U13 boys- week of June 12

I will be at your practice on Thursday this week....last practice...on Tuesday next week it is the wind up where you will be playing your final games.  I will be doing my last goal keeping session Al's group and then be coming by your groups to check in.

Focus this week:  tackling & working on possession in games

Warm-up:  dribble grid (try adding pulls and dribbling around cone on outside with outside of foot 2x, and inside 2x using both feet.  Play 'shark', reminding them of good shielding technique

Agility:  cones & hurdles (U6's will also be using, so please put back in bin when done)

Start with walking through the basics of tackling (as good tackling technique is imperative) ...you should also spend some time talking about slide tackles....and the importance of clean tackles.  Slide tackles are a last ditch effort, and player must be going for the ball....slide tackles take you out of the game in that you are on the ground and not that effective on the ground hence why you should only use them in a last ditch effort (eg. no other defenders behind you)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtauRD5ipo  to get them to understand the basics....quick review

Tackling teaching points:
-non kicking foot next to the ball
-head down, knee and shoulder over the ball
-ankle of tackling foot firm and locked
-knees bent to lower centre of gravity
-contact is made with inside of foot


Try some of these games/drills to get them into tackling situations plus they work on shielding
http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/four_corners_aggressiveness.htm
http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/bang_steal_the_bacon.htm  (bang only)
Can also add onto 1v1 drills from last week, this meshes well into the numbers game below....moving onto timing your tackles and then what to do with the ball once you have won it
(ie) things like playing a simple ball to a team mates feet vrs kicking it and hoping for the best thus creating 50/50 ball where your team then has to then potentially win back possession vrs playing a ball to space.....then move to creating passes and space and finding windows (holes to pass through) within your scrimmage and the idea of playing the ball out wide where there is space

Play the numbers game:  divide into two teams and number (try to get good match ups), two goals, coach plays in 50/50 balls and calls numbers, can start with just 1v1, move to 2v2 and more....then move to scrimmage working on possession and ball movement...incorporate some of the principals of play.