Coaching Tips

Counter attacking is a very effective attacking tactic. Once the ball is won, the counter attack has to be quick, to advance down the pitch and attack the opposition, whilst the opposition team still have players forward and are caught out of position and briefly the wrong side of the ball and out of the play.

Football Coaching Course - Free E book on the skill of creating space

Soccer Coaching Course - Free E book on the skill of creating space

As we have recently posted about encouraging creativity within your youth team, it’s only right we talk about dribbling. - a very important tool in a creative player’s repertoire.  How do you players feel about beating an opponent one-on-one? Let’s go through some ways in which we can coach our players to be more confident and forward-thinking when on the ball.

With such a spotlight on the world’s most talented players, names like Ronaldo and Messi have become known in almost every household. It’s understandable why your youth players will try their hardest to imitate this high level of skill and creativity, sometimes aiming to win a game single-handedly. What is said for those who get outshone? Are we preventing all members of the team from realising their creative potential?

Taking part is what counts, but what if the problem with participation does not lay with the players, but instead the parents. We know all too well the negatives of over-involvement when it comes to coaching and tactical decisions from the sideline, but being the head coach isn't the only way to contribute to your youth football team. Here are 5 ways we think you can entice your player's parents and get more involvement off the pitch.

Continuing on from part 1, encouraging self-worth will also improve the confidence of the individuals. When the players have an individual feeling of self-worth and confidence, they will naturally feel more capable of engaging with the other members of the team. We should always look to encourage togetherness within our teams.

Top teams in the world have always had a wonderful ability and resources to attract the best talent in the world, these players then come in with performances that lift the entire team and continue a level of success within that team, however, top talent isn’t the only way to the top. There is also culture.