Excellent site with easy to navigate pages.
U11's. I want to practice heading but not with a normal match ball. Is there a light weight alternative I could use. Don't really want to use flyaways I am hoping they is something similar with a bit more weight. CheersRob Asked using Sportplan on Mobile
I run a U11 team that is reasonably successful and plays with confidence and spends a lot of the time on the front foot. However we seem to get caught week after week by the simple long ball over the top and would welcome some tips/drills to help the lads improve this part (it's driving me mad!). Thanks in advance.
does anyone have a 4 or 6 wk plan on possession football and creating switches.
Hi, I have taken on my first U11 football team and we are building a squad from scratch for all comers, we have picked up some good players with a few who have hardly ever kicked a ball. I have always promoted everyione is welcome but it seems some of the better players are now making comments that they wont stay if the lesser players continue! What do i do?
U11's. I want to practice heading but not with a normal match ball. Is there a light weight alternative I could use. Don't really want to use flyaways I am hoping they is something similar with a bit more weight. CheersRob Asked using Sportplan on Mobile
I run a U11 team that is reasonably successful and plays with confidence and spends a lot of the time on the front foot. However we seem to get caught week after week by the simple long ball over the top and would welcome some tips/drills to help the lads improve this part (it's driving me mad!). Thanks in advance.
I have a team of u11/12s and only 2 of them have played league football before. We have had several games now and they are getting better but we are running out of drills to do with them... They need to work on: passing, offside rule, possession play. I have struggled most of all because I used to coach at the Bournemouth academy where every player knows what there doing. Any suggestions on what I could do? Massively appreciated thank you!
Hi all. I have been an occasional helper on a girls U11 team but from next season onwards I will be taking more of a lead. I want to get the one hough a week coaching sessions to be more organised to provide benefit but also fun and also start to set-up a more regular pre-match warm-up and training drills. Would anyone have some plans that they may be able to share or some pointers on bext places to start. Many thanks.
I have a very talented U11 squad who can't seem to transition to 9v9 football, they were great at 7v7 but 9v9 seems to be a bit of a stretch for them.Any tips would be well appreciated
Disciplining for misbehaviour? 8-11 year olds, they dont really get bored because i know that sometimes that can be the cause. How or what can i apply a bit of strictness into the team.
Hello all! My kids aged 9 and 7 are very slow when compared to their peers of the same age. They don't seem to fight for the ball and get and watch others play their game. They seem to lack the urgency (heart) needed for the game. (They LOVE football). How can make them move around and react faster. Any help you are able to provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks O
Team keep getting thrashed every week - where to start? Having been the sole coach/manager of a little league team for the past two years, this year I lost all my senior players. I was therefore presented with 10 brand new lads, some of whom have never played competitive football. We are 8 games in and my lads are getting thrashed every week. The main problems are that they cannot get the ball out of their half, positions are usually a mess, finishing and chance creation are non-existent, and they don't apply any pressure or are unable to tackle. The main problems are keeping the ball as a team, getting it in the opponents half and staying there, and creating/finishing chances. I only have 1 and a half hours a week with them. I don't really know what to do, and I'm a little desperate. Does anybody have any advice? Thanks for literally anything.
Which drills are the best for working on set pieces for under 11s? Asked using Sportplan on Mobile
I am coaching 11 7 to 8 year olds what is the best way to teach them about positioning
Newer program, my kids for the majority play panic soccer, and just send the ball downfield. Any advice how to get them into a mindset of building the ball out and maintaining possession?
I usually plan my session the Friday night before Saturday training . I anticipated 12 players but then this sequence of events happened. Friday 8.36pm, parent texts amp; says child can't come as he is doing 11+ mocks (did he only just realise this?). Saturday 8.57am, another parent texts amp; says as they went to a wedding the night before, child is in no fit state to train (again, was this something that only just occured to them may happen?). Saturday 9.26am, parent phones amp; says child is throwing up (fair enough, I guess). Saturday 9.57am, parent texts, another puking child (a bug perhaps doing the rounds? Bit late notice though as we start training in 18 mins). Saturday 9.58am, another text from another child's parent to say child is throwing up (Hmmm, another one. Late notice again?). Saturday 10.15am, training starts but another child is missing. I give it 5 mins then phone. Parent says they are off to theme park amp; he sent me a text. I said that I never received text amp; asked if I sent an acknowledgement to aforementioned text to which he said no which I said meant his text wasn't receieved. I went from 12 players training @ 8.36pm Friday to 6 by start of training in under 10 hours. My session plan went in the bin. I realise the sickness is one of those things but think the last 2 were rather late in notifying me. As for the other 3, I feel these to be lame excuses. What can I implement to try to stop or reduce these issues? Fines? Suspensions? Nothing? #frustrated
Hello, I am currently coaching an u9's boys team and a majority of them are well behaved and want to play football, but the odd 1or2 tend to mess around at training which distracts the others. I have sat them out in training and spoken to the parents but still this goes on. Do I decide to kick them out of the team altogether or does anyone know the miracle cure to stop this happening?
We have been promoted to a higher league this of which I think the kids thoroughly deserve. I've one concern though, at this age you find a number of boys that have experienced growth spurts and are usually disproportionally bigger (not technically better). I find with these games my boys get pushed off the ball and struggle to cope with the strength of these boys. How does one set up a team against a squad that's not better but stronger and bigger.
Hi I have quite a large squad (11) for my U9s team. Sometimes not all of them turn up but when they do managing the substitutions can be a nightmare. Have tried planning it out and making 3 subs on a rotation every 6 or 7 minutes. This works OK, just wondered how others do it? Thanks! Asked using Sportplan Mobile App
How would you encourage your players to start talking to each other during game? This lack of communication at times is a hinderance to their overall play
in more ways than one
Four Halloween-themed games sneak a full warm-up, finishing, rondo and small-sided game into one junior football session this week.
Deliberate heading is now out of U11 grassroots matches. Here is how to coach chest, thigh and foot control so your players still win the ball in the air.
Long-range goals doubled at the 2026 World Cup as teams sat deep. Here is how to coach when to shoot from distance, the technique, and the follow-up.
Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.