Aim of the Programme

Following the successful launch programme in July when the squad was assembled the young players will now be meeting every Saturday during the season at the Leek Wootton recreational field between 09:30 – 11:00. During January we plan to move the sessions inside at one of the local leisure halls as the weather can be particularly difficult for players of this age in this month. If we do this we cannot guarantee the timing of the sessions as we will be subject to the centre’s booking arrangements.

Training will be provided by our four coaches Phil, Paul, Rob & Charlie and perhaps some of the parents may also wish to get involved and help out.

The coaching programme is first and foremost an opportunity for the young players of the area to take part in a series of football coaching sessions – a way to develop their skills and get an appetite for the game. When the coaches feel that the players are ready for a practice match a series of friendly games will be arranged where the players can put to the test their new found skills and enjoy the sport in a real game situation.

It is FA rules that children are unable to take part in competitive football until the age of 9 (although this is currently under review and could be extended to 11) and like all other clubs in England Leek Wootton would have to comply with this rule. We also support the rule as the players need time to learn the game in a non-competitive situation. However as a member of the Coventry League we are entitled to take part in a “Friendly League” where matches will be arranged but results not recorded. There will also be the opportunity to take part in local tournaments in the summer.

Throughout the programme we will be developing basic game skills and techniques, from goal keeping to shooting and everything else in between. Players of this age naturally like the high of scoring goals and thus there will probably be an abundance of players claiming to be strikers but its important that we have defenders and midfield players too and over the season the coaches will be looking at the talents of the players and seeing which ones are best suited to different positions. That doesn’t mean that once a player plays in a particular position that that’s for their playing career; there will be ample opportunity to try other positions and the coaches firmly believe that it’s only by playing in different positions do the players fully understand the nuances of the game.

The training sessions will be informative and held in a friendly and fun fashion and parents are encouraged to help their children understand the game by supporting what the coaches say during the sessions and without putting too much pressure on their child; the young players will all learn at a different pace, some will pick up the skills quicker than others but to develop a team you need everyone pulling in the same direction, both on and off the field.