VYSA Training Priorities
U6 Development of Individual Skills
COACH: Must be enthusiastic. Must be able to give encouragement. Must be understanding and fair. Must be able to give equal playing time and rotate positions. Cannot be concerned with wins and losses. Must secure safe environment. Should play with players.
TECHNIQUE: Every player should have a ball. No elimination games. Establish fundamental motor skills like running, jumping and rolling. Focus heavily on kicking the ball, stopping the ball, dribbling the ball and stealing the ball. No heading what-so-ever. Encourage individual success.
TACTICS: No tactics taught. The player only understands themselves and the ball and cannot think in an abstract or tactical manner. Get players to move in the correct direction to score or defend. In the game, everybody moves up and down the field as a unit. Do not leave defenders standing at the top of the penalty box.
PHYSICAL: Poor eye, hand and eye, and foot coordination at this age. Balance is increasing. Must be given frequent but short rest periods. They will give the activity 100% effort until fatigued. Not much physical difference between boys and girls. Do not have players run laps.
MENTAL: Poor judgment in regards to safety. The focus is on themselves as an individual. Must be fun. Need positive reinforcement and praise. Prone to exaggerate. Need plenty of room to move.
U8 Individual Skill Development
COACH : Passionate about children. Enhancement of U6 soccer knowledge. Know basic rules of corner kick, goal kick, indirect kick, kick-off, drop ball and minor fouls. Encourage sportsmanship. Should play with players. Coach must be enthusiastic and sensitive. Wins and losses do not matter. Nurturing manner.
TECHNIQUE: Enhancement of dribbling skills using all foot surfaces. How to receive and control the ball. Starting to learn how to pass. Don’t encourage players to just kick the ball down field. Start to encourage controlling it and trying to keep possession. Learn to shoot. Every player must have their own ball. 75% of practice should be on technique. Left and right foot with every activity. All activities are to be done with a ball.
TACTICS: Players begin to understand themselves and a friend. Rotate players in different positions. Width and spreading out on the field. Move up and down the field as a unit. Penetrate defenses with quick passes. Understand restarts. Still heavy emphasis on individual technique rather than group tactics. Lots of 1v1. 2v1 and 2v2 towards goal. Plenty of repetitions.
PHYSICAL: Improved eye, hand and eye, and foot coordination is improving but not completely mature. Can be self centered. Skeletal system is growing. Need full rest periods and plenty of water. No separate running should be done. All activities with a ball.
MENTAL: Need constant reinforcement. Focus is on them and their friend. They are beginning to develop time and space relationships. Easily bruised ego. Make it fun. They have a great need for approval and have a fear of failure.
U10 Development of Skill and Small Group Tactics
COACH : Coach must be enthusiastic and passionate. Must have the ability to demonstrate. Must be keen and sensitive as well as enjoy children. The coach must seek soccer education. Must respect the game and all who are involved with it. Focus on development rather than the result. Know more soccer rules.
TECHNIQUE: Continued development on individual technique. Ball juggling. All players must have a ball. Control and receiving as well as passing skills should be heavily emphasized. Continued work on shooting. Activities must include lots of repetitions. Teach Goalkeeping skills. 75% of practice should be on technique. Encourage mastery of the ball. Left and right foot with everything.
TACTICS: Build on small group activities like 2v1, 2v2, 2v3, 3v3-both offensively and defensively. Teach some positional responsibilities but don’t spend a lot of time on it. Continue to rotate players in positions. Learn depth and cover as well as width. Teach throw-ins. Encourage flair and risk taking.
PHYSICAL: Introduce stretching and cool downs. They need full rest periods and plenty of water breaks. Players are becoming stronger and faster. Prone to over heating and heat related injury. Players gaining better control over their bodies.
MENTAL: Recognizes basic concepts of time and space but not always certain why. Their focus is on “me” and the “team.” Still in need of positive reinforcement. Want to belong to a group. Enjoy friends. Adults outside of the family are accepted. They will blame others. They are more sensitive and serious about playing. Feelings get hurt easily.
