Children should enjoy playing football. This is at the heart of how we coach. As well as develop technical and physical skills within children we believe it is equally important to develop their social and psychological understanding of how to play the game (the FA four corner model).
Children are encouraged to understand mistakes as a part of the game and to see them as something to learn from and a way of further improving. They also need to learn to adapt to the ongoing changes within a match, and the challenges that moving pitch sizes and introducing the offside rule presents.
We are keen to coach based on the approach promoted by the England DNA Youth Development Phase, with the primary focus being on children becoming confident on the ball, and how this allows them to best influence the game by then passing, dribbling or shooting. Sessions and games are organised so that all children can enjoy themselves, improve and learn to play the right way.
Training:
• More specific football related skills are coached at a greater depth then they would have been previously
• There is a balance between skill specific drills and learning through playing games
• Children continue to be encouraged to be confident on the ball, maintaining possession as a team through dribbling and passing to team mates
• Children are further encouraged to solve problems on the pitch themselves, with appropriate support from the coach
• Children are coached how to work as a unit rather than an individual when attacking and defending
Games against other teams:
• The focus of playing games continues to be for enjoyment and to further improve as a team and individually
• Children are likely to be played in more specific positions relating to their individual strengths and interest
• Games and seasons become more competitive at this age. How individual teams and coaches adapt their approach should be determined by the coach and the team depending on what they wish to achieve by playing at this older age. This could impact on whether the amount of playing time for all children remains equal and how substitutes are organised. Coaches will make how playing time will be organised during the year clear to children and parents at the start of the season
• As games and seasons become more competitive, and results and league tables are published from U12, it is likely the result will take on more significance for all involved. Children will also be given team and individual challenges during games as a measure of how they have performed as well as the end result.
Children are encouraged to understand mistakes as a part of the game and to see them as something to learn from and a way of further improving. They also need to learn to adapt to the ongoing changes within a match, and the challenges that moving pitch sizes and introducing the offside rule presents.
We are keen to coach based on the approach promoted by the England DNA Youth Development Phase, with the primary focus being on children becoming confident on the ball, and how this allows them to best influence the game by then passing, dribbling or shooting. Sessions and games are organised so that all children can enjoy themselves, improve and learn to play the right way.
Training:
• More specific football related skills are coached at a greater depth then they would have been previously
• There is a balance between skill specific drills and learning through playing games
• Children continue to be encouraged to be confident on the ball, maintaining possession as a team through dribbling and passing to team mates
• Children are further encouraged to solve problems on the pitch themselves, with appropriate support from the coach
• Children are coached how to work as a unit rather than an individual when attacking and defending
Games against other teams:
• The focus of playing games continues to be for enjoyment and to further improve as a team and individually
• Children are likely to be played in more specific positions relating to their individual strengths and interest
• Games and seasons become more competitive at this age. How individual teams and coaches adapt their approach should be determined by the coach and the team depending on what they wish to achieve by playing at this older age. This could impact on whether the amount of playing time for all children remains equal and how substitutes are organised. Coaches will make how playing time will be organised during the year clear to children and parents at the start of the season
• As games and seasons become more competitive, and results and league tables are published from U12, it is likely the result will take on more significance for all involved. Children will also be given team and individual challenges during games as a measure of how they have performed as well as the end result.