Hi, just joined forum but was looking a bit of advice.
My club has decided to set up like a football academy for underage football. I attended a recent internal coaching course and when they spoke about coaching u8 and u10s a few things were mentioned that i didnt agree with so I queried them.
Here goes, i asked should we not be encouraging u8 and in particular u10s to be kicking off both feet, well at least introducing the concept and encourage it, i was basically told I didn't know what I was talking about and that the idea of playing off both sides would only be introduced at u14 or even u16 when they were more physically prepared! I found this very alarming, but after heated debate i gave in to greater consensus. I would love to know what other clubs are doing and if my views on coaching are wrong?? I was going to contact our county development officer for advice but that would only highlight the issue within the club.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I'm absolutely flabbergasted by this. You're 100% correct and need to get other coaches to change their minds. Kids under 12 are ideal for developing bilateral skills, not only kicking but hand passing, soloing, hopping the ball, side stepping, jumping, landing, turning etc. Quite frankly your club shouldn't bother with an academy if that's what your coaches believe.
At our club we encourage all our players to use both feet,[ well, for u10 and 12 which i have been involved with]. In my opinion the younger they are encouraged to use both feet [ and both hands] the better.
Sorry i used both feet as an example but the debate was really about using both sides in general!
What i was told was "why bother trying to get them to do it with their left when they can't even do it with their right". I became really disillusioned and went home thinking why bother, but i know that if Im not there God knows what they'd be coaching them!
Should be looking to use both feet and hands at U8 in my opinion. If you have got some weaker kids that can't kick with their good foot, why not keep them in a group together where a coach can focus on their needs. The kids that are that bit ahead of them, you keep in another group and work on their weak sides. That's how I do it. A key to success is to try and get 4/5 coaches at the same age group and break the kids up when doing the skills/drills. You need all your coaches singing of the same hymn sheet which I know is easier said than done!
Bring all the kids together for your games though but keep numbers small, use go games rules etc so that everyone is getting involved. The last bit is important as you don't want elitism creeping in either.
I was at U-8 training yesterday and they were using both feet (or at least trying to).
They should be learning to use both sides from day one.
Quote from: Zulu on November 25, 2015, 06:56:45 PM
They should be learning to use both sides from day one.
Agree completely.
Quote from: jp2020 on November 23, 2015, 06:31:34 PM
Here goes, i asked should we not be encouraging u8 and in particular u10s to be kicking off both feet, well at least introducing the concept and encourage it, i was basically told I didn't know what I was talking about and that the idea of playing off both sides would only be introduced at u14 or even u16 when they were more physically prepared!
Utter madness - I'm pretty sure I saw some stuff from the Go Games paraphernalia during the summer about the main aim for 9/10 year old was developing use of the non-dominant side (phrase stuck in the head as opposed to weaker side) and I remember my nephew (6) talking last summer about being told about the concept of striking on his weaker side at either hurling training or at Cul Camp.
Best idea I ever saw at this age group was where the young lad or girl has a ribbon tied to their "non-dominant" leg and if they scored using that foot it counted double.
bi-lateral movement and skill is mainly learned at 7-10 (and best taught)
so those lads hadn't a clue what they were talking about
Surely if they don't start off using both feet at U-8, by the time they get to 14-16 then it'll be a much harder skill to learn?
Can't teach an old dog new tricks and all that.
Quote from: The Gs Man on November 27, 2015, 01:33:51 PM
Surely if they don't start off using both feet at U-8, by the time they get to 14-16 then it'll be a much harder skill to learn?
Can't teach an old dog new tricks and all that.
Gaelic football no - you can still learn . Hurling - forget about it
I wouldn't worry about it by the time you're under 8s and 10s are playing senior all they will need to do is throw the ball backwards
Quote from: INDIANA on November 27, 2015, 01:52:40 PM
Quote from: The Gs Man on November 27, 2015, 01:33:51 PM
Surely if they don't start off using both feet at U-8, by the time they get to 14-16 then it'll be a much harder skill to learn?
Can't teach an old dog new tricks and all that.
Gaelic football no - you can still learn . Hurling - forget about it
Not true in either case. You can definitely develop a weaker side in either code at any stage but the earlier you learn the more developed you should become and more natural it will be.
