[Help] Coaching football for the first time...help!

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Popeye

I Don't Exercise
Nov 12, 2021
583
North Carolina USA
Thanks for all the tips and suggestions friends:cheers:

I work at a decent size middle school so we will have to have tryouts tomorrow to see who actually makes the team. Right now 18 boys are coming out for the boys team and 16 for the girls team. Just for budget purposes and organizational purposes, I will have to cut at least a few on each one. Will hate to do so, but I have too.

Also, each team plays a ten game schedule so hopefully we can get off to a good start lol.

Again thanks for everything and feel free to keep on suggesting things I might need to know.
 




Jack Straw

I look nothing like him!
Jul 7, 2003
6,910
Brighton. NOT KEMPTOWN!
Thanks for all the tips and suggestions friends:cheers:

I work at a decent size middle school so we will have to have tryouts tomorrow to see who actually makes the team. Right now 18 boys are coming out for the boys team and 16 for the girls team. Just for budget purposes and organizational purposes, I will have to cut at least a few on each one. Will hate to do so, but I have too.

Also, each team plays a ten game schedule so hopefully we can get off to a good start lol.

Again thanks for everything and feel free to keep on suggesting things I might need to know.

Just out of interest, why do you need to reduce the numbers due to a budget or organisational purposes? I know how I'd feel if I was one of the ones who misses out. Is there no way you could keep all of them? There must be a way, Shirley?
Good luck with what you're doing though.
 


OGH's Libido

New member
Nov 30, 2014
154
Last one from me... and something you will be all over as a teacher - but use the children to clear up cones and set up new exercises for you. Will save you time as you transition so they don't switch off.



Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk
 




Marshy

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
19,757
FRUIT OF THE BLOOM
Just make it fun, and always have a game for half the session.

For the 1 or 2 hours you may have them... you cannot coach them as such.

I would concentrate on shape and positioning especially in defence., and others have said as many touches of the ball as possible
 


Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,415
Brighton
Not a massive fan of Coerver tbh. Sure, it was groundbreaking when Wiel Coerver was the first one to really put a training method on print, but a lot has happened since and the Coerver methods are a bit outdated, with most teams nowadays having more game oriented drills with more context and several parts of the game being practiced at the same time. Most professional clubs these days seem to think that doing a dribble ten times in game like situations gives more value than standing on your own doing the dribble a 100 times and I'm inclined to agree.

Doesn't this depend on what stage in your development you are at? Sure using a skill in a game situation is more valuable, however unless you have mastered that skill in a controlled environment first, then it's unlikely that you will be able to execute it when you have an opponent to contend with.

Im not a coach but what I liked about it (from a fathers perspective) was that it gave a structured approach to the training sessions and home work. Contrast this with my other sons team where there isn't a programme in place and it really depends on what coach you get. Many of the kids teams are managed by Dads of the children who seem to randomly pick training drills off of YouTube, many of which are not appropriate for the standard of the kids they are coaching.
 


Sirnormangall

Well-known member
Sep 21, 2017
2,992
Thanks for all the tips and suggestions friends:cheers:

I work at a decent size middle school so we will have to have tryouts tomorrow to see who actually makes the team. Right now 18 boys are coming out for the boys team and 16 for the girls team. Just for budget purposes and organizational purposes, I will have to cut at least a few on each one. Will hate to do so, but I have too.

Also, each team plays a ten game schedule so hopefully we can get off to a good start lol.

Again thanks for everything and feel free to keep on suggesting things I might need to know.

Lots of good advice on here - good luck on Wednesday, let us know how it went!
 




essbee1

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2014
4,202
FFS - don't get the kids doing bloody passing, heading shit, and dribbling round those *****ng cones. Useless.

Get them to practice keepy-uppys, passing and shooting ON BOTH FEET, passing AND MOVING
and FLAIR - BACK HEELS. Express themselves
 


Popeye

I Don't Exercise
Nov 12, 2021
583
North Carolina USA
Hello all just an update on this:

Tryouts went well, and I have someone to help me now(A parent decided to do so). We put them through the basic things of course such as dribbling, crossing, etc. At the end of it all, we cut three boys from the boys team and two girls from the girls team. Was not easy to tell these kids they did not make it, but thankfully they took it in stride and to make it a little better I made one of them a equipment manager/stats helper for the boys team and one the same for the girls team.

