Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Movement-Change of Direction-Speed

Running Technique (10 mins)

Organization: Groups of 3-5 kids depending on numbers. Place 5 cones in a straight line, with a 2/3 foot space between each cone. Acceleration gate 5 yards at the end. Goal at end for progression.

Instructions: Players to focus on their running technique as they work through cones, before accelerating as fast as they can through the end gate. Next player in line goes once first is finished.

Coaching Points:

Feet: Heels up, Toes down.

Knees: Knees raised in front, foot below knee.

Chest/ Back: Upward

Arms: Rotate from Shoulders (Be a Runner, not a Drummer)

Hands: Hip to Lip.

(ALL BODY MOVEMENTS SHOULD BE IN FORWARD AND BACK DIRECTIONS)

Progressions:

Add pugg goal, 2 ball, and finish shot /pass on goal once accelerated through gate. Encorportates soccer Specific movement, transition to strike.

Deceleration (10 mins)

Organization: Groups of 3-4 kids depending on numbers. Place two different colored cones(Red, Yellow), 8 yards ahead of line, creating a triangle. Acceleration gate 5 yards at the end. Goal at end for progression.

Instructions: Players reacts to shout from coach (Red or Yellow), and accelerated towards that cone before decelerating to a stop. Next player in line goes once first is finished and out of the way. The idea is that they are moving towards an oposition player adding pressure, and setting to steal the soccer ball.

Coaching Points:

Acceleration:

- Encourage players to get to the cone as fast as possible.

- Encourage players so start with smaller steps and as speed increases so does size of stride.

- Encourage running technique, body parts forwards and backwards movements. Exageration of arm movement to aid power within acceleration.

Deceleration:

- Encourage players to come to a complete stop infront of the cone.

- Technique, smaller strides to slow down, bend knees over feet, low centre of gravity.

- Use of imagination to visualise approaching a real player.

Progressions:

Add pugg goal, 2 ball: One ball next to each cone. Once the player decelerates and stops infront of the cone they steal the ball with one touch which sets them to go towards goal and finish. Encorportates soccer Specific movement, pressure defending to steal the ball and transition an attack on goal.

Moving Backward (10 mins)

Organization: Groups of 5-6 kids depending on numbers. Create a Rectangle with 4 red cones (Breadth longer than length) Place two cones (Yellow) on start line, leaving a run off gap between. Goal at end for progression.

Instructions:

Moving Forward: Gradual moving forward to cone directly ahead, (Empasis is places on technique of moving backwards not forward motion)

Moving Backward: Once reached cone, plant and change direction to move backwards to yellow.

Switch lines: Once at yellow relax swap lines so next time performing moving backwards and different angle; left or right.

Coaching Points:

- Little short steps slow down speed and momentum can make upper body travel faster than legs resulting in imbalance.

- Crossing of feet shortens stride length and also the potential to touch left causing imbalance.

- As Striding raise heels up towards Butt, before pushing out away from the body. This will allow players to take longer strides and travel faster backwards with less contact with the ground.

Progressions:

Race between two players to perform rotation, but this time after moving backwards quick change of direction and moving forward to compete for the ball and finish on goal. Emphasis on speed with competitive element but focus should still be on moving backwards technique.