Crazy stuff that. The earlier kids get used to using both feet / hands the better. I would also suggest that there is time given to practicing the basics right up to and including minor / senior football.
We are getting so caught up in creating fancy drills that you end up with senior teams who can barely kick pass a ball more than 5 yards with any accuracy - and that's with their good foot.
I suppose what I didn't say was that the other guys are mainly exFootballers whereas I only played a bit and was average, which is why they look at me as if i don't know what I'm talking about. But I do know the game. I have mentioned the issue discreetly without saying too much to a friend who happens to be the parent of 1 of the better children (but is 1 sided) and he has said he will start asking why his son isn't being encouraged to use his weaker side.
Oh and maybe the reason I why an average footballer was because of the coaching I got. I do remember it being boring at underage level so lost interest. The club is setting up this academy because a top club has done it and they want to be seen to be keeping up. But the reason the other club is at the top is I'm sure as much to do with the way children are coached from they walk through the door, than the coaching they get from 16yrs onwards.
Anyway another mini coaching session this morning, so we'll see how it goes. I will be mentioning both sides until I'm blue in the face. And may try the idea mentioned of tying a ribbon or something like that.
Quote from: jp2020 on November 28, 2015, 08:55:54 AM
I suppose what I didn't say was that the other guys are mainly exFootballers whereas I only played a bit and was average, which is why they look at me as if i don't know what I'm talking about. But I do know the game. I have mentioned the issue discreetly without saying too much to a friend who happens to be the parent of 1 of the better children (but is 1 sided) and he has said he will start asking why his son isn't being encouraged to use his weaker side.
Oh and maybe the reason I why an average footballer was because of the coaching I got. I do remember it being boring at underage level so lost interest. The club is setting up this academy because a top club has done it and they want to be seen to be keeping up. But the reason the other club is at the top is I'm sure as much to do with the way children are coached from they walk through the door, than the coaching they get from 16yrs onwards.
Anyway another mini coaching session this morning, so we'll see how it goes. I will be mentioning both sides until I'm blue in the face. And may try the idea mentioned of tying a ribbon or something like that.
The key thing is to stretch your players. There will be a wide range of abilities from u8 to u12 in particular. players who are very comfortable on one side should be encouraged to develop their weaker side. You will also probably have a good number of players there who are still weak enough on their good side and its probably more beneficial for their confidence to keep working to develop their good side. In small sided games you could speak to a few of the more able players and give them a five minute window where they have to use their weaker side exclusively. doing this on a regular basis will encourage them to practice at home.
I'd encourage all players to use both sides from the get go. However, you should only ask them to use their non dominant side for short periods and reward its use. There have been some good suggestions already and in addition to those I use some of the following -
Warm ups -
Players move about a square with a ball between two or three players. Coach calls out directions, e.g hand pass, solo, hop, kick etc. To use both sides coach says for the next 20 seconds players can only use non-dominant side. Repeat this a few times using the various skills. So by the end of your warm up your players will have performed a lot of the skills a large number of times and will have used their non-dominant side on a number of occasions. This also gives coaches an opportunity to observe the players perform the skills and judge who needs appropriate work, i.e Sean might be very good on dominant side so he should focus a bit more on the non-dominant whereas Frank is pretty weak on both sides and really struggles with the non-dominant so he should only do a bit on the non-dominant and focus more on just developing his skills more.
Games -
Pick different players who can only use their non-dominant side for 2 minutes during a game.
Teams can only score goals using their non-dominant side.
Points scored with non-dominant are worth double.
If you score a point with your non-dominant you get a free from in front of the goal (distance depends on players ability/age) which you can score with either foot.
A non-dominant score sends the other team back to zero, i.e a team winning 1-4 to 0-1 go back to 0-0 if the other team score with non-dominant side. You could vary this by saying it must be 3 non-dominant scores or 3 non-dominant points if your kids are good enough.
Players can kick with either foot but only hand pass with non-dominant.
Nominate some strong players who can only use non-dominant other players can use any side.
I don't tend to use the ribbon to identify the non-dominant side as you can tell when they kick anyway but it's no harm to do so either.
