Soccer Team Building Exercises

Discussion in 'Soccer Board' started by Alexis Allen, Oct 26, 2012.

  1. Alexis Allen

    Alexis Allen New Member

    Hi Friends,
    The soccer coach's job is to take 11 individuals and form them into a cohesive unit. This process is known as team building, and it continues from the first day of practice until the final whistle of the last game. It's critical to the success of every team, regardless of age, and there are a few key areas that should be focused upon.

    Organization
    Focus on organizational team building skills. This means each of your players knows their role and function within the greater frame of the team. For example, strikers will need to understand that their offensive role is to pass and receive the ball towards an opponent's net with the intention of shooting and scoring; however, on defense, the striker's role is to mark the opposing team's sweeper so a counterattack is slowed or stopped.

    Set up short-sided scrimmages to emphasize these roles. Split the team into groups of four, with both the coach and assistant providing guidance for one group. As players scrimmage, you can stop play as necessary to point out individual roles or, after you've already explained, to remind them if they forget until their roles become instinctual.

    Strategy & Tactics
    Understand what the team strategy is. Once players know their individual roles they must grasp how their jobs will interact with their team members in terms of defending and attack. Recovery between these two plays a big role in any game. Two-on-two short field scrimmages are a good way to start teaching players their roles. Over time, gradually increase the scrimmage size and incorporate more advanced concepts.

    Plan out the team's tactics. Tactics will largely center around team formations and their mechanics. If your team is loaded with attacking talent you might opt for a 4:3:3 formation, for example, or a 5:3:2 if you're strength is defense and counterattack. Rather than exercises, tactical team building will most likely involve scrimmaging in possible scenarios such as five defenders versus two attackers or five attackers versus eight defenders. Players must grasp the limitations and strengths of each formation and how to respond accordingly.

    Psychology
    Spend ample time focusing on your players' mentality and team spirit. These both make up the psychological aspect of team building, most of which happens off the field. The coach and staff must take great care to instill a positive attitude and greater sense of purpose of the team as a whole. This includes rules of conduct on and off the field. Players must understand that they are a unit.

    Bond players together with outside activity. One way to draw players toward each other is by taking the squad to watch a professional match. In the U.S., try an MLS, USL or USSF match. Encourage them to try improve their play by watching the professionals, and draw them together through the sheer fun of the event.

    Best Regards,
    Alexis Allen