27 Jan 2015

Improve your football training sessions with 2 simple equipment changes

No matter how good a coach you think you are, if the players don’t enjoy training, then you aren’t that good a football coach!!

You have planned your training session. You have all the equipment, balls, bibs, cones etc. At some point you will get into some kind of competitive small sided game. It might be a themed game or functional practice,  for example attack v defence, or it might and should be a game that incorporates two teams and goals.

The players want to play a game; after all that is what football is all about and what players enjoy the most. Yes you will need footballs and bibs or shirts to identify the two teams. But there are two essential pieces of equipment are vital to improve the game. Markers for the pitch – touchline, halfway lines, penalty areas. The more the pitch size and markings resemble the size and look of the pitch your players play their games on the more realistic the game will be for the players and the  better prepared they will be for the game ahead.

The next essential piece of equipment is the goals. Depending on the age of your team, there will be a dedicated pitch and goal size. So again, it is important that in the game the size of the pitch reflects the size of the goals they will be using in their matches.

Goals: Yes if you can afford them, portable goals are fantastic. But…not always possible!

So if you do not have portable goals available, use poles that can easily be placed 1n the ground. Yes, there will be no cross bar, but the width of the goal used on match day can be the same. Please note, we do not advocate poles that have metal spikes be used for goals as they are an obvious health and safety risk.

Try and use poles with a base, as illustrated here.

I have been coaching for many years now and recently came across flat, rubberised disc markers. As the name signifies, these are flat (about 23 cms in diameter), circular, rubberised (the heavier the better) markers. They are brilliant for marking out pitch or training areas. The big advantage of them are the health and safety aspect, if a player treads on one, no players tripping over them or  twisted ankles and the fact that the ball can pass over them without being diverted deflecting or impacting on the direction of the ball. The white or high visible markers are great for marking out the perimeter and inside pitch markings or training areas.

To buy this equipment go to – http://www.thesoccerstore.co.uk