Basically, I try to think of ways where I both punish players, i.e using your dominant side when you should have used your non-dominant is a free against you and reward them for using their non-dominant side to encourage players to use it. I practice it a bit in drills and then encourage it in small sided games. I do this from U6 onwards as it is vital to stop them thinking they have a 'weak side' and start thinking about how helpful being able to use both sides is. The sooner you start the easier it is to develop and the more time future coaches will be able to work on other things.
using a ball against a wall is the best method to bring on the weaker side in football or hurling
loads of repetitions, and I mean loads
you can spot and fix errors at training sessions
video them kicking and show them back the footage pointing out flaws/mistakes - kids love seeing themselves and they learn 60% by observing
then show them a better example of another player and ask them the difference
Here goes Lol! Some if you will love this! At one point in a wee match yesterday my son got a free on the right hand side and was kick able but i told him to try with his left, he was told by another coach to put it over with outside of his right. I insisted he kick it with his left, he did and unsurprisingly put it wide. The other coach gave off to him, who i told I'd speak to after training.
So when all children left the pitch we had a "chat", in summary i explained id be encouraging my son and others to use both sides, he insisted that children at that age weren't developed properly to be able to do it. So on the way out of the pitch 2 parents came to me to say they were disgusted with the coach telling off my son for his left foot attempt and would be raising the issue with the club themselves. When i told them i wasnt allowed to coach the children to use their weaker side they were dumbfounded. So they are away to chat to other parents and other coaches in the club and intend going to main club executive to bring it to a head.
Hope none of them read this board - Lol.
Vive la Revolution! If would be funny if it wasnt that serious. But to be clear i praised my young fella the whole way home for trying it with his left and he was chuffed.
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Quote from: jp2020 on November 28, 2015, 08:55:54 AM
I suppose what I didn't say was that the other guys are mainly exFootballers whereas I only played a bit and was average, which is why they look at me as if i don't know what I'm talking about. But I do know the game. I have mentioned the issue discreetly without saying too much to a friend who happens to be the parent of 1 of the better children (but is 1 sided) and he has said he will start asking why his son isn't being encouraged to use his weaker side.
Oh and maybe the reason I why an average footballer was because of the coaching I got. I do remember it being boring at underage level so lost interest. The club is setting up this academy because a top club has done it and they want to be seen to be keeping up. But the reason the other club is at the top is I'm sure as much to do with the way children are coached from they walk through the door, than the coaching they get from 16yrs onwards.
Worth remembering that the best players often don't make the best coaches - lads who were naturally gifted and were quick to pick things up often have no/very little patience with kids who don't pick up things instantly.
Is it my imagination or was there a thread on the go a good while back discussing underage coaching. Posters were sharing different drills/fun activities they deliver at their sessions. This was the closest I could find using the search function but nearly certain there was another out there. Was it AZ or Zulu that posted up lots of great ideas/links? Any help would be much appreciated.
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
It seems to me that left orientated sports people find it much harder to use their weaker side than right orientated.
In fact you regularly find sports people who are naturally right orientated but practice so much with their left that they become left orientated e.g. Ferenc Puskas, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Phil Mickleson. Never really hear of the other way around, except Andreas Brehme who took penalties with his right and free kicks and corners with his left, which makes me think he's naturally left legged.
Anyway all of the above practices loads with weaker side from young age.
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
I coach at U10 level that wouldn't matter BCB. We're not trying to win an All Ireland at that age, and it'll not do much for the youngster to not be allowed to kick "his" free kick.
Quote from: Smokin Joe on June 23, 2017, 07:03:40 AM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
I coach at U10 level that wouldn't matter BCB. We're not trying to win an All Ireland at that age, and it'll not do much for the youngster to not be allowed to kick "his" free kick.
I agree and most times they do kick their own but there is also a benefit as they hit u12s to have a 'freetaker' as come the next step up it's getting very competitive with Feile etc so if you have a couple who are stronger then let them hit some of the frees for scores.
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 23, 2017, 07:07:11 AM
Quote from: Smokin Joe on June 23, 2017, 07:03:40 AM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
I coach at U10 level that wouldn't matter BCB. We're not trying to win an All Ireland at that age, and it'll not do much for the youngster to not be allowed to kick "his" free kick.
