Skill Acquisition Manual A resource for youth coaches of players aged 9-12 years FOOTBALL FEDERATION AUSTRALIA TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT JULY, 2018 National Technical Director - Eric Abrams Girls Youth Development Manager - Debbie Fisher Boys Youth Development Manager - Kevin Grima CONTENTS 4 Foreword by Emma Highwood, Head of Community, 35 Core Skills in Attack and Defence Football Development & Women’s Football 36 Game-Intervention-Game (GIG) Methodology 5 Preface by Eric Abrams, FFA National Technical Director 56 C.H.A.N.G.E.I.T 57 Constraints-based Coaching Model 6 FFA’s Vision and Philosophy 58 Term Planner 7 The Building Blocks 62 Example Sessions 8 Skill Acquisition Phase (9-12 Years) 66 First Touch 72 Striking the ball 10 Playing Formats 78 Running with the ball 84 1v1 24 Skill Acquisition Phase Coaching Guidelines 90 Goalkeeping 34 Principles of Play 96 Bibliography SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL | 3 FOREWORD In 2015, Football Federation Australia launched the Whole of Football Plan (WOFP) with a set of ambitious, yet tangible goals that everyone in Australian Football could work towards over the next 20 years. In developing this plan, we held a firm conviction that Football's best years were ahead of us. A first step was the design of FFA’s 4 Year Strategy Plan (2016-2019) which is made up of four pillars with key targets: 1. Connect more fans with the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League 2. Improve the experience for all participants 3. Build generations of successful National Teams 4. Lead towards a unity of purpose The FFA Skill Acquisition Manual: A resource for youth coaches of players aged 9-12 years has been developed to reflect our shared football vision by giving coaches a tool to help engage as many boys and girls as possible to have an enjoyable and memorable football experience. For some, it will form part of the journey to play in the Hyundai A-League or Westfield W-League and potentially one day represent the Caltex Socceroos or Westfield Matildas. I’m delighted to formally publish this document and thank the entire FFA team and all State and Territory Member Federations for their input in its development. I look forward in witnessing the continual growth of the game and seeing all boys and girls developing a love for the game by having a truly enjoyable, positive and educational football experience. Emma Highwood FFA Head of Community, Football Development & Women’s Football 4 | SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL PREFACE It is with great pleasure that I present FFA’s Skill Acquisition Manual: A resource for youth coaches of players aged 9-12 years. The Skill Acquisition Phase is the ‘Golden Age of motor learning,’ making it an important stage of technical development. This manual aims to provide youth coaches with the necessary tools to create developmentally appropriate practical sessions that are inclusive of all Australian girls and boys aged 9-12 years who have a passion and interest to play football. During my time as National Technical Director, I have observed numerous Skill Acquisition practical sessions around the country and witnessed some quality coaching. However, it is evident that children in this development stage need to be exposed to more activities that closely resemble the demands of the real game. Creating FUN games in practical sessions will grow children’s passion for football and keep them in our beautiful game for life. Exposing children to more games in practical sessions will also help ‘develop thinking players’ to make appropriate decisions for themselves in matches. The Game-Intervention-Game (GIG) methodology presented in this manual taps into children’s inherent desire to play more games. It encourages decision making and more game-specific ball contacts during practical sessions. The approach presented in this methodology provides opportunities for the coach to utilise both ‘Game Sense’ (implicit learning) and ‘explicit’ (teaching technique with supporting feedback) coaching methods to facilitate a FUN ‘player-centred’ approach to football development. Youth coaches play an integral role in raising the overall standards of football in Australia, therefore developing a larger pool of potentially talented players to represent the Westfield Matildas and Caltex Socceroos. I am confident that Australian youth coaches will adopt this approach as we work together to contribute towards developing better football players for the future. Eric Abrams FFA National Technical Director SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL | 5 FFA’S VISION AND PHILOSOPHY Football Federation Australia has articulated a National Playing Style Statement in the National Football Curriculum (NFC) which strongly considers and accommodates the Australian football context: A proactive brand of football, based on effective possession with the cutting edge provided by creative individuals. Defensively the key components are quick transition and intelligent collective pressing. The Playing Style is underpinned by a strong ‘team mentality’, capitalising on Australia’s traditional strengths. This National Playing Style Statement provides a focus for all Australian football coaches in developing players and teams that are able to execute our brand of football. Having an overarching National Playing Style enables youth coaches to see the bigger picture and make positive contributions in nurturing youth players to develop the technical, tactical, mental and physical skill-sets required to become confident players in the future. This shared vision will also play an integral part in raising the overall standards of football and develop generations of quality footballers in our country. 6 | SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL THE BUILDING BLOCKS 4 TRAINING 2 PLAYING The FFA National Football Curriculum BUILDING BLOCKS BUILDING BLOCKS distinguishes 6 Building Blocks: 4 Training AGE AGE Building Blocks and 2 Playing Building Blocks. For the purpose of this manual, we will only look at the Performance Skill Acquisition Phase Training Building Block and the Small-sided Football Playing Building Blocks. The Game Phase Training Phase and Discovery Phase Training Building Blocks are covered in greater detail in the National Football Curriculum together with the 11 v 11 Building Block. 16 16 The FFA Building Blocks Methodology is the 11 v 11 Game Training framework that provides practical guidelines for coaches working at all levels of youth development Phase in order to help them in answering questions such as: • What are the mental and physical characteristics of 12 12 players in the various development stages? • What type of practices are best suited for specific age Skill Acquisition groups and why? Phase • How long should a session go for and how often should I train? 9 Small-sided 9 • How do I plan and design my sessions? • What are points of interest when I coach my team Football during matches? Discovery Phase 5 5 SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL | 7 SKILL ACQUISITION PHASE (9-12 YEARS) • In the Skill Acquisition Phase the coach must focus 4 TRAINING 2 PLAYING on providing a solid foundation of game-related BUILDING BLOCKS BUILDING BLOCKS technical skills AGE AGE • If the player does not gain this skill foundation during this phase it will be very difficult to make it up later Performance • No amount of fitness or competitive spirit will ever compensate for deficiencies in functional game skills Phase 16 16 11 v 11 Game Training Phase 12 12 SKILL ACQUISITION PHASE 9 Small-sided 9 Football Discovery Phase 5 5 8 | SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL SKILL ACQUISITION PHASE (9-12 YEARS) Children this age are usually: • highly motivated and enthusiastic • competitive, like challenges and want to show they’re the best • well balanced and coordinated • adaptive to learning motor skills • still self-centered, they start to learn how to work together • sensitive to criticism and failure (praise is important) • physically and mentally ready for a more structured approach to training As mentioned above, in the period before entering the growth spurt that goes hand in hand with puberty, children are well balanced and coordinated. This makes them very adaptive to developing motor skills (techniques) especially since this is one of the brain’s key development periods. Some children, in particular girls, will be going through the growth spurt during this period so the coach must take this into consideration as they will be experiencing major physical and emotional changes during such time. Motor development experts call this phase of ‘turbo charged’ technical development: the ‘Golden Age of motor learning’. In no other development phase in life will motor learning happen faster than here. As a logical consequence of the above, it makes sense that we optimise this period to lay a sustainable technical foundation to develop more confident and technically proficient players. SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL | 9 PLAYING FORMATS 10 | SKILL ACQUISITION MANUAL