03 Hernando Express Select

“When planning for a year, plant corn.  When planning for a decade, plant trees.  When planning for life, train and educate people.” Chinese Proverb

 

 

With the beginning of a new season, it is important to always put a plan together to accomplish our goals.  We should have goals as individual players, as well as a team.  With a plan in place, we can realize most of these goals and progress as soccer players.  This plan will look at 4 key areas:  Seasonal Training, Soccer Education, Nutrition, and the Psychology of Soccer.

 

Seasonal Training

 

Each part of the year should be looked at as a different training period.  These periods are summer fitness training, fall training, winter training, and spring performance training.

 

Summer Fitness Training looks at the individual’s aerobic fitness.  Aerobic fitness is measured by how long a player is able to maintain their game performance level.  This is crucial to the ability of the player to get the most out of their fall training sessions.

 

Fall Training will look systematically at all of the areas of soccer that a player must learn about or improve in order to be successful.  We will use our practice time to educate the players by using a building block approach.  We will look at the principles of defense and offense and how technical skills work in each.  It is imperative that players make these practices in order to take advantage of the building block approach.

 

Winter Training will again focus on physical fitness.  There will be a plan in place for the players to follow, which will increase their endurance as well as their speed.

 

Spring Performance Training will put together all the hard work that the players gave throughout the season.  WE will use the technique recommended by U.S. Soccer called “The Cycle of Development”.  This is used to correct soccer problems found during a game.  After the game, I will analyze our play for its strong and weak points.  I will then formulate a plan for the next practice.  This process works well to correct specific problems.

 

Soccer Education

 

It is important for the players to learn what they see on the field every day, but also to have an understanding of all aspects of training.  At the U12 age, the focus of priorities is on technique first, and then small-group tactics.  We will have some “classroom” time before or after some practices to work on increasing the players’ soccer IQ.

 

Nutrition

 

It is important for all of us to take care of ourselves.  One of the benefits of playing competitive sports is the results an athlete sees in their body when they workout and eat right.  I would like to spend some time during our season to explain the importance of proper nutrition for the players.  Maybe this could turn into a family benefit where we all dedicate ourselves to a healthier lifestyle.

 

Psychology of Soccer

 

The players are not robots.  We need to continue to develop a positive attitude for all aspects of the game as per U.S. Soccer:

A responsible attitude within the player in regards to themselves and the game.

A responsible attitude toward the team, coaches, referees, and officials.

The application and implementation of technique, tactics and fitness by individual players and the team.

 

The PLAN is meant to be a guideline for the team to be able to say at the end of the season that they are better individually and collectively, than they were at the beginning of the season.