Overview of the Pen Bay Soccer Club coaching philosophy

First responsibility of the coach is to provide a safe environment.
Second responsibility is to insure the activity is fun.
Third responsibility is developing players.
It is very important that the coach can do all three of these responsibilities equally.

Hints-

* Be prepared and arrive early. Have your training session planned out and your area set up  with the necessary equipment.
* Use activities that will keep the most players if not all the players participating.
* No lines. No laps. No lectures.
* Challenge the players to achieve individual goals as well as team goals.
* Examples: Use your off foot, beat someone on the dribble, keep you passes and shots low.

Training sessions

Keep them simple. All sessions should have a theme like passing, dribbling or possession. Sessions can be technical (i.e. one touch passing) or tactical (i.e. maintaining possession). They often need a bit of both because technique leads to a break down in tactics. But don't make it complicated.
Training sessions should progress from the warm-up and individual phase to small groups, then groups and ultimately a game phase. ALL SESSIONS SHOULD END WITH A GAME.

Phases of a session

Warm up – this serves to loosen muscles and focus the mind on the pending activities this should start slow and easy and work up to a faster pace. The importance of the warm up needs to be stressed to create a good habit. Large muscle groups need longer stretches. It is important that the players learn to concentrate during warm up.
 

Individual- this can be part of the warm up as well as a phase of training in its own right. These activities should face the individual with skill and decision challenges.
Small group- this phase should use activities that utilize groups of 2-3 and involve elements of teamwork and decisions.

Group- these activities use groups of 3-4 working together possibly against other groups and/or opposition. At this level you try to encourage patterns of play and team shape.

Game- this should resemble the game that your team will play in competition. It is fine to stop play and make corrections but at some point just let then play for a large block of time.
ALL PHASES OF TRAINING SHOULD RELATE TO THE Sessions THEME.


Making corrections

Stop play. Demonstrate the correction. Rehearse the correction. Restart play with the correction installed into play.
Make the corrections with a positive attitude and don't hesitate to stop play when someone does something exceptional well.
Don't talk too much. Paint an accurate picture and resume the activity ASAP.

Keep the session flowing.
Keep the sessions progression simple and straightforward relative to the theme.
Keep the activities short 10-15 minutes. The game should be the longest single phase of the practice.
To keep intensity, keep time and give rewards/penalties to winners/losers.
When keeping time really keep time so that the players learn to deal with a finite period.

How to adjust your session for the level of your player.

Pick activities at are appropriate for players.
“Time and space” make space large or smaller; create numbers advantage and/or player restrictions. These can carry into the game phase but make sure you lift these restrictions and let the game to continue with no restrictions to the end.

What to train- technically

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TEACH YOUR PLAYERS TO PLAY WITH THEIR HEADS UP. THEY MUST BE ABLE TO SEE THE FIELD SO THEY CAN EXPLOIT THEIR OPTIONS.

Dribbling
For control- small short touches an easy playing distance in front. Close enough so the player can always reach to ball. Inside and outside of both feet.
For speed- longer harder touches using outside of the foot. The ball no is more like a stride and a half ahead of the player.
For change of direction, turns- pull back, chop, spin out and Cruyff.
For evasion- scissors, step over, pull over/outside and combine these with turns
Passing
Push pass- inside of foot, ankle locked, planting foot pointed to target, foot of ground, follow through up off ground
Driven pass- off laces, ankle locked in pointed position, placement of planting foot
Outside of foot-
Heading
Simple heading- eyes open, contact ball with forehead,
Shooting
With laces, toe pointed and locked, knee over the ball
Defending
Closing on the ball, slow down, contain, staggered step, side on, don’t dive in
Tackling- step thru with strong leg
Goal Keeping
PROTECTING HEAD AND FACE
“W” with hands
Play the ball don’t let it play you.
Body between ball and goal
Protect the near post

What to train tactically

Team shape-
Diamonds are best, triangles aren’t bad
Keep your shape don’t bunch
One player to ball
Offensively- 1st attacker = penetration
2nd attacker = support
3rd attacker = depth/width
Defensively- 1st defender = pressure
2nd defender = cover
3rd defender = balance
Transition – how quickly can the team adjust to defend and/or attack
Pass back to the keeper to relieve pressure

Coaching during a game –

Demeanor
Keep your passion for the game but stay calm and measured
Positive reinforcement
Help the referee but accepting the calls and ask questions at time when you don’t interrupt the game.
Encourage the players and parents to be respectful of the opponents and officials
When giving instructions try to make it clear, concise and valuable information. (i.e. “look up, see if you can find so and so with the ball, pass back to the keeper”)
Sometimes it is best to bring a player off the field so you can talk to them or institute a change
Encourage the players to figure the game out for themselves, offer hints (this is why you let them play in the game phase of practice)
Half time- hydrate your players, ask them for their observations, only make a couple of observations/adjustments, stay positive, keep it simple and allow them time to collect themselves
Set the tone before during and after training sessions and contests.

Training planning page (pdf download)

Volunteer disclosure form (word download)

Links to good coaching sites
Pill's Drills
FIFA
UEFA