I agree and most times they do kick their own but there is also a benefit as they hit u12s to have a 'freetaker' as come the next step up it's getting very competitive with Feile etc so if you have a couple who are stronger then let them hit some of the frees for scores.
tell them you're going to have a free taking competition in 4 weeks with a small prize for the winner. eg three/four kicks from different angles
test them on it informally - get them familiar with the format.
they will practice like mad for the few weeks. boys love competition. they need a target or a result from effort.
Quote from: Smokin Joe on June 23, 2017, 07:03:40 AM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
I coach at U10 level that wouldn't matter BCB. We're not trying to win an All Ireland at that age, and it'll not do much for the youngster to not be allowed to kick "his" free kick.
It depends if the youngster in question is confident enough to take it and that's not always the case. You may be putting them under a bit of pressure to take a free, especially for a score when they're not comfortable to do so even if it is U10 or U12. I'd be inclined to have a quiet word just before it and ask them are they happy to take it and maybe take a bit of the pressure off them by telling them it doesn't really matter if they score or not but to give it a go.
The score and winning shouldn't matter to the coach, but kids being kids want to win and can put pressure on each other.
Quote from: blanketattack on June 22, 2017, 10:39:06 PM
It seems to me that left orientated sports people find it much harder to use their weaker side than right orientated.
In fact you regularly find sports people who are naturally right orientated but practice so much with their left that they become left orientated e.g. Ferenc Puskas, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Phil Mickleson. Never really hear of the other way around, except Andreas Brehme who took penalties with his right and free kicks and corners with his left, which makes me think he's naturally left legged.
Anyway all of the above practices loads with weaker side from young age.
Rafa Nadal.
Quote from: johnneycool on June 23, 2017, 09:07:52 AM
Quote from: Smokin Joe on June 23, 2017, 07:03:40 AM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
I coach at U10 level that wouldn't matter BCB. We're not trying to win an All Ireland at that age, and it'll not do much for the youngster to not be allowed to kick "his" free kick.
It depends if the youngster in question is confident enough to take it and that's not always the case. You may be putting them under a bit of pressure to take a free, especially for a score when they're not comfortable to do so even if it is U10 or U12. I'd be inclined to have a quiet word just before it and ask them are they happy to take it and maybe take a bit of the pressure off them by telling them it doesn't really matter if they score or not but to give it a go.
The score and winning shouldn't matter to the coach, but kids being kids want to win and can put pressure on each other.
In my experience, nearly everyone wants to take the free. And sidelines. And 45s/65s and everything else :)
Quote from: AZOffaly on June 23, 2017, 09:18:00 AM
Quote from: johnneycool on June 23, 2017, 09:07:52 AM
Quote from: Smokin Joe on June 23, 2017, 07:03:40 AM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 11:57:20 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 22, 2017, 10:24:52 PM
Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on June 22, 2017, 04:58:12 PM
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on November 29, 2015, 11:48:04 AM
Don't worry about it
some lads will be trying to introduce blanket defences at U8 next
Not quite blanket but a sweeper at an u12 blitz the other day, keeper came out to hit the long free kicks that were deemed scorable but then let the full back hit the kick outs!!! Ref added 20 seconds per free kick on...I kid you not...showed me the watch after the game!!
I always let the player that was fouled take the free
stops one child taking over everything
plus gets the ball moving quicker
Would agree with this unless it's a scoring opportunity and the person is not going to score.
I coach at U10 level that wouldn't matter BCB. We're not trying to win an All Ireland at that age, and it'll not do much for the youngster to not be allowed to kick "his" free kick.
It depends if the youngster in question is confident enough to take it and that's not always the case. You may be putting them under a bit of pressure to take a free, especially for a score when they're not comfortable to do so even if it is U10 or U12. I'd be inclined to have a quiet word just before it and ask them are they happy to take it and maybe take a bit of the pressure off them by telling them it doesn't really matter if they score or not but to give it a go.
The score and winning shouldn't matter to the coach, but kids being kids want to win and can put pressure on each other.
In my experience, nearly everyone wants to take the free. And sidelines. And 45s/65s and everything else :)
More than often that's the case, but I've also had a few youngsters maybe a bit lesser in ability standing over a free looking a bit worried and then I'd intervene. They're afraid of various things, missing the lift, a fresh air strike and so forth, but then you need to take the time at the next session to work with them on it if resources allow.
