Designing a Practice Session:

by Ron Hendrie

 

 

1. Warm-up - raise the body’s temperature, prepare mind and body to play, maximize touches on the ball.

2. Stretching – dynamic stretching is recommended before playing to prepare muscles and connective tissue for the stress of playing.

3. Orientation – Instructional:

   a. This is the time to demonstrate a skill (technique) or tactic.

   b. Keep it short & sweet!

4. Learning Phase – practice that skill (technique) or tactic:

   a. Use activities that provide many repetitions in a short period of time and under little pressure.

   b. Use “slanted-line” activities which allow each athlete to challenge their “personal best”.

   c. Interrupt briefly only as necessary to make corrections.

   d. As players become more proficient at the skill, then slowly increase the pressure.*

5. Application Phase: Part 1-Conditioned Play - Use game related activities so players can begin to apply the skill (technique) or tactic:

   a. Engineer “conditions” into these games that will cause repeated opportunities for your athletes to experience your focus and that create the right amount of pressure.

   b. Opt for small-sided games so players have more fun because they are getting many touches, more involvement, and consequently more fitness

   c. Choose games that allow players to explore and experience soccer at an age-appropriate level.

   d. These competitive games should inherently introduce principles of attacking, defending and transitioning. 

6. Application Phase: Part 2-Unconditioned Match Play - Always try to end in some form of a scrimmage:

   a. Employ few-to-zero interruptions  from the coach (and with those interruptions happening toward the beginning).

   b. Encourage players to apply what they learned that day.

   c. Allow the game to be the teacher.

7. Cooling Down – static stretching is recommended after play while still warm...

   ...in order to increase range of motion and to prevent soreness and stiffness.

8. Debrief the session using Guided Discovery while athletes stretch.

 

*Increase pressure by making the play area smaller…adding more opponents…or limiting the number of touches.