Thoughts on Training Progression

As I continue to make my living from coaching I am always learning. From the worlds best on tv or from coaches at our local facilities. I know everyone has their own methodology but I feel there has to be a certain progression and age specific topics that have to be taught. I have not figured out what is the perfect progression and balance to Technique/Coordination&Fitness/Tactics but I know that I am looking and much closer than a year or two ago.

What I am figuring out is that it changes as the players grow physically and mentally mature. I think U7-U9 its mainly coordination and technique and individual attacking and defending skills/movements. U10-U12 is when tactics begin to really get introduced but since players can still learn coordination it is very important that motor coordination fitness and technique are the basis of all sessions. After U12 I feel that about every two years the progression should be more towards tactics and less towards technique with a fair amount of the fitness still in there.

I know much like coaching itself it will be a process but what excites me is that there has to be a perfect balance and formula out there that will maximize a player and teams potential. Much like physical fitness itself there is an art and science to getting in shape and overdoing one thing or not enough of something else can be very detrimental to overall progress. That is what I am seeing with other teams in compared with mine. In a 6 month to a year plus teams can completely switch places as to who is better if the training is done in the proper progression. What I am noticing is that others may be doing things that aren’t bad for their teams but maybe at the wrong times and without the proper progression and it’s seriously slowing their progress in compared with my own teams. What I really want to figure out is what is the perfect balance and progression. That is the key to developing an entire program and club. It’s what I am trying to install with FC Legendinhos and Midsouth FC and Im very interested to see the results of the U9,10, & 11 teams I am currently in charge of.