Underage Coaching

[neilthemac]

skills assessment and testing

do an informal skills assessment at training - have a parent/coach record the results of each child's efforts during drills - kicking with one foot/both feet, lifting ball, catching, solo or whatever
present the information informally to the kids - eg score out of 30.

set a skills test for 2/3 weeks time and show/tell them exactly what they will be tested on (can even give them a flyer showing the test). Three levels of cert for achievement - gold, silver, bronze.
tell them to practice

guaranteed that most of them will practice in order to well in the testing which they know is coming up. But make sure you DO THE TEST!
Kids like to know where they are, get a score and then try and beat it, then get a reward. (schools use this system to motivate kids)

******************
Another thing is the 'expectation effect'.
If you tell the children that eg you expect that they will be able to do something in 3 weeks time, after spending time coaching it and them practicing it, then it is far more likely to happen.
TELL THE KIDS WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO. (again good teachers use this to produce more positive outcomes in classes)

[AZOffaly]

Just on that, I've come up with something that I want to try with the kids in our club and I was wondering if any of you have tried anything similar. Basically I got the idea from my young lad, and others, going mad collecting the Match Attax cards of the premiership.

I was thinking it would be a nice idea to create a set of cards which represent the skills of our games, and allow the kids to collect them (not through buying or swapping) by demonstrating the skills as they learn them. Basically I'll give each of the coaches in our club a set of cards, and give each kid a folder to collect them in. As the kid shows off the skill in training to the coach, the coach will be free to award the child the card, and each card has an 'Awarded To ' and 'Date' entry so the kid and coach can see when they became proficient at the skill.

It's not a coaching aid, doesn't really help with technique or anything, but I thought it might be a fun way for the kids to try and be the first to collect all the cards.. This should last them all the way up to 12 or 13 by the time they are proficient at all the skills. I was thinking of even doing an A2 chart where they could stick each card into a given slot as they collect them.

I was wondering if anyone has tried anything similar, and if so how did it go.

If anyone is wondering what they look like, I have a PDF I can share with ye. The images are from the GAA's training material on the web, so I think it should be ok, especially as I'm not selling them to the club

PM me if you'd like a look.

[ardchieftain]

PM sent AZ. Strangely enough i was giving out to my son and nephew just last week about being obsessed by the soccer cards and asked them if they had Gaelic games cards would they be popular.

On a different note, maybe some of you can help.
There is no U12 championship in my County[maybe it's the same in all counties?], but are there tournaments like there were at U10?

[Zulu]

I think most counties have U12 championships, though I seem to recall something about them being scrapped a few years ago. I don't think that has happened but I could be wrong. There are no championships at U8 or 10 but there should be plenty of tournaments and blitz type events played under the go games rules.

[neilthemac]

you may just have given me a business idea there - Official GAA player 'Cúl Cards'

[ck]

Plan each session.
Get as much help as you can - the smaller the coach/players ratio the better.
No negative commentsto children
Good communication with parents.
Spot and fix.
Enjoy.

+1

[neilthemac]

Following on from some recent reading I have been doing...

On Belgium's rise as a soccer powerhouse...
Unveiled in 2004, was Belgium's master plan, called G-A-G — Global-Analytique-Global in French, or Globaal-Analytisch-Globaal in Dutch. The idea was to fuse the best of French soccer — its emphasis on physical power and tactical efficiency, hence "Analytique" — with the dreamy technique of the Dutch ("Global"), and invent a new kind of exciting, attacking soccer ("Global" again). "Our ultimate goal is deliberately utopian," Sablon's successor, Bob Browaeys, said recently. (Sablon retired from the FA in 2012.) "One hundred percent possession of the ball."

In practice, G-A-G means standardization. All over Belgium these days, boys and girls grow up playing soccer the same way. Every school, youth academy, and village team plays the same formation — 4-3-3, with classic, dribbling wingers — and follows the same progression up to the 11-on-a-side game. Kids under the age of 7 play 2-on-2; under-9s play 5-on-5; under-11s play 8-on-8. They never use more than half the field. It is only when they're 12 years old that boys and girls are finally introduced to a full-size pitch and the idea of a long pass.

More intricacy. More feints. More urban. More freestyle. Michel Sablon recognized this when he overhauled the country's approach to the game a decade ago. The phrase le football de rue (street soccer) is everywhere in Belgian FA documents. Browaeys, Sablon's successor, speaks of the "childlike pleasure" of the game played this way.


just a few points coaches might be interested in. Especially about the under 7s playing 2 on 2, under 9s 5 on 5... Sound familiar?
taken from...
http://grantland.com/features/world-cup-2014-belgian-national-team-vincent-kompany-eden-hazard-marouane-fellaini/

[illdecide]

Guys i'm looking a bit of advice on U16's. I'm manager of our U16 team and I was well warned before taking the job that they were a difficult bunch but was pleasantly surprised by them and their attitude pre-season. For the last 2-3 weeks things have turned a bit for the worse with numbers dropping at training and a few lads attitudes not what I want it. There are 4 playing for minors and seem to be more focused on playing for them rather than their own grade, four of them couldn't train with their U16 team last week but were fit to play with minors the next day.

