Players keep asking to play games? Try these 4️⃣ session must haves to be a more games based coach using MatchPlay Cards©️:
⚽️ INCREASE BALL ROLLING TIME
"I would like to think our sessions have 90% ball rolling time, with the other 10% being pauses and small interventions."
"I have tried really hard to be aware of why I intervening or pausing the game. It maybe I note down 3 core focuses for the session and then pick MatchPlay Cards©️ 3 that then fit the session theme and keep them in my pocket, it saves time and maximises engagement."
"I use MatchPlay Cards©️ in so many different settings to play more games; School inclusion settings, to holiday camps and all the way up to Middlesbrough FC Academy. "
🏟 GIVE PLAYERS WHAT THEY WANT
"We played on 4 different pitches, each pitch being a different zie, each themed around a different Premier League player, Sterling to Marhez, Bernando and Foden. I go through the deck of MatchPlay Cards©️ before the session starts and then select cards for each of those pitches as team challenges, when the players rotate they get to play a different MatchPlay Card©️"
"Sometimes it is total random and when players change pitches, I will invite a certain player to come and pick a card"
"What I like about giving players choice with MatchPlay Cards©️ is the variability it brings, in football we never know what is coming next so for players to get use to that is powerful."
⏱ START TRAINING WITH GAMES
"Parents will look over sometimes and think; they've gone straight into games, 1v1 and 2v2s, what are the players learning tonight. Now what I try and do is be tactical and when I am stopping the game to speak to the players, I am actually doing it loud enough for parents to hear and in a position for them to see."
"Adults sometimes get in the way of youth players development because we structure everything. Small things like not wearing bibs, we play a lot without bibs so players can scan more and is less formal for them"
"The power of MatchPlay Cards©️ is massive! The impact of when I don't use the challenge cards is a lot less for the players."
🔥KEEP THE ENERGY BUZZING
"We do a lot of games continuous games by time; 4 minute games, 2 minute games, 6 minute games and at different times during the game, I would add a new MatchPlay Card©️ into the game to keep the energy high"
"The power of MatchPlay Cards©️ is massive! The impact of when I don't use the challenge cards is a lot less for the players."
"I am a massive believer in the constraints based approach to coaching, that's why I use MatchPlay Cards©️. If I say what is on the card to the players they will listen and do it but when I pull out MatchPlay Cards©️ and let them read it, the impact is so much higher, you see more emotion and involved.."
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