Mini-Team Soccer Training Program

Warm-Up Phase

            Before starting practicing any skills, the team should perform warm up exercises for duration of 20 minutes. These activities should involve running two laps around the football field and then splinting within a distance of 20 meters. All the players should perform the activities uniformly to ensure that their fitness level is increased equally. Since it will be a team of six players, it will be easy to monitor performance of each player hence giving advice and encouragement to them during the training session.

Ball Control Skills

            After warming up each player should be given a ball to practice handling it. They should learn to run with the ball following a certain pattern like a small circle ensuring that the ball does not get out of their reach. This will help them to be comfortable while handling it and to be composed when facing their opponents. Development of good ball control skills also helps the players to be able to give complete passes to their teammates hence making the game more enjoyable. It also enables them to develop good timing which will enable them to tackle their opponents easily.

            They should also pair up after making adequate tries until they perfect their skills. Each player is then expected to pass the ball to her opponent while incorporating both short and long passes. They should also try to give high balls which force their partners to control the ball by using either chest or head. The receiving player should ensure that the ball does not go beyond two meters from her feet. This ensures that the player is able to control the ball and possess it even when being surrounded by several opponents. They should also be encouraged to consider passing the ball to the first teammate they spot since the more they delay with the ball the less the chances to give an accurate pass.

Dribbling Skills

            These skills help the players to become swift and be able to navigate through several defenders of the opponent team in order to score. The players should learn to dribble at high speeds since it gives the opponent defenders little time to plan to tackle them. In order to perfect these skills, they should be provided with cones for controlling their movements. They should start at low speed to navigate through the cones in Zigzag movements while ensuring that the ball does not get out of their control. The speed should increase gradually in order to ensure that the last repetitions employ use of more energy and rapid decision making. This makes it necessary to use high speed to ensure that the ball is controlled before it violates the pattern of movement.

Diagrammatic Illustration

            After practicing using cones, they should form two teams of three players each in order to play a match. They should use the skills which they have learnt in the game. This would help them to learn to apply their skills even when playing against other teams in football leagues. They also learn how to make quick decisions while playing in order to pass the ball to their teammates at the right time.

Throws

            Each player should perfect the throwing skills since anyone may be expected to make a throw-in in case an opponent player kicks the ball past the touch line. The ball should be thrown from right above the head while the player is stepping on the ground with her both feet. She should also ensure that her feet are on the touch line or within a range of 5 cm to the touch line.

Diagrammatic Illustration

            They should be given adequate chances to try to perfect the skill since any mistake during throwing it gives an advantage to the opponent team since they are awarded the throw-in instead.

Corner Kicks

            These are awarded when a player kicks the ball either above their goal post or past the goal line of their defending third. All players should be trained to perfecting playing of corner kicks in order to ensure that in case a player gets injured during a match, there remain other players who can take the corner kicks. They should practice shooting the ball inside the penalty box in order to ensure high probability of conceding a goal in case the ball is handled by a teammate. They should also practice passing the ball to a teammate outside the penalty box in order to shoot towards their opponents goal area.

Cool Down Phase

            This is the last part of a training session. It should be performed for 15 minutes to ensure that the body is restored back to its normal functioning. It also ensures getting rid of lactic acid which had accumulated in the body during the training period. This reduces the risks of experiencing muscle cramps after training. It should incorporate activities such as static stretching.

Conclusion

All the players should be encouraged to adhere to the training program for maximum benefits. The training session should take about two hours and allow the players to rest. The program should also be modified after some period of time to ensure more improved in fitness levels of the players.

References

Blatter, a. J. (2000). Basic of Soccer Training. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

James, a. S. (1998). Soccer Training Program for Youths. Chicago: University of Chicago.

Molotov, a. R. (2002). Principles of Soccer Training. New York: Random House Publishers.