Under 16's Programme
Aims / Typical sessions / Objectives / Technical and Tactical Themes
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To develop athletic players with natural ability, good technique and attitude |
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Players to be comfortable / competent with the ball at their feet. |
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To improve the player's knowledge of their role within the team / unit |
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To improve decision making and awareness in the game |
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To develop team strategies and tactics |
Continue to set high standards
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A themed warm up that is both lively and enjoyable as well as instructional |
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Challenging and realistic sessions that progress according to the needs of the players |
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Lively sessions keeping players thinking and moving. |
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Maintain individual ball work with players and continue to stimulate to work alone at home |
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Lots of passing and control with players encouraged to play off 1 or 2 touch |
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Functional practices, small sided games and phase of plays with carefully applied conditions to improve units and small numbers of players |
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Dynamic not static drills |
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Reinforce good habits towards flexibility, stretching, warming up and cooling down |
Match all players physically
and with players of a similar ability
Encourage players of this age to
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Be open to play and capable of creating space for themselves and their team mates |
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Work on and off the ball to support play |
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Work on the move |
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Goalkeepers to distribute the ball |
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Keep the ball / play according to a pre determined team strategy |
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Play a passing based game |
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Communicate with team mates |
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Become students of the game |
| Technical Themes (unopposed and opposed drills) |
Detail |
| Footwork | Quick feet, Mobility of right and
left side Good pace to practice |
| Ball Manipulation | Fluid movement with both feet Good pace to practice |
| Turning | Mastery of basic techniques Right and left feet, challenging, opposed practices at match pace (1v1 + functional work) Movement to create space to change direction |
| Dribbling | Mastery of basic techniques Right and left feet, challenging, opposed practices at match pace (1v1 + functional work) Movement to create space to face up and attack opposition |
| Running with the Ball | Mastery of basic technique Right and left feet, challenging, opposed practices at match pace Awareness to see space in front Conditioned games |
| Heading | All techniques - opposed and
realistic Defensive and attacking headers, meeting crosses |
| Short passing | Mastery of all techniques Right and left feet, challenging, opposed practices at match pace Awareness and decision making to play feet or space 1 and 2 touch play |
| Long passing | All techniques Right and left feet, unopposed and opposed. Awareness and decision making to play into feet or space Forward passes in conditioned games and functional practices |
| Control and first touch | All techniques using all surfaces
unopposed and opposed. Awareness / decision making / taking the ball early / keep the ball rolling. |
| Defending | 1 v 1 - 3 v 3 techniques and
knowledge of work in units Pressure, forcing play, cover and compactness Communication |
| Shooting | Basic technique using right and
left feet unopposed and opposed. Challenging drills to encourage shooting on the move and 1 touch finishing. Seeing opportunities / taking opportunities |
| Tactical
Themes (conditioned small sided games, functional practices and phase of plays) |
Detail |
| Defensive Work in relevant areas of the pitch, whenever possible overload the attacking team to improve the player's knowledge of: |
- Team shape and strategy - Working in units - defence, midfield and attack in the relevant areas of the pitch - Pressure, cover, balance and recovery - Making play predictable and forcing play - When to pressurise, when to drop - Defending the counter-attack - When to mark a player when to mark space - Defending from crosses - Communication and awareness - Defending at corners and set peices |
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Attacking Passing and support Practices involving long and short passing to improve and speed up decision making Positive forward movement |
- Passing options and decision making - feet or space, weight, delivery etc - Long forward passes - ground, aerial - Support in front of the ball - Receiving the ball under pressure - Movement to destroy cover - diagonal passes and runs /decoy runs / overlaps / 1-2's etc - Quick play and improvisation in the attacking third - Counter - attacking - Switching play - Communication and general awareness - Creating space as a team - Crossing and wide play - Finishing from crosses - 1 touch finishing and power shooting - Team shape and strategy - Forward runs without the ball / with the ball to exploit space - Attacking from set pieces - Team shape and strategies |
A pre - defined coaching programme could be followed at this age group, but it would be more practical for the coach to determine the learning programme in accordance with the groups ability and needs. Progressing only as and when a topic was understood