At the 1-Day School, we focus on repetitive practice of basic techniques and practical exercises with opponents.
This time, we mainly practiced stopping and kicking.
To ease the tension of meeting for the first time, the kids played tag against the coaches!
When a coach said a child's name, everyone held hands to protect them from being tagged by the coach!
After tag, we did some step work and races.
Now, our warm-up is perfect!
Paired pass practice.
It's a very simple drill, but you need to be aware of many things even within it.
What's the angle of your foot (instep), how much force do you use, where do you place your non-kicking foot, what's the contact point on the ball...?
It's important not just to do it, but to think for yourself!
Even a "simple" paired pass can be great practice if you do it seriously!
Applying the paired pass, we practiced controlling the ball at a slight angle.
Some players initially struggled with body positioning and footwork for controlling the ball, but everyone was able to do it by continuing to practice.
3 vs 1 ball possession, passing the ball so that the opponent doesn't take it.
You need to constantly observe where your opponents are and control the ball accordingly.
And you also need to think about the receiving player when making a pass; even if it connects, the opponent might intercept it if it's not well-thought-out.
Finally, the game!
Every player played confidently and with energy, and there were many instances of successful passes leading to goals.
This is proof that they were mindful of what they practiced!
The challenge is to continue this positive cycle, not just for one day.
That's the most difficult but also the most important thing!
This time, 17 players who wanted to practice a lot and improve participated.
We look forward to seeing many more of you next time!