in the regular game.

If players don’t understand how an activity relates to the game of soccer, they are just doing a drill as opposed to learning to play the game.

When teaching players how to turn with the ball, it not only is important for players to know how to do it, but they also must know when to do it and why. If not it’s similar to students who memorize what they are being taught in school. They can get through the test, but they aren’t really learning for the long term.

Coaches should start teaching the “when” and the “why” instead of just the “how”. Players then, will get the most out of the training session. Briefly make players aware of the purpose of the training sessions. If the players understand the session and what the session is about, it will require less time between activities to explain and set up.

Please note, that we are not promoting long speeches by the coach. A brief description either during the warm-up, the stretch, or just before the activity is enough. Asked a question or two, to make sure of the basic understanding and get on with the session.

We still believe in “let the players play”, and don’t over coach. However a brief understanding of “when” and “why”, with the “how”, may go a long way in the player’s education process.

download this page for printable version