Focus of the Day

Finishing, possession, and thinking ahead before receiving the ball.

Mental Note 🧠

“Where can I make a pass?”

Before the ball arrives:

• Scan the field
• Know your options
• Think one play ahead

Great players already know where they want to pass before they receive the ball.

Encourage lots of shoulder checks and communication throughout practice.

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⏰ Practice Schedule (5:15-6:45 PM)

5:15–5:20 Starting Activity

Ball Mastery + Juggling

Focus move:

Matthews

Players work on:

• Slow technique first
• Explosive exit touch
• Both feet

Then transition into juggling:

• Bounce juggling
• Feet only
• Partner juggling challenges
• Weak foot touches

Encourage players to keep eyes up often during touches.

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🔥 Warm Up Game

Keep Away Rounds

Three quick rounds of possession games.

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⚽ Finishing Activity #1

Cross & Finish

Large goal setup with no defenders.

Players work on:

• Timing runs
• Attacking the ball
• One touch finishes
• First time shots

Rotate crossing sides often.

Coaching points:

• Arrive under control
• Attack space aggressively
• Keep shots low and balanced

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💪 Finishing Activity #2

50/50 Ball Battle to Goal

Coach plays a loose ball between attacker and defender.

Attacker objective:

• Meet defender strong
• Use arm legally for separation
• Get into space
• Finish quickly

Coaching points:

• Strong first contact
• Explode after winning ball
• Protect the ball
• Quick shot mentality

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⚔️ Finishing Activity #3

2v1 To Goal

Two attackers vs one defender.

This will also be the pregame activity.

Focus:

• Quick decisions
• Passing before pressure arrives
• Creating angles
• Finishing under pressure

Encourage attackers to recognize:

“Where is my next pass?”

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🧱 Small Goal Tournament

3v3 Tournament

Small goals setup.

Rule:

5 passes = 1 goal

Players must:

• Move constantly
• Support teammates
• Keep possession under pressure

Encourage communication and scanning before receiving.

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🔄 Possession Battle

3v3 Keep Away Game

No goals. Pure possession battle.

Focus:

• Patience
• Passing angles
• Body positioning
• Movement off the ball

Challenge players to keep long passing sequences.

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🏁 Final Scrimmage

Scrimmage – No Goalies

Normal scrimmage without goalkeepers.

Encourage:

• Fast ball movement
• Quick finishes
• Constant movement
• Early decision making

Coaching reminders:

• Scan before receiving
• Move after every pass
• Think ahead

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🧊 Team Huddle

Ask:

• Did you know your next pass before getting the ball?
• Who did a good job scanning today?
• How did moving after passing help your team?

Finish with:

“The game gets easier when you think before the ball arrives.”

Theme: Finishing & Resetting Quickly

Tonight we’re focusing on one of the most important parts of the game, finishing.

Not just how to score, but how to handle the moments when we don’t.

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🧠 Practice Message: Reset Quickly

Every player misses shots. That’s part of the game.

What matters is what happens next.

Tonight we’ll introduce a simple reset:

• Double tap your legs
• Two quick inhales
• One long exhale
• Then picture the next shot going in

We want players ready for the next opportunity, not stuck on the last one.

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⚽ What We’ll Be Working On

🔄 Possession (Keep Away)

Short, high-energy rounds to build:

• Awareness
• Movement
• Quick decisions

After Possession battle setup 3 min matches 2v2.

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Focus:

• Quick shots
• Going after rebounds
• Confidence in front of goal

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🥅 Finishing Drills (Main Focus)

Offsides Line Finishing

• Timing runs
• Receiving and shooting in stride

Setup 4 lines outside of goal box. Inside players make pass to outside players without being offsides. Once player receives pass they can shoot on goal.

2v1 Finishing

• Making quick decisions
• Knowing when to pass vs shoot

Players will form into 3 lines in a triangle outside the goal box. Players will make runs and passes to get an open shot.

3v2 Finishing

• Using the advantage
• Finishing under pressure

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⚽ Scrimmage

We’ll finish with a game where the focus is simple:

• Shoot more
• Reset fast
• Stay involved

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Swarner Park
5:15 PM – 6:45 PM

This session will keep things moving. We’ll mix skill work with competitive moments and build toward game situations.

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Arrival Activity – Crossing & Finishing (First 5 minutes)

As players arrive, we’ll jump right into action.

• Set up crosses
• Players finish on goal

Focus:

• Timing runs
• Clean contact
• Getting shots off quickly

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Skill Work (5 minutes)

We’ll demonstrate and rep a few moves:

• Scissor (main focus)
• Maradona
• 180 turn / pullback
• Matthews

Keep it quick, lots of touches.

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Partner Juggling (5–7 minutes)

Players partner up.

• Count passes between partners, not total juggles

Focus:

• Control
• Communication
• Soft touches

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1v1 Fields (10 minutes)

Two fields with mini goals, grouped by skill level.

Let them play.

Focus:

• Confidence on the ball
• Attacking with purpose
• Competing defensively

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Gate Reaction Drill – Rock Paper Scissors (10–12 minutes)

Setup:

• Two players start at a gate
• Play rock-paper-scissors
• Winner attacks

Action:

• Coach serves ball from the sideline
• First player through the gate receives and attacks

Focus:

• Quick reactions
• First touch forward
• Competing to win the moment

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3v3 + Activity Rotation (15–20 minutes)

Setup:

• One small field for 3v3
• Extra players rotate in

Off-field group:

• Rondo or
• Post touch + go on big field

Focus:

• Movement off the ball
• Quick passing
• Staying engaged even off the main field

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Large Field 2 small goals 1 big goal

2 Strikers 2 wingers shooting drill

Teams take turns passing it to the winger, the winger is stationary and crosses it to the striker and the striker finishes.


3v2 Counter Attack Drill

• Starts 1v2
• Transitions to 2v1
• Finishes with 3v2

Focus:

• Recognizing advantage
• Fast decision-making
• Finishing under pressure

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Final Scrimmage (15–20 minutes) ⚽

Let them play.

Encourage:

• Using moves from earlier
• Playing fast
• Confidence going forward

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Focus for the Day

• Be aggressive in 1v1 moments
• React quickly
• Use your skills to create space
• Stay engaged the entire session