It is essential to properly prepare your training session and allocate time in advance to anticipate the different drills and exercises you want to implement. Properly preparing your training session will help you arrive on the field knowing the theme and the objectives of your session, the exercises you will implement, the session's progression, and the different messages you want to convey to the players.
A seniors training session is a succession of exercises, with strong spells and weak spells that you must pace to avoid boredom among your players.
Follow our few tips to prepare a seniors training session and put your players in the best conditions:
1. Prepare your session the day before
We advise you to prepare your training session the day before. Take some time in advance to define the session's objective and the different exercises you want to implement. This will help you tremendously and prevent you from rushing on the day of your session. You can choose from our 500+ seniors exercises to best prepare your training.
It is also very important that you arrive early at your training sessions. Preparing a training session and setting up the drills can take some time, and there's nothing worse for a player than having to wait for their coach to set up an exercise. So think about arriving on the field about 15-30 minutes before the start of the session. Prepare the first drills of the session (if possible) and start defining the different teams if necessary.
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2. Plan a welcoming exercise
Another important element when preparing a seniors training session: plan a welcoming exercise. Not all your players will arrive at the same time, which is why it is important to plan a welcoming exercise. So plan a few balls to make available to the first arrivals. You can also plan a simple pre-session warm-up exercise.
3. Brief the players before the session
An essential point often neglected by most seniors coaches: the pre-session briefing. It is an essential step during which you will detail to your players the content of the session, as well as the theme and the main message you want to convey to them.
Once your speech is finished, you can start with your pre-session warm-up exercises. Here are a few examples you can use:
Ball retention with support
Technical warm-up: directional control and pass
4. Manage the session's pace
The most important aspect of a seniors training session is the pace. You must think about the pace of your session as much as your exercises. Whether you implement technical drills or tactical setups, you must plan the different breaks between each exercise so that your players maintain a constant rhythm. So think about planning water breaks, stretches, and of course, the cool-down at the end of the session.
Your exercises must also be paced, so don't hesitate to offer different variations of the same exercise to avoid repetition. You can be inspired by this exercise of quick ball retention and counterattacks in a 3vs2 followed by a 2vs1.
5. Offer varied and quality exercises
If there is one thing that senior players hate, it is monotonous training sessions with not very elaborate exercises. This is why you must constantly improve the training exercises you offer your players. Use creative exercises and vary the drills so that your players remain focused throughout the session.
We offer hundreds of original exercises with illustrations on SoccerCoachLab. Here is, for example, an original seniors exercise that will allow you to work on duels with shooting on a small goal and defenders in pursuit.
Duels on small goal with defender in pursuit
To set up this drill, define a 20x15m space and place 2 goals on each width. Place a cone in the center of each length of the zone and form 2 teams of 6 players (see animation above).
The exercise will proceed as follows:
- Player A located at the ball source starts with a pass to the lateral player B.
- B will then perform a directional control and play to the forward C.
- At this moment, D will start in pursuit to try to recover the ball. This is followed by a duel on the small goal.
- If D recovers the ball, he can then attempt to score.
- After each round, A moves to B, then B takes D's place, who in turn will take C's place. The forward C, meanwhile, takes A's place at the starting point.
- The exercise takes place simultaneously on the 2 mini goals.
Having the 2 teams play simultaneously will force your players to keep their heads up and be attentive to the movements around them. It is both a 1v1 duel exercise and a concentration exercise.
Visit the exercise sheet to discover a possible variation during this seniors technical drill (also valid for U17, U18, U19, or U20).
6. Conduct a session review with your players
Finally, we recommend always ending your sessions with a brief review, especially with senior players, who will expect feedback from you on the group's collective performance during this training.
A soccer training session is not just a succession of drills and exercises. A seniors training session requires preparation and the sense of anticipation, to avoid having to improvise too much on the day. Think about applying these few tips to improve your level as a coach.