VYSA OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TRAINING PRIORITIES
The development of a soccer player is a long process, which requires proper guidance and direction from quality knowledgeable coaches. This process cannot be rushed, but players should always compete at a level that is both challenging and demanding. ODP training provides another environment for which elite players can grow and develop. This training is not meant to take the place of a players club training, but it is to supplement his / her training and provide another avenue for development.
These training priorities are to help guide you in developing appropriate training sessions for your age group.
Your training sessions should contain the following characteristics:
- Heavy emphasis on technical work, especially at the younger age groups.
- Play oriented training – it should look like the game.
- Involve transition.
- Go to goal whenever possible.
- Demanding
- Challenging
- Motivating
- Fun
Success & Excellence (Joe Paterno)
“There are many people, particularly in sports, who think that success and excellence are the same thing, and they are not the same thing. Excellence is something that is lasting and dependable and largely within a person’s control. In contrast, success is perishable and is often outside our control … If you strive for excellence, you will probably be successful eventually … people who put excellence in the first place have the patience to end up with success … An additional burden for the victim of the success mentality is that he/she is threatened by the success of others, and resents real excellence. In contrast, the person fascinated by quality is excited when he/she sees it in others.”
Let us strive for EXCELLENCE in our Virginia Olympic Development Program!
U12 Development of Individual Skills and Individual and Group Tactics
Hero worship, identification with high level players and teams and a hunger and passion for imaginative skills are important at this age. Demonstration is very important and players learn best by doing. It is very important to establish discipline and instill an attitude necessary to compete and succeed.
COACH: Must be enthusiastic; Possess soccer awareness; A sensitive teacher; Ability to demonstrate; Knowledge of the key factors of basic skills; Give encouragement; Seek soccer education.
TECHNIQUE: Important to establish a good strong base. Increase technical speed. Develop under pressure of time, space and opponent. The technical training must far outweigh anything else in this age group.
1 st Touch All surfaces and on the move.
Passing All surfaces and on the move. Proper timing, weight, accuracy and disguise.
Dribbling Encourage risk taking. They must be allowed to run at players and take them on. We want players who can make things happen.
Shooting Proper striking technique-service from all angles, 1 st touch, preparation to strike and attitude to score
TACTICS: Play a variety of positions. Promote attacking soccer
Individual 1V1
Attacking Take players on. Encourage the creative risk taker. Shielding.
Defending Proper pressure (in front and from behind), How to jockey and how and when to tackle.
Small group 2V1, 2V2, 3V1, 3V2, 3V3
Attacking Keep possession, support, combination plays
Defending Pressure/cover; marking
Play a lot of small-sided games and coach within the games. Join in
PHYSICAL: Flexibility-stress this aspect because it cuts down on injuries and increases range of motion.
Speed, Strength, Agility
MENTAL: Must be kept fun
Encourage decision-making
Imagination/Creativity/Risk Taking
Discipline/Boots polished/On Time/Set Standards
Encourage them to watch high-level games
U14 Individual Skills and Small Group Tactics
Adult standards and formal rules become the focal point. The demands of skill training as well as training loads should increase thus provoking improvement in mental toughness, concentration and diligence.
Coach: Strong personality; Soccer knowledge; Enthusiastic; Demonstrate
TECHNIQUE: Build on the base. Development of individual skill under pressure
Dribbling Encourage players to take players on 1v1; Moves; Shielding and Spin turns.
Receiving Quality 1 st touch. Still highly emphasized. Take balls out of air/turning; all surfaces.
Passing Short, long, bent, crosses, driven, chipped; all surfaces and on the move.
Shooting On the run; on the turn; from all angles; Volleys; 1/2 volleys
Heading To goal; To pass; To clear
Tackling Proper technique and timing; Slide
TACTICS: Increase tactical speed (decision making)
Individual 1V1
Attacking Encourage the creative risk taker; take players on in proper areas of the field
Defending Proper pressure (in front and behind); Channel player; immediate chase
Small Group 2V1, 2V2, 3V2, 3V3, 4V2, 4V3, 4V4
Attacking Keep possession; Support; Combination Play; Width, Depth, Penetration; Crossing with proper runs; Simple set plays
Defending Pressure-Cover-Balance, Compactness, Delay, Tracking back; Simple set plays
Play a lot of small-sided games and coach within the games. Join in
PHYSICAL: Flexibility, Agility
Speed
Strength
Endurance
MENTAL: The game must remain fun
Imagination/Creativity/Risk Taking
Increase Demands
Establish Training Targets
Maintain Discipline
Encourage them to watch high-level games.
