SCORING

 



WARM-UP

Warm-Up Routine

  1. Dynamic Stretching (5 minutes)

    • Leg Swings: Hold onto a partner or a fence for balance, swing one leg forward and backward, then switch legs.
    • Side Leg Swings: Face your partner or fence, swing your leg left to right across your body.
    • Lunge Walks with a Twist: Step forward into a lunge, twist your torso toward the leg that's in front. Alternate legs as you move forward.

  2. Light Jog and Agility Drills (5 minutes)

    • Jog around the field: Start with two laps at a light pace to increase the heart rate.
    • Cone Drills: Set up cones for slalom runs, encourage quick feet and tight turns.

  3. Stick and Ball Drills (10 minutes)

    • Dribbling: Each player with a ball, dribbling in and out of cones.
    • Passing Pairs: In pairs, players pass the ball back and forth while moving down the field.

  4. Sprints and Quick Movements (5 minutes)

    • Short Sprints: From the goal line to the 23-meter line and back.
    • Shuttle Runs: Set up markers at 10 meters, 20 meters, and 30 meters from the starting point. Sprint to the first marker and back, then to the second marker and back, and so forth.

Game: "King of the D"

Objective: Practice shooting and defending skills in a fun, competitive setting.

Setup:

  • Use just the shooting circle (the "D") of the field hockey pitch.
  • Have all players except two start with a ball at the top of the D.
  • One player starts as the goalkeeper, and another as the defender.

Rules:

  1. Players take turns dribbling into the D and attempting to score.
  2. The defender tries to block the shots without leaving the D.
  3. After a shot, the shooter retrieves their ball and goes back to the end of the line.
  4. Rotate the goalkeeper and defender every 5 minutes or after every player has had a certain number of turns.

Scoring:

  • Players earn points for each goal scored.
  • Rotate roles often to give each player a chance to defend and keep.

This combination of a thorough warm-up and a dynamic game can help players be match-ready while improving their skills in a fun and competitive environment.


SESSION


Initial Setup and Instructions

  • Playing Area: Use the baseline to the 23m. Set players as in diagram 1.
  • Objective: This drill emphasises quick transitions between offence and defence, encouraging players to exploit rapid scoring opportunities and recover quickly on defence.

Drill Instructions

  1. Starting the Drill:

    • Begin with two players from the White team attacking the goal.
    • Instruct the White players that their objective is to score. If they fail to score, both must sprint back to the halfway line, simulating a quick transition after losing possession.
    • Encourage strategic thinking: one White player should carry the ball to the baseline and draw the goalkeeper out, allowing the supporting White player an opportunity to score into an open goal.

  2. Transition and Continuation:

    • As soon as a goal is scored, the Blue player at the 'T' spot passes the ball to the other Blue player, and they initiate their attack.
    • The White team, upon scoring, must switch to defence. The objective for the White team is to intercept or regain control and carry the ball over the 23m line, completing a successful pass.

  3. Role Rotation:

    • After each scoring play or turnover, players rotate roles to ensure all players experience both offensive and defensive positions.
    • Restart the drill with new attackers and defenders as per the rotation.

Progression Pic 2

  1. Adding a Defender:

    • Introduce a Blue defender during the initial attack by the White team.
    • If the Blue defender successfully intercepts the ball, they must pass it back to the Blue player nearest the coach.
    • The Blue team then transitions to offence with the White team switching to defence.

  2. Continued Objective for Turnover:

    • If the White team intercepts during Blue's possession, they must advance the ball over the 23m line and complete a successful pass to maintain possession.
    • If the Blue team scores, reset the drill with players rotating roles as previously outlined.

Additional Coaching Tips

  • Encourage Communication: Players should be vocal in coordinating attacks and defences, enhancing teamwork.
  • Focus on Quick Decision Making: Emphasise the importance of rapid decisions to either take shots or switch from offence to defence.
  • Drill Flexibility: Adjust the intensity and roles based on the skill level and response of the players, ensuring all participants are challenged and engaged.

