U11 and U12 Players -- Small-Sided Soccer Game
The number one goal of the U11/U12 Player Development Program is to develop players. Players grow and develop at different rates. Just because a player isnšt the strongest, fastest or most technical player today, does not mean they cannot grow and develop into the great player of the future.
Additional Information
- All U11 and U12 teams regularly train together in order to build club cohesion and increase player development.
- Players may be loaned between the teams for tournaments.
- Players may be asked to train with the other team in order to help in player and team development.
- Priority: Development of Individual Technique. The U11 players will practice together and the U12 players will practice together.
Technical Skills (Try to touch all of these topics by the end of each month)
Establish a base. Develop individual skills under pressure of time, space and an opponent. Increase technical speed.
- Passing (long, short, inside of foot, crosses)
- Proper technique for instep, inside and outside. Work on short and long.
- Receiving (balls on ground, balls in air)
- Body behind ball, cushion ball ground, bouncing, and air. All surfaces from partner on the move.
- Dribbling (beating challenges from front, behind, side)
- Risk taking. Moves to beat your opponent. Keeping possession shielding and spin turns: changing speed and direction.
- Finishing (instep, inside of foot, volleys, half volleys, headers)
- Proper striking of the ball plant foot, toe down, ankle locked, strike ball with instep and follow through. Hitting moving balls.
- Heading (basic introduction to proper technique)
- Self serve to Partner serve jumping to head and partner juggling.
- Individual Defending.
Tactical
Basic principals of play. Promote attacking soccer. Individual 1v1.
- 1v1 - 3v3 games to develop technical skills.
- First defender (role of pressure) and Second Defender (role of cover)
- Combination play (wall pass, takeover, overlap)
- Angles of Support
- Possession (small games 2v1, 3v1, 4v2).
Psychological
- Create fun practice environment.
- Introduce competition to training environment.
- Encourage decision -making.
- Increase demands
- Discipline
- Begin to create students of the game. Encourage players to attend professional games, or watch them on TV, take your team to college games or to watch older teams in the club.
Physical
- All fitness is done with the ball or is agility based.
- Focus on developing player coordination and balance with ball.
Training Focus
- All training should be fun.
- Sessions should be devoted to 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 games to develop technique with the main focus on attacking.
- All training should involve transition
- Players should be going to goal as often as possible.
- Begin keeping score throughout the year to make games competitive.
System of Play
- Choose a system and organization of system that best suit qualities of players.
- Style should be attractive attacking soccer, attempt to focus on keeping possession as much as possible. Winning is NOT important, having fun and playing good soccer is.
- All players should have experience during the season playing in back, midfield, forward, and goalkeeper positions.