This placement update will look at what I did during and in the build up to a coaching session I lead this weekend. This week’s session I tried to incorporate a more tactical element to the participants skill set while making sure I incorporated the players skill development at the same time, all by using variable practise.

I found out at the start of the week I would that I would be helping coach a competent U13s side. I had previously coached this team before Christmas in my first semester, whereby I found out that they were all at a good standard and had a good knowledge tactically of football. In the build up to this session, during the planning I went to get coaching ideas from an academy level team. As well as coaching, I am also involved in a sport analysis placement at Blackpool Football club. This enabled me to watch a training session they used during the week.

After making mental notes from the session I observed, I decided to cater the session and personalize it for my needs. In preparation, I decided to write out and draw the session I was due to deliver so I could familiarise myself with how the session could plan out trying to cut out any possible mistakes that may occur during the session. For example, the session I watched used an entire football pitch, I realized that for when I delivered my session I would have to work around other teams training on the pitch, so I made sure the session would be successful on a smaller ¾ pitch.

Having done some wider reading and explained what it was in a previous blog, I decided to incorporate variable practice into the session. I realised that getting the participants into a game as soon as possible would be a good way for them to develop overall (Vickers, 2007). When doing research I came across this video which is very detailed and explained variable practice very clearly.

The session itself would depend on how many players arrived, but as mentioned previously I would aim to have 14 participants, meaning there would be two teams of 7 including goalkeepers. There would have to be a further two target players who stand in the opposite half of the pitch to the play.

The session starts with a 6 v 6 in one half of the pitch, with the goalkeeper rolling the ball out to one of the defenders on his team. The aim is to keep the ball and try to play it to one of the target players in the opposite half of the pitch. If the team gets the ball to one of the target players the counter attack starts and the six counter attackers can go into the other half of the pitch, but only two opposition players can get back to defend. Once the play ends, it will then restart at the area the players were attacking and all of the players will go into that half of the pitch.

The aim of the session is to teach the players how to use the counter attack tactic in a game, but also to develop skills in keeping possession, marking and defending skills. I also managed to incorporate variable practice as I felt this was one of the best ways to coach. This is also a good way to coach counter attacking football in my opinion, because when the transition happens and the team gets the ball to the target player, there is an overload in favour of the attacking team thus causing lots of counter attacking success, demonstrating how successful the tactic can be and hard it can be to defend against.

At the beginning of the session the it was hard for the participants to understand the drill however, once I gave them a demonstration and gave them the scenario on how this could be used in a game they soon got the hag of the drill and overall it was a success and an enjoyable session.

Reference:

• Vicker, J (2007). Perception, cognition, and decision training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics