During these playing years, the skills that we’d like our players to focus on and aim to have acquired by the end of that period are:

• Start, stop and change direction with the ball
• Have acquired basic motor skills development (with the ball) including jumping, hopping, skipping, rolling, bending, twisting and reaching

During these playing years, the skills that we’d like our players to focus on and aim to have acquired by the end of that period are:

• Increased ball manipulation.  Ability to move the ball with the instep, sole and outside of foot
• Running with the ball whilst maintaining close control and head up
• Short passing with the instep
• Receiving on furthest foot (both left and right)
• Ability to perform a body feint and scissors with both feet

During these playing years, the skills that we’d like our players to focus on and aim to have acquired by the end of that period are:

• Increased ball manipulation.  Drag pushes instep, drag push laces, Vs, drag backs
• Running with the ball comfortably on both feet, maintaining close control with head up with the ability to change direction
• Short passing with outside of foot (wall passes)
• Passing over longer distances
• First touch to face forwards and associated movement
• Ability to execute double scissors, step overs and Cruyff turns on both feet
• Shooting with laces
• Heading
• Basic decision making skills (2 v 1s – pass vs run with the ball)
• 1 v 1 defending

During these playing years, the skills that we’d like our players to focus on and aim to have acquired by the end of that period are:

• Increased ball manipulation.  All above skills but with more fluency and proficiency.
• Longer ball striking
• Lofted passing with laces
• First touch to take the ball away from pressure (instep, outside of foot)
• Movement to receive
• Running with the ball comfortably on both feet, maintaining close control with head up at greater speeds and change direction
• Defensive heading
• More difficult decision making (3 v 2s – pass vs run with the ball; can I play forwards?)
• 2 v 2 defending

During these playing years, the skills that we’d like our players to focus on and aim to have acquired by the end of that period are:

• Increased ball manipulation.  All above skills but with more fluency and proficiency.
• Introduction to the playing style; playing out from the back, controlled possession, combination play, transition both ways, intelligent pressing
• Crossing
• Advanced finishing and shooting
• Marking space vs marking players and when to switch

During these playing years, the skills that we’d like our players to focus on and aim to have acquired by the end of that period are:

• Increased ball manipulation.  All above skills but with more fluency and proficiency.
• Further development of the playing style; playing out from the back, controlled possession, combination play, transition both ways, intelligent pressing
• Introduction to defending in a block (2 banks of 4)
• Finishing and shooting
• Movement off the ball