Anybody got any wee fun drills for u6s? I'm taking my clubs u6s now and do the usual wee tag games teaching the concept of finding space, obstacle courses, toe pick ups, kicking etc. Will start teaching the concept of sledging later in the summer ;)
I'm conscious that it can be a bit repetitive for them and looking some ideas to freshen it up every now and then.
Quote from: omagh_gael on June 23, 2017, 10:16:40 AM
Anybody got any wee fun drills for u6s? I'm taking my clubs u6s now and do the usual wee tag games teaching the concept of finding space, obstacle courses, toe pick ups, kicking etc. Will start teaching the concept of sledging later in the summer ;)
I'm conscious that it can be a bit repetitive for them and looking some ideas to freshen it up every now and then.
Try the link below and select the football tab at the top and your age group on the left of the page and you should find any amount of games and drills in there for the kids - its a great resource
http://learning.gaa.ie/planner/
Quote from: GaillimhIarthair on June 23, 2017, 10:42:51 AM
Quote from: omagh_gael on June 23, 2017, 10:16:40 AM
Anybody got any wee fun drills for u6s? I'm taking my clubs u6s now and do the usual wee tag games teaching the concept of finding space, obstacle courses, toe pick ups, kicking etc. Will start teaching the concept of sledging later in the summer ;)
I'm conscious that it can be a bit repetitive for them and looking some ideas to freshen it up every now and then.
Try the link below and select the football tab at the top and your age group on the left of the page and you should find any amount of games and drills in there for the kids - its a great resource
http://learning.gaa.ie/planner/
Great stuff, that looks like an excellent resource.
Quote from: GaillimhIarthair on June 23, 2017, 10:42:51 AM
Quote from: omagh_gael on June 23, 2017, 10:16:40 AM
Anybody got any wee fun drills for u6s? I'm taking my clubs u6s now and do the usual wee tag games teaching the concept of finding space, obstacle courses, toe pick ups, kicking etc. Will start teaching the concept of sledging later in the summer ;)
I'm conscious that it can be a bit repetitive for them and looking some ideas to freshen it up every now and then.
Try the link below and select the football tab at the top and your age group on the left of the page and you should find any amount of games and drills in there for the kids - its a great resource
http://learning.gaa.ie/planner/
We're just finishing up with u6s for the year now, goes with the school year, so been through the mill already, sounds like your just getting going. One bit of advice I would have is to move from thinking about drills to thinking about games. Go back to your own school days to see what was fun for you. We never practised kicking the ball back and forth but every break was game based whether that was everyone chasing the ball around the pitch or small sided games like 3 and in or world cup. When you start playing games with the kids you'll instantly see the enjoyment factor go way up on their behalf.
Some good football games we did this year was to start off a simple game of hand passing and tackling, no goals. They get a point for a proper hand pass and 2 for a tackle. With the tackle if you demonstrate to them that it has to be an open slap at the ball and can't be on the arms or on the body they will surprise you will their diligence. Get them all to slap the ball out of your hands to practice. The scoring usually ends in a draw as they are all too busy running around after each other to keep track.
Another one they love is cops and robbers (you'll need a load of footballs for this one). Have a square about 10m by 10m. In the four corner you have four zones, I mark them out with cones of the same colour to help distinguish them. In one corner is the cop station (blue cones) where all the cops start the game. In the opposite corner diagonally is the jail (red cones) where the cops have to
gently lead the robbers when they catch them. In one of the other corners is the bank (yellow cones) where all the balls (made out of gold) are stored and in the final corner is the robbers hideout (white cones) where all the robbers start. Idea is the robbers have to rob the balls from the bnk without being caught. They have to bounce the ball while they're running with it. The cops can't leave the cop station until the robbers start taking the balls. If the cops catch the robbers they lead them gently to the jail and put the ball back in the bank. The cops can't enter the robbers hideout and take the balls back. Robbers can break other robbers out of jail by flushing the toilet (robber in jail holds their hands out and other robber pushes their hands down). Coach can flush the toilet as well until they get the hang of it. Cops can't hang outside the jail, if there's no robbers running around they have to return to the cop station. Game is over when all the balls are in the hideout or all the robbers are in the jail. Switch the cops and robbers and go again. Time won't be long going.
