One way to improve your team is to increase its skill level, while improving your team’s decision making is another.
In the video clip below Schellas Hyndman, current Men’s Soccer Head Coach at Grand Canyon University, leads a drill to help improve your teams decision making. The demonstration is part of his presentation at a Glazier Soccer Clinic entitled Exercises to Train the Striker.
Coach Hyndman, who has over 30 years of coaching experience, has excelled at both the collegiate (Eastern Illinois, SMU) and professional (FC Dallas) levels.
For information about gaining access to Coach Hyndman’s full presentation and other great great coaching clinic presentations click the link Glazier Clinics Vault. If you are interested in attending a Glazier Soccer Clinic, click here to find one near you.
The clip has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on
This drill is set up with 6 players that are set up in a rectangular shape. The players on the ends are simulating midfielders and the players in the middle are forwards. Coach Hyndman instructs the players to start with two options by either dropping the pass back or passing to the other forward for a combination play. He then moves to working on a dummy run by the first forward. This player moves inside or towards the middle so the pass is on an angle. Once the pass comes, the players does a dummy run by letting the ball go through to the second forward and then curling off for a pass into space. This drill is continuous in that players rotate around to different spots as the ball goes from one end to the other.
Coach Hyndman discusses several important areas to focus on as a coach to make sure your players are getting the most out of this drill. The forwards need to work together and stay connected. He discusses the importance of the first forward not coming in too far for the dummy pass since this will create a longer run into space. It’s important for the second forward to lead the first forward with their pass so it’s not behind them and also not too far out in front. Also, the midfielders or players on the ends making the passes need to be working with the forwards. Coach Hyndman talks about the importance of action and reaction from players. If the first forward changes their run or moves to a different spot, the midfielder should read this and be ready to connect the pass. This is a common problem with teams as players are not on the same page and will make passes expecting their teammate to be there, but they are making a different run. Practice and repetition help improve this so players can be more comfortable on the field during games.