U13 - Lots of footwork, touches then 4v4

Today we trained outdoor on a tennis court.  The weather has been nice but the fields are still closed.  Today was a bit chillier than previous days and there was a misty rain falling on us the whole time.  Once the mist turned to rain at 1.75 hours in, I called it off.  We don't want anybody getting sick.

Scheduling is still tricky because of hockey and basketball, but when both teams work together we get OK numbers.  Today we had 16 between both teams.   There was a regional science fair, basketball and hockey tournament and a few boys were sick.

We started training with a 12-minute run and five 40m sprints.

We then went on the tennis courts and did 45 minutes of moving with the ball including various sequences for footwork and practicing turns.

During this our coaching points were:

• Head up immediately after the turn and accelerate
• Balance before, during and after the turn so you can pass/move after the turn
• Keeping the ball close
• Executing the turn quickly
• Keeping the ball in a manageable area (not chasing it or digging it out from under you)

The balance thing is HUGE.  Some players throw themselves into a turn or a move but don't have the balance to finish the job.  It's about controlling your body's momentum at all times.  When we jump through agility ladders or over hurdles we stress landing under control because some players just throw themselves forward, losing their balance.

When we got into 4v4 on each tennis court we were looking for the boys to use their turns to keep possession.

To set up some kind of organization/structure for them to work within we said we were looking for :

• 1 player with the ball
• 1 supporting from behind
• 1 supporting wide
• 1 supporting forward

The player with the ball is never allowed to be the last one back, forcing players to move into support positions.  Now everybody has an idea for how they work within a 4v4 situation.

We set the shape hopefully setting the stage for success.  They were free to do as they chose within those guidelines.  They did not let us down and it was very entertaining to watch.


Of course, as with always, we stressed quick-early-accurate passes.

4v4 is a great practice tool, competitive,  and allows you to work on everything and anything, depending on what conditions you set.

Looking back, I came with a fully planned out practice and we got to the end of it.  Coaches Paul and John helped make it successful with good coaching points and the boys were in a working mood.

Next time I run a similar session I need to include more competition along the way.  Not just 4v4, but 1v1, 2v1, 2v2, races, anything that says "I win".

I felt good on my drive home, the feeling I am looking for.  I know I can feel good about a session while self-assessing what needs to change.

I look forward to our group fitness session on Thursday.