Our practice after the fact went smooth also. First game is still a couple weeks out, so hopefully we will be ready for it. We have a lot of speed on both team's and that will certainly help at this level!

Thanks again for all the replies and will deffo post in here again to say how our first game went.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Hello all just an update on this:

Tryouts went well, and I have someone to help me now(A parent decided to do so). We put them through the basic things of course such as dribbling, crossing, etc. At the end of it all, we cut three boys from the boys team and two girls from the girls team. Was not easy to tell these kids they did not make it, but thankfully they took it in stride and to make it a little better I made one of them a equipment manager/stats helper for the boys team and one the same for the girls team.

Our practice after the fact went smooth also. First game is still a couple weeks out, so hopefully we will be ready for it. We have a lot of speed on both team's and that will certainly help at this level!

Thanks again for all the replies and will deffo post in here again to say how our first game went.

Team colours? It better be Blue and White stripes :smile:
 








Popeye

I Don't Exercise
Nov 12, 2021
583
North Carolina USA
Hello all!

Had our first game last night and it ended 2-2 for the boys and the girls lost 3-1. We were down at the half and stormed back in the boys game! Even though the girls lost, they never stopped playing and I am proud of them; showed some marked improvement from practice also.

Next game is on Tuesday.:thumbsup:
 




Popeye

I Don't Exercise
Nov 12, 2021
583
North Carolina USA
Hello friends, been meaning to update this:

Well after the first games mentioned above, both the girls and boys teams have been flying!

Boys team is 6-0 and the girls team is 4-2! All the kids have improved tremendously these past few weeks, and both still have 4 games to go to really finish the season on a strong note. The conference we play in takes the top 4 teams for the playoffs, and right now the boys are the 1 seed in theirs and the girls are tied for the 2 seed in theirs.

So so proud of them and eager to see what the rest of the season brings!
 


timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
10,007
Sussex
Hello friends, been meaning to update this:

Well after the first games mentioned above, both the girls and boys teams have been flying!

Boys team is 6-0 and the girls team is 4-2! All the kids have improved tremendously these past few weeks, and both still have 4 games to go to really finish the season on a strong note. The conference we play in takes the top 4 teams for the playoffs, and right now the boys are the 1 seed in theirs and the girls are tied for the 2 seed in theirs.

So so proud of them and eager to see what the rest of the season brings!

Results look good but are they (and you) enjoying it?
 


Shropshire Seagull

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2004
8,558
Telford
I'm loving this with interest [MENTION=42698]Popeye[/MENTION] - keep these reports coming ....

I work with young high performance cricketers and "letting them go" when they don't make the grade can sometimes be tough.
Perhaps, in a school environment, you might be able to find a way to still keep them close and interested - how about a "team media manager"?
Someone to write match reports for the school website to increase awareness throughout the school and the wider town/city.
Other articles can spin off this too, player profiles / interviews, all sorts - anything to help them feel wanted by the team in some [other] way.
 
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Popeye

I Don't Exercise
Nov 12, 2021
583
North Carolina USA
Results look good but are they (and you) enjoying it?

Thanks friend and yeah we all are for sure. They get rowdy sometimes as kids tend to do lol, but overall are very respectful and really seem to love playing and celebrating each other's accomplishments. I am finding it awesome and will say it again, very proud of them and how far they have come. Can definitely see myself coaching every season from here on out.
 




Popeye

I Don't Exercise
Nov 12, 2021
583
North Carolina USA
I'm loving this with interest [MENTION=42698]Popeye[/MENTION] - keep these reports coming ....

I work with young high performance cricketers and "letting them go" when they don't make the grade can sometimes be tough.
Perhaps, in a school environment, you might be able to find a way to still keep them close and interested - how about a "team media manager"?
Someone to write match reports for the school website to increase awareness throughout the school and the wider town/city.
Other articles can spin off this too, player profiles / interviews, all sorts - anything to help them feel wanted by the team in some [other] way.

Thanks for your reply friend and thanks for the interest! Been a great ride so far and am enjoying it immensely. Some good suggestions also and I will take them into account when talk to my assistant coach and the team this afternoon at practice. Thanks again!
 




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