Practice 9 - Co-ordination & Passing
The girls played two games, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. We played well, we won Saturday 3-1 and Sunday we won 2-0. I just keep thinking of how far this team has come. The game could of been better. The girls kick the ball and if I stopped them and asked "what are you thinking of right now?" They would say "I wasn't thinking of anything". I want the girls to have a purpose in what they do, so this next session will be on passing, with plenty of foot skills involved, and plenty of movement. I have noticed that the girls movement is strange, it just doesn't look right when they are running or sometimes when they are kicking the ball.

Warm up
10 Minutes -Fun Game Mark out a 20 x 20 Area. I had ten players. Put the players in Two's and assign each pair a Number.
  • The girls move around the field.
  • The Coach calls out a Number.
  • Partners with that number immediately hold hands and try to tag as many players as possible in 20 seconds.
  • Which pair can get the most tags?

Variation: I whispered the numbers to the girls, so when I called out a number, the girls would communicate.
10 Minutes - Co-ordination - 1
Mark out a 20 x 20 Area. I had ten players. Spread the balls out around the assigned area.
  • The girls move around the field jumping over the soccer balls.
  • The object is to land on one foot and stay there for three seconds.
  • Alternate between left and right foot.

 
All the Co-ordination were hilarious, the girls seemed shocked that they could not do it. These were the things that they were doing.

  • Not throwing the ball high enough (I told them, it must go above head height)

  • Not throwing the ball at the same time when two balls were used. (I assigned one player to say 'Now / Up')

  • When one ball was used and they had to lift it with the palm of their hand, they were hitting / batting the ball instead and it hurt some of the girls.

I think we will be going back to this very soon.
10 Minutes - Co-ordination - 2
I put the girls in two's each had a ball. Each pair was inside a 10 x 10 area.
  • The girls throw their soccer balls to each other and catch it. Throw the ball high to different directions.

Variation:

  • Still using two balls. The girls threw the ball and they were allowed one bounce before they caught it. make sure the girls challenge each other and not be silly.
  • Using One ball. The ball is allowed one bounce. The ball is not caught by the girls. Once it bounces the girls lift the ball with the palm of their hand and direct it away from their partner in the air.
 

20 Minutes - Passing while dribbling

Put the girls in Two's with one ball. The girls stand 15 yards apart.

  • They jog towards each other.
  • The player with the ball passes to her partner who controls it while moving.
  • They both now jog around the far cone and do the same again.
  • Use either foot when passing and dribbling.

Focus On:

  • Ball control
  • Pass - Accuracy, Weight, Timing.
  • Lift head when passing
  • Communicate
20 Minutes - Passing (Body Shape)

 
Set up on half field, as shown above.
  • Play starts with the GK throwing / Rolling / Kicking the ball out to the full back.
  • The full back opens up her body as though she was going forward.
  • The full back takes a touch and passes to the wide Midfielder, who has moved off the cone and opened up her body.
  • The forward now checks towards the ball, the midfielder passes to the forwards feet.
  • The forward now finds the Central midfielder who opens up her body and passes to the running wide midfielder, who shoots at the Goal.
  • After passing, players move to the next cone.

Variation:

Work the opposite side so you are moving round for a shot from the left.

Focus On:

  • Game situations
  • Body Shape
  • Passing
  • First touch
  • Running with the ball
  • Shot
  • Communicating
 
20 Minutes - Scrimmage

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