Another one that I'm mulling over but haven't put into practice yet is superheros and villians. Kids love fluff. The best games are the ones you come up with yourself, don't be afraid to try out your ideas, like the kids you'll only find what works once you give it a go. Can be very rewarding when you see them all getting involved. Best of luck with it.
We separated the girls out this year too as we noticed that they were on the edges of games and numbers were starting to wane. Should have done it earlier as they are thriving now.
sillier the better with young kids
don't be afraid to make an eejit of yourself
Cheers lads, will give them a try.
Resurrecting an old thread here again after discussions at a couple of recent blitzes.
How much coaching should we be providing at the various underage levels, u6,i8, u10 etc.?
How many training sessions 1-2?
How long? An hour?
What length of season?
Quote from: LeoMc on September 21, 2019, 10:43:29 PM
Resurrecting an old thread here again after discussions at a couple of recent blitzes.
How much coaching should we be providing at the various underage levels, u6,i8, u10 etc.?
How many training sessions 1-2?
How long? An hour?
What length of season?
For our U6,8,10 we do 1 hour on a Saturday morning. We start at the end of March and weather-depending, wrap up in early October.
Quote from: StephenC on September 22, 2019, 11:47:13 AM
Quote from: LeoMc on September 21, 2019, 10:43:29 PM
Resurrecting an old thread here again after discussions at a couple of recent blitzes.
How much coaching should we be providing at the various underage levels, u6,i8, u10 etc.?
How many training sessions 1-2?
How long? An hour?
What length of season?
For our U6,8,10 we do 1 hour on a Saturday morning. We start at the end of March and weather-depending, wrap up in early October.
We are very similar, 1 hr on a Friday evening. county board but on some blitz games on a night mid week. Some clubs going all year around but I dont agree with that. Coaches and kids need a break. Also where i am there are other sports in the winter that they like to play so let them do those I say. They are too young to be signing themselves to be forced to pick one sport over another.
I do the u8s and we trained from mid-March and will be wrapping up shortly. We train every Saturday for an hour but during the summer we did Wednesday night as well. This extra session really brought them on and they seem to love it. Still can't my head around that it's near impossible get fixtures in July and August in Kildare.
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on June 23, 2017, 12:19:51 PM
sillier the better with young kids
don't be afraid to make an eejit of yourself
This is so true. I started making up games at training - hybrids of tennis/football/volley ball, Soccer style celebrations for goals and other daft games. Those are the ones they keep asking for at training. People looking on from a distance must think I am off my head!
Maybe not the right place for this but my cub plays underage for a team and someone has put in Whatsapp group about a collection for the underage mentors for taking teams throughout the year , and a paypal account to pay into. Now maybe it's just me but I have never heard the like of it and I know if I was a mentor I wouldn't take a penny
Has anyone else come across anything like this ?
Quote from: Kidder81 on November 23, 2019, 02:08:11 PM
Maybe not the right place for this but my cub plays underage for a team and someone has put in Whatsapp group about a collection for the underage mentors for taking teams throughout the year , and a paypal account to pay into. Now maybe it's just me but I have never heard the like of it and I know if I was a mentor I wouldn't take a penny
Has anyone else come across anything like this ?
It is likely not to give to the coach's as such, more like to pay for a meal and a night out for them which they likely deserve at the end of the season
Quote from: PMG1 on November 23, 2019, 05:52:13 PM
Quote from: Kidder81 on November 23, 2019, 02:08:11 PM
Maybe not the right place for this but my cub plays underage for a team and someone has put in Whatsapp group about a collection for the underage mentors for taking teams throughout the year , and a paypal account to pay into. Now maybe it's just me but I have never heard the like of it and I know if I was a mentor I wouldn't take a penny
Has anyone else come across anything like this ?
It is likely not to give to the coach's as such, more like to pay for a meal and a night out for them which they likely deserve at the end of the season
As a coach all I would like at the end of the year is a thank you. Bad idea collecting money although I'm sure the thought behind it was good.
Some of the parents of our U6 - U8 group threw in a few quid for us coaches to put towards our end of season meal which we would normally pay for ourselves. It was very much unexpected, but very well appreciated.
Not sure about paypals and WhatsApp groups etc. That's all a bit too formal.