Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Distribution Session #1

Warm-up / Activation (10 mins)

Warm-up / Activation 10 mins

Muscular warm-up:

- Jog length of the 18, 2 times. Incorporate arm swings and shoulder rotations as you jog.

- Skip series - Skips with high knee drive / Fast (quick) skips / Power skips (as high as you can jump) on every step

- Dynamic stretching - Main stretch cycle should be legs, hips, back and neck.

- Plyometric series - Find a line, 2 footed hops over and back (forward-backward) and 2 footed hops side to side.

- Throw series - 10x slings, 10x bowls, 10x two handed throws from over your head incorporating hip and back stretches through throw

- Service Series - 10x volleys, 10x drop kicks, 10x services from the ground to hands (high)

- Footwork Series - 2x approach steps to volley, 2x recovery steps to volley, 2x side shift (2 each side) to a volley.

- Footwork Series (cont.) - 4x Figure 8 pattern (see above diagram) to a low shot driven from ground. Incorporate hamstring stretch into save pattern.

- Individual Stretching

Equipment Setup:

2 cones, 2 yards apart.

Focus Area:

Target high use muscle areas for preparation for the session.

Key Factors:

Lower leg explosive activation and footwork patterns

Hips, back and neck flexibility

Activity 2: Distribution Pattern (10 mins)

Activity 2: Distribution pattern - 10 mins

- GK A serves a ball from the ground to GK B's hands (emulate a save in a match while maintaining the save range within their silhouette) GK A would then move to location D

- GK B Bowls a ball to GK C and checks to the low corner of the 6 (see diagram)

- GK C playing two touch, passes the ball back to GK B's back foot (in this case, their left foot)

-GK B would play a pass with their opposite foot (in this case, their right foot) to GK A who has moved to Location D

- GK B would check again to the low corner of the 6 nearest GK A (See Diagram)

- GK B would receive a pass from GK A to the front foot (in this case would be their left foot)

- GK B would play a first time pass to mini goal E to finish the pattern.

- Perform each pattern 2 sets of 3 times alternating the direction of the pattern. Switch GK after each set.

Progressions:

- GK B can play opposite mini goal (in diagram scenario, play mini goal F instead of E)

- To increase difficulty, have the serving GK's play bouncing passes to focus on the GK's touch to settle and play the correct pass.

Equipment Setup:

- 2 mini goals just narrowly inside of the 18 yard box (2 yards inside from the outside line of the 18 from each side)

- 8 Soccer balls by GK A

Focus Area:

- Provide the GK multiple steps in a distribution activity to accomplish

- Create different patterns (similar to building out of the back under pressure) and creating angles to pass to different spaces in the 18

- Maintaining proper body shape throughout the whole activity

Key Factors:

- Focus on their footwork pattern to set up their pass (if their body shape is wrong, its due to their poor footwork to open their hips up before getting to the spot)

- Concentration levels must stay high as they move from each task to the next, focusing on their touch and their vision before the pass is received.

- Focus on the quality of their passes (weight of the pass, bouncing balls, texture of the pass, and placement of the pass)

Activity 4: Long Range Distribution (10 mins)

Activity 4: Long Range Distribution - 10 mins

- GK A serves a ball (punt) to GK B who controls with their feet

- GK B serves a ball (punt) to GK C who controls with their feet

- GK C serves a ball (punt) to GK A who controls with their feet

- 2 sets of 5 services from each GK

Progressions:

- Drop kick instead of punt - 2 sets

- Services from the ground instead of drop kick - 2 sets

Equipment Setup:

All soccer balls distributed equally between the GK's in case of a wayward ball

Focus Area:

- Finding proper weight of service to reach their target

- Looking for proper body shape through their service

- Work on their control out of the air to continually improve their fielding skills

Key Factors:

- Proper striking technique from each GK

- Keeping their eyes on the ball as they strike to prevent unnatural body motion on impact