Re-Invigorate Your Training Sessions – Rob Parker – @Goaliecoach00
It can all happen to all of us. We get into a sense of complacency maybe due to a busy life outside coaching so we rehash the same session or two. Using the same drills constantly can make any session dull and potentially make your goalkeeper create back habits.
So, you might ask, how can we mix it up? Well one simple way is tweak your exercises. All of us have a base of sessions/exercises that we use. Slight adjustments or variations to an exercise can keep it lively and challenging for any keeper who has done the same exercise multiple times. It will also allow you to grow as a coach and recharge those creative juices that got you into coaching in the first place.
Another idea is organize and log your sessions. Keeping track of what you are working on with your keepers and what the results are can go a long way in building from one session to the next. Be specific….Don’t just jot down “post to post” drill and expect to remember what you did, write down what the progressions were, and if you included any variations. Although it might be a bit time consuming, logging these simple things will allow you to remain consistent but grow from one session to another.
Finally, ask and receive feedback from your goalkeepers. See what their thoughts on the session are. This will allow you to build off of sessions and further develop your keepers. You will be able to see what they retained and what areas they think they can further develop. It will allow you to reinforce the skills that you worked to create in the current session as well. For some reason many coaches are reluctant to receive feedback from their players. Don’t be. It will make you a better coach and you will develop better players.
These are just a few ideas to keep your sessions and coaching fresh.