Winter Training

[paulb]

I'm managing a first-year travel team, U13 girls. We're trying to put together a Winter Training schedule.

We're leaning towards a combination of outdoor sessions (1 per week, weather permitting) with our normal (professional) coach, supplemented by weekly 90-minute sessions in a gym coached by myself and maybe one other parent. (Note: gym availability and coach availability mean we can't have the professional coach do the indoor session,... it's also cheaper this way.)

So I guess what I'm looking for help with is either additional ideas for winter, or ideas for the kind of training to run in the gym once a week.

My thinking is to do alot of foot skills work, and then pick-up futsal. I want to keep it fun.

What are the feelings here about futsal for this age group? Is having the team play pick-up futsal a good alternative, or a poor one, to fielding a team in a formal futsal or indoor league?

(As an aside, is there any way to pick up a couple of *cheap* portable futsal goals? ;-)

Thanks.

[masshysteria]

I want to keep it fun.

This should be priority number 1. Winter training can quickly seem like work, especially if the girls play in the fall and the spring and the summer. If soccer starts becoming work rather than fun, it doesn't matter how much training they get they won't become better players.

Gym soccer or futsal can be a lot of fun. If the girls haven't spent time playing it, the fast pace will come as a bit of a surprise. You'll probably notice it doesn't take a full 90 minutes to get a good workout out of them.

Since this is training, the goal is to keep them fit and hopefully improve some footwork, make sure you allow plenty time to rest and rehydrate.

I'd just recommend this indoor time as game time with a fun/goofy warm-up in the beginning. You'd be surprised how well silly warm-ups can be with pre-teen/teenaged girls.

(As an aside, is there any way to pick up a couple of *cheap* portable futsal goals? ;-)

If you are in a gym, you can always use colored tape to mark goals on the wall. Or, just throw down some big orange traffic cones and play with no keepers and the shots have to be below the top of the cones.

I figure the more like street soccer the game is, the more it shows the kids they can play anyway.

[FRYE!]

i like these ideas. we've just come to the close of our high school boys season. many of my boys are looking into playing in an indoor league, but i think it's important to keep a semi-regular schedule of scrimmages and pick-up games with the team to keep good communication and improve skills. we have access to a multi-purpose gym with tile floor for futsal. and the artificial turf field stays in good condition despite weather conditions. in fact, some of the boys are excited to bundle up and play a bit of snow soccer come winter. but i agree, the number one factor is FUN. and as we get closer to pre-season training next summer, we'll increase the more strenuous conditioning and individual/team tactics.

[Occam S. Razor]

Something I like to do is indoor speed skills. We take 4 players per indoor racquetball court, and they play with rules very close to racquetball. It teaches agility, following up shots, thinking ahead of the shot, great spatial reasoning, and gets the girls used to setting up shots. We use a regular ball, and indoor soccer shoes. The girls love it.

[Twenty26Six]

I might just run them through the "1000 Touch Workout" routine [or similar adaptation], and then let them play games. Maybe, once in a while, I would change the games' playing area or rules to meet a different coaching objective.

[Crimson Ace]

While in the gym, my only recommendation would be to ignore the walls entirely while in game situations (3v3, etc.). I always make my kids play inside the lines. At the start of the winter sessions, they complain about it and the games are a bit out of sorts while they figure it out. By the final weeks leading into outdoor spring season, they're knocking it around like superstars. I usually tape the first session and the last. I show the tape to my girls at a team get-together right before spring season. That viewing gives them a chance to visually compare their progress and make fun of each other. Fun stuff.

[Twenty26Six]

While in the gym, my only recommendation would be to ignore the walls entirely while in game situations (3v3, etc.). I always make my kids play inside the lines.

I like that, but lately I've thought that having "end walls" is a good way to encourage shooting without some of the negative consequence [immediate loss of possession on inaccurate shots].

[Crimson Ace]

I like that, but lately I've thought that having "end walls" is a good way to encourage shooting without some of the negative consequence [immediate loss of possession on inaccurate shots].
That can certainly be true - I just don't think with most teams. It's my experience that teams such as U13 girls tend to just whack the ball aimlessly at walls and don't focus on the technique. I also think using walls in game-like situations is doing them a disservice. I'd rather spend my time indoors getting our technique and comfort level on the ball elevated.

My favorite part of not having a place to "shoot" all winter... the kids tend to get really excited by being allowed to unleash some serious shots in our first outdoor spring training sessions!

I'm not trying to say you're wrong... I just tend to go a different route! :)

[Twenty26Six]

That can certainly be true - I just don't think with most teams. It's my experience that teams such as U13 girls tend to just whack the ball aimlessly at walls and don't focus on the technique. I also think using walls in game-like situations is doing them a disservice. I'd rather spend my time indoors getting our technique and comfort level on the ball elevated.

My favorite part of not having a place to "shoot" all winter... the kids tend to get really excited by being allowed to unleash some serious shots in our first outdoor spring training sessions!

I'm not trying to say you're wrong... I just tend to go a different route! :)

How dare you disagree! ;)

I agree, for the most part. I'm against sideline boarding all together. But, that end wall, I don't know - I might like it for U11 and younger.

[rcsoccer3]

I'm working on some preseason training for a u-14 girls team I will be coaching. We are looking to start with some things they can do in their homes for about 15-20 minutes a day. I want to throw out a few ideas you could use to help your girls and then ask you all for some ideas I could add to my training regimen.
I plan to give them touches on the floor every day; pendulum touches in which they do quick touches in between their feet and stay on their toes the whole time, so it is much like jogging in place with a ball. This is a great warm up and really works fitness and improves touch a lot. They can also move into some simple cuts and turns from the pendulums; they do three or four touches, a turn and right back into the pendulum to work on close control.
For girls this age, there also needs to be a bit of strength training, especially some core work. Daily ab work is very important. Simple squats and push ups will also help.
I think the most important thing is stretching. Don't have them stretch cold, it does more damage than good. It's better to start with something like the touches and even the muscle work and then do a stretch for a short session like this one I think. For you, start with the touches or a similar game, then stretch, then let them play once they are warmed up and stretched.
If you all can think of some simple things I could add to my home training each day, I would appreciate the suggestions. I hope these simple ideas can help your gym training as well. Best of luck to your team!

[Val1]

Embrace the boards. They're fun and that's the point. And it's an experience that your players cannot get anywhere else. I really haven't seen that kids learn bad habits by playing with them, quite the contrary, if your girls are inventive, they'll try new stuff.

Now, if you decide not to play with the boards, since it is against the prevailing orthodoxy and all, then I would definitely recommend playing with the end walls because it is good for goalkeepers to learn to play the rebounds from missed shots. Keepers playing out in the field almost never get to practice rebounds from the goal post, because how you can ensure lots of balls hitting the uprights? Moreso than the outdoor game, the indoor game requires quick reflexes on the part of the keeper.