Designed for high school soccer coaches

1. Craig Winship

2. Where are you now,
Coach?
 Just getting started with the
program
 If I don’t coach it, who will?
 They told me I had to if I wanted
to coach my favorite sport.
 Taking the team back from
parents

3. Where are you now,
Coach?
 Building enthusiasm
 Developing technical skill
to compete
 Teaching tactical
strategies to win

4. Getting started
 Do you have a long term plan for the
development of your team?
 Will you be an offensive or defensive
oriented team?
 You cannot measure progress without a
plan.

5. Getting started
 If your practices are organized and
relevant while addressing individual
and group growth,
 the stronger teams tend to buy into it.
 the weaker teams do, too.

6. Getting started
 As a coach, you must create an
identity for your team and stay
true to it.
 Even JV trains with the same
coaching theories and goals.

7. Developing your coaching style
 Good coaches should want to improve as a
coach in order to better teach their players.
 Organization of your coaching plans as
well as setting clear objectives to your
workouts are critical to this.
 Daily plans are a must.
 Weekly plans insure that you are building.
 Include your assistant coach(es).

8. Developing your coaching style

9. Developing your coaching style
 It does not matter if
you print your plans
or write them,
 Just Have Them!!
 Your players know
when you are
unprepared.

10. Developing your coaching style
 How many minutes per practice do they
work in structured, instructional activities?

11. A balance is required
Individual
development
Team
development

12. Building the attack
 Role of the keeper
 Use him or her as a weapon
in possession
 Vocal leadership with the
backs
 Not just a shot blocker
anymore

13. Building the attack
 Role of the backline
 Expand the field when we
have the ball
 Relieve pressure with short,
probing passes to mids
 Support the mids and
forwards
 *No magical barrier at
midfield (The 50 yard line)

14. Building from the back by David Clarke
 Use a 40x30 yard area with three small goals - each two yards
wide - at each end.
 You'll need balls, bibs and cones.
 Adjust player numbers to suit your session.
 Each team has three defensive players and a keeper in their
defensive half, with two attackers in the opposition half.

15. Building from the back by David Clarke
 Balls start from keepers
 This attacking team must make three passes -
something they should be able to do quite easily
with their 4v2 overload.

16. Building from the back by David Clarke
 Once they complete the three passes, a player
can pass or dribble into the opposition half of the
pitch, supported by his team mates, which creates
a 5v4 overload.

17. Building from the back by David Clarke
 To score, attackers must dribble the ball through any of the three
opposition gates.
 If the defending team wins the ball back, it can counter attack -
there are no offside.
 If it cannot counter, passing back to the keeper resets play -
opposition players return to their original positions, and the
exercise restarts by building from the back.

18. Building from the back
by David Clarke
 Utilizing possession is good for
technique and means opponents
are being asked to work hard to
get near the ball.
 It rehearses passing into and
creating space, forward
movement, counter-attacking and
support play.
 With practice, players can really
enjoy the benefits of such skilled
and attractive build-up patterns.

19. Building from the back
 7v5 playing from the
keeper.
 The goal is to retain
possession while
looking to score in
small goals.
 Adjust numbers for
success.

20. Building the attack
 Role of the defensive
mid
 Always be available
for a pass
 Look to switch the
attack
 Always behind the
ball line

21. Building the attack
 Role of the wide attackers
 Must provide width to stretch
the defense
 Body shape faces the field
 Drops to receive low pressure
passes
 Pushes up to receive balls into
space
 Willing to take on the outside
backs

22. Building the attack
 Role of the forward(s)
 Must be able to play facing his or her own goal.
 Must be able to win 1v1 with center back
 Must be able to finish quickly and under
pressure

23. Developing the offense
Three red
cones
Formation is
talent based
Repetition –
Good or Great

24. Developing the offense
 Each player has a read to make based on the
ball’s location.

25. Developing the offense
 Front runner, front post (keeper to front post)
 Second runner, second post (back post to
keeper). It is NOT a race.

26. Developing the offense
 The outside mid or forward, contains the play
in front of him/her.
 RECYCLE unproductive runs.

27. Developing the offense 4-3-3
 An attacking midfielder is played.
 First touch is wide to space for the forward.

28. Developing the offense 4-3-3
 Our goal is to cross the ball to the red cones.
 Again, front runner, front post.
 Second runner, back post with containment

29. Developing the offense 4-3-3
 The midfielder who started the action wide is
now responsible for the arc (Trash).
 In the example, the ball was played behind the
front runner. He leaves it for the second runner.

30. Developing the offense 4-4-2
 An attacking midfielder is played.
 First touch is wide to space for the outside
mid.

31. Developing the offense 4-4-2
 Our goal is to cross the ball to the red cones.
 Again, front runner, front post.
 The only difference is a checking run to the ball
by the nearest forward. That allows for a 1-2 etc

32. Developing the offense 4-4-2
 Center midfielder who started the action wide
is help then to arc (trash)

33. Developing the offense 4-4-2

34. Developing the offense
 Four defensive cones are set near midfield
 This more accurately simulates the game

35. Developing the offense
 Place your attackers regardless of formation
 Ball starts with center mids

36. Developing the offense
 First touch is free
 Outside backs must recover

37. Developing the offense
 Outside forward is encouraged to dribble
 Front runner, front post etc

38.  Front runner, front post etc
 Second runner, back post
Attacking with second runner

39. Free resources
 http://www.soccerspecific.com
 http://www.bettersoccercoaching.com/
 http://www.coachingsoccergoalkeeping.com/
 http://www.finesoccer.com
 http://www.worldclasscoaching.com