The Practice
One game I play with my young players (U6’s) to help develop their confidence on the ball is ‘Bomber Man’, although it has turned into a fan favourite that even my older players like to play as a warm-up exercise.
Suitable for: Foundation phase (5-11)
Objectives:
How it works
Coaching points
Progressions
Why it works
As coaches it is our job and duty to encourage free thinkers and to always nurture mistake making, and this practice helps to achieve that for a few reasons.
Firstly the kids love it - they like to pretend they are Messi and Ronaldo. It’s working on ball manipulation in a more realistic setting then just in a straight line.
They are allowed to go where they would like in the area and get to try what they are comfortable doing while feeling free to experiment and show off their skills. At the same time, it also works to develop their spacial awareness.
in more ways than one
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in more ways than one
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