U16 Development of Skill and Group Tactics
This is a critical time in a player’s development. Many stop playing due to other interests, lack of success, shortage of playing opportunities, poor coaching or other interests. Players tend to be mentally tougher and more self confident but with a need for attention, security and further nurturing. There is a need for team spirit, leadership and discipline within the team.
COACH: Charismatic; Experienced; Knowledgeable; Articulate; Disciplinarian; Managerial Know How; Thoughtful Communicator
TECHNIQUE: Skills should be mastered leading to artistry. Technique should be trained on the move, done at speed and all with opposition. Strike balls cleanly and maturely over distance with accuracy and pace and all under pressure.
TACTICS: Increase Tactical Speed (decision making)
Group 3V3, 4V4, 5V5, 7V7
Attacking Keep Possession but with a Purpose-e.g. Direction
Combination Play and 3 rd Man Runs
Penetration
Mobility/Creativity
Crossing with Pressure and Proper Runs into the Box
Set Plays
Defending Pressure-Cover-Balance
Compactness
Delay
Tracking Back
Communication (how, efficient)
Hunting the Ball and Winning Back Possession
Set Plays
PHYSICAL: Flexibility-Before and After Training/Games
Agility-With and Without the Ball
Speed Work
Endurance-Aerobic and Anaerobic
Strength-Upper and Lower Body
Nutrition-Proper Diet-Pre-Game, Post-Game, Tournaments, etc…
Prevention and Care of Injuries
MENTAL: Increased Concentration, Goalsetting, and Relaxation Techniques
Leadership/Player Responsibilities
Discipline
Respect for the Game/Opponent, Watch High Level Matches
U19 Developmental of Positional and Team Play
Fulfillment of a player’s potential depends on his or her own efforts, the support of his/her teammates and the unselfish guidance of his or her coach. He/she must be exposed to a playing and training environment, which extends his/her mental, physical and technical capabilities to the limit. He/she must have a sound understanding of the game’s principles and concepts. Players should show emotional stability when confronted with pressure situations. Demanding and Challenging training sessions and matches are a must!!!
COACH: Charismatic; Well Informed; Up to Date; Experienced; Articulate; Disciplinarian-No Doubts about who is in Charge; Managerial Know How
TECHNIQUE: Mastered Skill Leading to Artistry. All at Speed under Match Conditions. Individual Skill Covered during warm-up
TACTICS: Increase Tactical Speed (Decision making).
Increase Pressure and Competition
Team/Functional- Understanding the Three Lines in the Team and their Collective Responsibilities
Attacking Possession with a Purpose
Combination Play with Tactical Implications
Penetration with Variety, Creativity and Disguise
Counter Attack
Wide/Flank Play
Target Play and Creating Chances
Crossing under Pressure with Proper runs into the Box
Set Plays
Defending Zonal marking & Man marking with Sweeper Behind
Pressing as a Unit in Different 1/3’s
Set Plays
PHYSICAL: Flexibility Work Before and After Practices and Games
Agility-With and Without the Ball
Speed
Endurance-Aerobic and Anaerobic
Strength-Upper and Lower Body
Nutrition-Proper Diet-Pre-Game, Post-Game. Tournaments, etc…
Care and Prevention of Injuries
Care of their Own Bodies. e.g. toenails, shower, sleep, footwear
MENTAL: Increased Concentration
Leadership/Increased Player Responsibilities
Discipline
Respect for the Game/Opponents
Self-Confidence/Self Motivation-GoalSetting
Mental Imagery
Fighting Spirit-Will to Win
Encourage to Watch High Level Soccer