Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Michelle Lenard - Training the Back Line

Pro-Club: TASCO Convention

TASCO Convention

Profile Summary

Name:	TASCO Convention
City:	Dallas
Country:	United States of America
Membership:	Adult Member
Sport:	Football/Soccer

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Description

Michelle Lenard is in her first season as head coach at Baylor University.

Before Baylor, Lenard was the head coach at Dallas Baptist University for 14 years.

In 14 seasons at DBU, Lenard amassed a 200-77-26 record while leading the Patriots to 13 conference championships, including seven regular-season titles and six conference tournament championships. The Patriots produced nine All-Americans and 91 players were recognized as All-Conference performers during her tenure.

A four-time Conference Coach of the Year, three-time South Central Region Coach of the Year, and the 2021 United Soccer Coaches National Coaching Staff of the Year, Lenard guided DBU to the NCAA postseason nine times, including two South-Central Regional titles, two trips to the Elite Eight, and a trip to the Final Four in 2021.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 2v1 to 4v2 Practice

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2v1 to 4v2 Practice

Session Organization:

30x20 yds (3x 10 yd channels).
3 areas with 2 Attackers and 1 Defender.
The Defender stays in the middle, looking to block the pass of the Attacker in possession of the ball, forcing them to play over or around them.
When the ball is passed to the other side, the Defender can recover to reduce the distance and press the ball making it difficult for the player in possession to pass again.
Attackers must take a touch before passing the ball and cannot pass in the air (chest height).

Keep the game competitive by giving one goal to the Defender if:
If the Defender makes a block.
Wins the ball with an interception or tackle.
The ball goes out of play (a bad pass from the Attacker, which means a turnover of possession in the game)

Attackers get a goal if they successfully pass to their teammate on the opposite side. Rotate the players every 3 minutes.

Coaching Points:

Be aware of the attacker behind you.
Stay in line with the ball, delaying or preventing a forward pass.
Stay big to force the ball around.
When pressing, “press on the pass”, “travel as the ball travels”.

Progressions:

Move to 1 group of 4v2 and 1 group of 2v1.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 4v4 Practice

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4v4 Practice

Recovery and Delay

Session Organization:

44x22yds area.
Set up as in the animation, with a halfway line. Each team of 4 stays in their own half of the field with 2 teams between the mannequins/poles on the outside.
The team in possession get a goal for successfully passing to the team on the outside, through the mannequins/poles.
The player on the outside must successfully control the ball in between the mannequins/poles for it to count. The teams out on the outside looks to pass the ball back to them as soon as possible.
If the Defending team wins the ball, they keep it, attempting to do the same the opposite way.
If the ball goes out of play, a server will play a ball into the team in possession (replicating a throw-in). The ball must be played in from the side it went out from.
Rotate the teams every 5 minutes (depending on how much time you have to do the practice).

Coaching Points:

Nearest defender presses the space in front, while the other three provide cover and balance.
Constantly adjust positioning as passes are made, being sure to recover on an angle to prevent through balls.
Cross-over steps when dropping rather than back pedaling to provide more mobility.

Football/Soccer Session Plan Drill (Colour): 6v4 Defending

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6v4 Defending

Defensive Positioning and Reading the Cues

Session Organization:

A back four and a goalkeeper (in red) are organized to defend on one half of the pitch against six blue.
players positioned with one center forward, two wide attackers, and three central midfielders.
The exercise begins as a shadow with the blue team circulating the ball around the perimeter, using the midfielders and the wide attackers.
The red back four must constantly adapt positioning with every pass.
Then, once a wide blue player passes the ball backwards, the red team are looking to step to the yellow line. However, the blue midfielders can play a through-ball to the blue center forward, so they must adjust their shape and manage that situation.

Coaching Points:

Constantly adjust positioning
Look for opportunities to raise the line when the ball is passed back
Recognize when to step and when to drop depending in the cues available
- Time and space = drop
- Pressure on the ball = step
- Back pass = step
- Track the center forward and communicate well when to pass off the player in order to maintain shape and organization.