3 Techniques to Get More From Your Players on Game Day

2019 is in the books.  During my end of year debrief I looked over how my coaching has changed.  The biggest differences have been when it comes to gamedays, especially with my grassroots teams.  Even after 15 years of doing this, I'm pleased to say that I'm still willing to adapt to the needs of the players.

Start the Warm Up with a Game

Young players will turn up late to games.  With all the will in the world, you cannot legislate for traffic, their parents, their siblings or many other reasons why players may not be there on time.  This has been happening since the start of time and will no doubt continue for the forseeable future. With that said, coming up with a way that the entire team is ready for the meat of the warm up is a challenge.

A few years back I was coaching a team that started practice at 4pm.  Due to school finish times, there was no way that they would all be able to arrive on time.  My solution was to run 2 small sided games up until 4:10 and then start the practice.  This allowed the players to arrive and integrate into the session as and when they could.  It also allowed the players who got their early to experience 1 v 1, 2 v 1, 2 v 2 and multiple other game situations before practice began.

I have started to do this on game day with my U8 & 10 Grassroots teams this season.  I found that it allows them to get their social side out, experience competition and allowed me to remind them of a couple of in-game coaching points (don't crowd the ball, think offensively and defensively when both in & out of possession) prior to the game.  Compared to having them perform a repetitive, boring drill, it has been far more impactful.

Individual Coaching Points

A small sided game for the first 10 minutes of the warm up has also allowed me to save time on team talks.  For those of you that are premium database members, you will have seen that I coach some players with very short attention spans.  Anytime the practice stops for a coaching point to be delivered or for a practice to be explained they're looking away, talking to their mates or chasing fairies!  The same was happening on game day.  A 10-15 minute pre-match team talk is a lot for a foundation age player to take in.  If you're offering 4-5 coaching points for them to remember, be pleased if they remember even one of them.  It's a lot of information.

I tried to implement an individual coaching point for each player.  One thing they have to focus on which will help their performance.  This could be something as simple as 'think about the placement of your non-kicking foot when passing the ball'.  It could be a more advanced challenge like 'I want to see you have 6 succssful 1 v 1 dribbles to beat an opponent using X and Y move'.  The good thing is they are personal to each player and gives them sole ownership.  With a small sided game, you can pull the players aside one by one to speak to them.

These individual coaching points means that the 'team' talk can just be saved for telling your players what the starting line up is.  This helps those with short attention spans and gives you more time to warm the players up physically.

Allow the Players to Choose the Starting Line Up

I'll be the first to admit, this takes a massive amount of bravery on the coaches part.  It is something I am still coming to terms with and will only use on special occasions, such as tournaments or friendlies.  Some players may not be ready to cope with this, so it is definitely on a team by team basis.

My U10's took part in a Futsal tournament a few weeks ago.  I wanted to use it as a chance to step away from my traditional coaching and put the onus on them.  I gave them the whiteboard, asked them to choose the team and what they wanted to achieve in each game.  I was pleased that throughout 5 games they ensured that everyone got equal playing time, tried 2 different formations (and realised which one wasn't working for them) and rotated the positions as and when.  Some players preferred to play in particular positions (both defense and attack) and they also catered for that.

My role was simply to manage the time for the subs to be made and to give the players some in-game feedback.

The result was some solid performances, plenty of goals and fun day for all involved.  It has since led to improved communication during outdoor games, as well as greater cameraderie between the players.