Soccer Practice Games: A Guide To Game Progression
If you sport the same attitude like I do, you’ll have absolutely not problem getting to understand the value of Soccer practice games when compared with drills. It’s important that the kids first pay attention to acquiring the skills and polishing them so as to improve the movement along with the ball. Nonetheless, it’s your duty to pay attention to some pointers while the kids move forward in their soccer training.
As has been discussed earlier, it is a great idea to divide the players into groups so that they can enjoy the game as well as develop their own styles. First and foremost, the kids must get the freedom to decide on various issues concerning them and this is possible only when the size of the group is small.
This way your kids find a lot of open space to move in the field, get to touch the ball many more times, and feel responsible for their decisions as the number of players in quite less in the group.
However, as players get accustomed to smaller groups and their skills improve, it is time to make some variations. Bring in progressions in soccer practice games at this point in time. This means that more players should be added, game rules should become stricter, and make the kids practice in larger fields. Now you must initiate comprehensive strategies that serve the dual purpose of honing individual skills of players along with team’s objectives.
Here, I’d like to mention something that needs particular attention. Many coaches go wrong when they teach too many things too soon to their kids in the anticipation of preparing them well in advance. You need to understand that it may prove dangerous in the long run. It won’t help you to mechanize the process here as it does in soccer drills. It must progress in a natural way slowly.
The designs may not work well if you expose students to competition, teach them new things early in their training, and lay a lot of emphasis on rules. This hampers their natural learning and growth.
As the players make a move from small batches to large ones, they should understand the purpose behind devising the games. It is an important transition from concentrating on your own skills to thinking about how your skills will help the team win.
In this phase along with games, it is also crucial to hold important meetings and discussions. Remember that the players now understand soccer and various techniques and positions. Hence, it is an error of judgment to doubt their abilities in soccer exercises.
When you invite them to share their views, they feel good about it and become more responsible.
The games should now challenge their thoughts about how to win matches. When the players think themselves as a team and not as individual players, you have succeeded in your job as a coach.
Now you must take this knowledge and incorporate it in your plan. Soccer practice games are the best tools to make the kids learn soccer and so you must choose them creatively. Become a part of our youth soccer coaching community to learn more about various games and strategies that go with it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make training fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Youth Soccer Drills