I would love to have the squad to leave them out or even make an example of one of the ring leaders by dropping him off the squad but unfortunately I don't have the numbers to be doing this, I gave them a good talking too after training last week but i'm not sure if any good will come of it or not...Any positive advice from guys that have been in this situation or experience of it would be great...

[blewuporstuffed]

Guys i'm looking a bit of advice on U16's. I'm manager of our U16 team and I was well warned before taking the job that they were a difficult bunch but was pleasantly surprised by them and their attitude pre-season. For the last 2-3 weeks things have turned a bit for the worse with numbers dropping at training and a few lads attitudes not what I want it. There are 4 playing for minors and seem to be more focused on playing for them rather than their own grade, four of them couldn't train with their U16 team last week but were fit to play with minors the next day.

I would love to have the squad to leave them out or even make an example of one of the ring leaders by dropping him off the squad but unfortunately I don't have the numbers to be doing this, I gave them a good talking too after training last week but i'm not sure if any good will come of it or not...Any positive advice from guys that have been in this situation or experience of it would be great...

That sounds like something you should be sorting out with your minor management rather than having a conflict with the lads themselves, this sort of thing shouldnt become an issue within your own club.
Surely if you knew they were to playa  minor game the next day they shouldnt have been expected to train with the u16s 

[Bingo]

Guys i'm looking a bit of advice on U16's. I'm manager of our U16 team and I was well warned before taking the job that they were a difficult bunch but was pleasantly surprised by them and their attitude pre-season. For the last 2-3 weeks things have turned a bit for the worse with numbers dropping at training and a few lads attitudes not what I want it. There are 4 playing for minors and seem to be more focused on playing for them rather than their own grade, four of them couldn't train with their U16 team last week but were fit to play with minors the next day.

I would love to have the squad to leave them out or even make an example of one of the ring leaders by dropping him off the squad but unfortunately I don't have the numbers to be doing this, I gave them a good talking too after training last week but i'm not sure if any good will come of it or not...Any positive advice from guys that have been in this situation or experience of it would be great...

That sounds like something you should be sorting out with your minor management rather than having a conflict with the lads themselves, this sort of thing shouldnt become an issue within your own club.
Surely if you knew they were to playa  minor game the next day they shouldnt have been expected to train with the u16s 

Exactly, take the minor mgt to task or get them involved. If they can't train with U16's one day, they can't play minor the next.

You should also use some foresight. If they are playing with minors, balance out what they are doing in the U16 session, let them do part of it but they could step out of the harder stuff so they are fresh for the minor game. Before an U16 game they don't train with the minors.

In our club, the players age group always takes precendent. Can be hard at times as each manager will be plugging for their own team and some may see their own age group as been better or better chance of success than the other, so feel they should have first call on players.

Communication is the key. At the end of the day the goal should be to make senior players and letting underage players dictate who or when they train/play with, doesn't help this.

[omagh_gael]

A bit of advice required here, my eldest lad turned four in February and is football mad and appears to have a bit of talent. He can regularly kick points in our 5ft goals out the back with a light ball. Would it be appropriate to get him involved in the local club's (Loughmacrory) u-6s or would he be a bit young yet? Also, out of interest, what type of ball do u-6s play with an undersized O'Neills?

[NP 76]

I would take him up if he likes it never too young to learn. My lad is 6 and will be ready from early morning for training if nothing else it's good exercise. Get him a first touch to start with it will do to he is ten

[From the Bunker]

A bit of advice required here, my eldest lad turned four in February and is football mad and appears to have a bit of talent. He can regularly kick points in our 5ft goals out the back with a light ball. Would it be appropriate to get him involved in the local club's (Loughmacrory) u-6s or would he be a bit young yet? Also, out of interest, what type of ball do u-6s play with an undersized O'Neills?

Every young lad is different. Some have older brothers that carry them along at a younger age. It can depend also on if his friends are already involved. There is no rush, but if he likes it don't discourage it. Just don't be too pushy either.

[SpeculativeEffort]

We have recently started a nursery (hurling) in our club. I am currently running it with the help of 5-6 parents.
We generally work on skills such as throwing, catching, beanbag solo, dribbling and ground striking (in stations of 10 minutes)as it is in a hall.
Can people suggest some good resources to vary the drills? Also we currently get between 25-30 from 3-4 national schools.
Do we need to be working from a bigger pool as players may drop away as the years go by?

[BenDover]

Lads, I'm over our U6's and we have the group split into 2 nursery and then P1s/P2s. Over the winter we've been indoors doing the fundamentals, now I'm trying to focus on the basic skills with the kids, we're still indoors so space is limited. How can I attach a session plan that I have for some feedback?