HELPING PLAYERS THINK: EFFECTIVE TRAINING SESSION DESIGN
You are doing your players a disservice if you do not let them experience failure and frustration.
In this article, we’ll dive into two real training scenarios from my teams where players started stuck but transformed into smarter, more adaptive players.
I’ll show you how the environment you create facilitates these moments.
I’ll even give you one of my training session frameworks to develop a more effective training environment so you too can witness your players’ development right before your eyes.
EXAMPLE #1: IMPROVING THE BUILD Up
THE ACTIVITY
It’s a 3v3 activity designed to recreate build up moment against a high press.
As you can see in the image, there is an end zone and a goal.
For my game model intentions, the end zone is worth more points.
HOW IT WORKS:
Each player has a starting position.
The game starts with the #10 passing to the #4. Once this occurs the game is live. The attacking team (black) must either dribble into the end zone or score in the goal.
If the defending team (white) recovers the ball, they must score in their respective goal.
On this day the space was 15x24.
It was big enough where the attacking team should have been able to consistently score. HOWEVER…
THE INEFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR
From the beginning the attacking team was struggling.
The common pattern was they would get stuck along the sideline or in the corner with minimal options to play to.
The defending team was doing a very good job of closing down passing options while closing down on the ball.
Both of the supporting teammates would often come too close to the ball, ultimately, making it impossible to play past the press.
The first correction required was from the #2. Their instinct was to come towards the ball.
🗣️ “Provide a passing option as far from the center back as possible but as close as necessary.”
The #2 was starting to position themselves behind their direct opponent. This created a sense of indecision for the #11. This was the first step.
Ultimately, the #2 had to decide where to position themselves in relation to the situation.
However, even from here the attacking team struggled, and it was due #4’s decision about when to make the pass.
They would pass it too early making it very easy for the #11 to either intercept the pass or arrive to the #2 as the ball arrived (pressing trap).
THE CHANGE
I took the #4 aside...
🗣️ “For now ignore the game. Look at where their winger is. Dribble towards him, and when he steps to your release to #2.”
I directed his attention to a potential solution. He still needed to read, recognize, and execute.
From the very first rep, the #4 calmly dribbled towards the #11 fast enough to still avoided the pressure from #9 but in control enough to be able to release when necessary.
Instantly the #11 froze. Indecision. Step or stay?
#4 released when #2 was entirely free to from his mark because #11 had engaged to #4.
Pass and dribble into the end zone. 1-0.
Reset, again, dribble, engage, defensive indecision, pass, score. 2-0.
Reset, repeat, 3-0.
Over and over.
Now, it was the defensive team that had to adapt.
They had to try something different to achieve their goal.
And eventually they did, and then the attacking team had to adapt. And so the cat and mouse game continues.
THE CONTINUOUS ADAPTATION
Now, it was the defensive team that had to adapt.
They had to try something different to achieve their goal.
And eventually they did, and then the attacking team had to adapt. And so the cat and mouse game continues.
This is how players become intelligent thinkers. They read, recognize, and execute.
But there are times when they may get stuck.
Your job as a coach is to be able to provide as much direction as necessary.
THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
This is only possible when the training activities have enough variability where they have to read, recognize, and execute.
The activities need to be representative of the game so much so that players can adapt to achieve success.
SIDE NOTE: If you are interested in more training games like this one, check out the IJaS Training Library with over 50 activities organized by moments of the game.
EXAMPLE #2: THE PLAYER BECOMES THE COACH
THE ACTIVITY
It was a 2v2 small-sided activity to recreate a build up moment where the outside back receives the ball.
As you can see, there are two goals for each team.
HOW IT WORKS
Each player has a starting position.
The game starts with the #9 passing to the #2. Once this occurs the game is live. The attacking team (white) must score in either of the two small goals. The goals for the attacking team represent passing options.
If the defending team (white) recovers the ball, they must score in their goals.
The space was 15x20.
The game was designed for the attacking players to have multiple options on the ball that would facilitate their success.
However, this didn’t happened until one player helped everyone…
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
This day was a bit more of a recovery session.
I had planned for me to do very little explicit coaching.
I was intent on allowing the players to experience the game and see how they would solve each situation I presented them with.
THE INEFFECTIVE PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR
The first pattern I noticed from the beginning is the supporting player dropping very low to provide a passing option next to the ball carrier.
This created a situation where the defending team was able to defend both players with ease.
Worse yet, the ball carrier would often pass the ball to the supporting player alongside them and then proceed to provide a passing option also alongside them.
I sensed some frustration in myself watching this because we give lots of importance to positioning blindside of a direct opponent to force them into a state of indecision.
EITHER; Close down the ball or drop off OR Stay with the supporting player
As I had planned, I minimized my explicit coaching and I observed to see if anyone would figure it out.
Their frustration was growing as they struggled to score so I knew given enough time, they would solve it eventually.
The question was how long?
THE MAGIC PHRASE
On the second set of 2.5 minute reps, I was shocked by what I heard.
One particular player took charge and started helping his teammates with one sentence.
In essence, he was coaching better than I could have.
He said to his teammate, the supporting player (#6):
🗣️ “DON’T MOVE FROM THE GAP UNTIL YOU HAVE TO.”
The gap he was referring to was the space between the two defenders that would naturally occur because first defender (#9) would press the ball carrier (#2).
Almost instantly, his teammates would stay in that gap, and as result of good positioning the ball carrier would split the defenders and pass it to the waiting supporting player who would receive, turn, and score.
That team scored three straight goals before the defending team had to adjust how they were defending.
At this point in the activity neither team had scored more than 2 goals and with one simple directing attention phrase, the attacking team scored four goals.
THE REFLECTION
“Don’t move from the gap until you have.”
There is so much depth and insight in this one phrase.
It provides direction about where to position yourself, the moment when the player must re-position themselves. It even shows that positioning isn’t static.
This kind of remarkable moment, where a 12 year old provides immense insight to his teammates, would have never occurred had I not used PEER framework for developing training sessions.
WHAT IS THE P.E.E.R. FRAMEWORK?
The PEER Framework serves as a checklist for enriching training environments.
Training should be:
Personalized to the players’ needs
Engaging to keep them wanting more
Emotional so they learn to feel the game
Reflective so each time they walk away with insight.
There are infinite ways to create PEER Training Environments.
If players play a match that is appropriate for their level, they are getting the PEER Framework.
So your job is to deliver training environments that can do the same.
When you deliver training environments that check every box in the PEER Framework, players will learn through experiences.
Experiential Learning has been shown to have greater effects on long-term growth and enjoyment than other methods.
GO DEEPER WITH THE P.E.E.R. FRAMEWORK
🚨 If you want to learn more about the PEER Framework or the other training frameworks I have developed in my work as a coach developer over the last 10 years, sign up to the UNLOCK PLAYER DEVELOPMENT ONLINE COURSE.
In this six hour course, I will cover everything you need to deliver the develop possible training environment for your players.