These refined instructions should help in conducting a dynamic and effective field hockey practice that sharpens both offensive strategies and defensive responsiveness.

SMALL SIDED GAME


Game Setup

  1. Field Size: Use a reduced area of the field, focusing on half of the field including the D. This setup keeps the action concentrated around the goal area.
  2. Players: Each team should consist of 4-6 players. This limited number ensures more touches per player and increases the intensity of the game.
  3. Goals: Use regular field hockey goals. If possible, use goalkeepers to enhance the realism and challenge of scoring.

Rules

  1. Start/Restart Play: Begin with a push or hit from just outside the D. After a goal, the opposing team starts from the same spot.
  2. Scoring: Goals can only be scored from within the D, emphasising the need for players to work on their positioning and movement to penetrate the defensive area effectively.
  3. Out of Bounds: If the ball goes out on the baseline, the game restarts with a hit from the 23-meter line. If it goes out on the sidelines, use a sideline hit.

Objectives

  1. Attacking Focus: Players are encouraged to create scoring opportunities through quick passes and well-timed runs. Emphasise movement off the ball to create space.
  2. Defence: Defenders must work on their positioning and ability to clear the ball efficiently under pressure. They should also focus on marking and intercepting passes.

Variations to Increase Challenge

  1. Time Limit: Implement a shot clock of 30 seconds to increase the pace and force quick decision-making.
  2. Touch Limit: Players are allowed a maximum of 3 touches before they must pass or shoot, encouraging faster play and better ball control.
  3. Zones: Designate zones from which players can only shoot, pass, or dribble, to focus on specific skills.

Additional Tips

  • Feedback: Provide immediate feedback to players on both successful strategies and areas for improvement.
  • Rotation: Rotate players frequently to experience different roles within the game, such as attacking, defending, and goalkeeping.
  • Skill Drills: Before starting the game, consider conducting drills focused on shooting accuracy and quick passing to warm up and hone essential skills.

This setup not only sharpens attacking skills and goal-scoring instincts but also enhances players’ abilities to perform under pressure, making your training session both challenging and fun.

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Reflective practice is a powerful tool for coaches to enhance their coaching methods, better understand their players, and ultimately improve the effectiveness of their sessions. Here are some structured steps and tips for you to effectively reflect on your practice:

1. Set Aside Time for Reflection

Regular reflection should be an integral part of your routine. Ideally, dedicate time after each session or game to think back on what happened. This could be for as little as 10-15 minutes.

2. Use a Reflective Journal

Keeping a reflective journal helps to document thoughts, observations, and feelings about different coaching sessions or decisions. This can be invaluable for tracking progress over time and identifying patterns or recurring challenges.

3. Structured Reflection Questions

To guide the reflection process, consider these questions:

  • What were my objectives for this session/game? Reflect on whether the objectives were met and how effectively they were communicated.
  • What went well? Identify the successes of the session and consider why these aspects were successful.
  • What could have been improved? Think about the parts of the session that didn’t go as planned or areas where the team struggled.
  • How did the athletes respond? Consider the engagement, energy, and feedback from the players. Did they seem to enjoy and benefit from the session?
  • What did I learn about myself as a coach? Reflect on your own performance, communication, and leadership during the session.
  • What external factors influenced the session? Weather, venue, equipment, and player availability can all impact a session and are worth considering.

4. Seek Feedback

Active solicitation of feedback from players, assistant coaches, or even peers can provide additional perspectives on your coaching effectiveness. This could be through informal conversations or more structured feedback forms.

5. Focus on Actionable Changes

From each reflection, aim to identify at least one actionable change you can implement in future practices or games. This ensures continuous improvement and helps turn reflection into practical outcomes.

6. Use Models of Reflection

Incorporate established models to structure your reflective practice. Models like Gibbs' Reflective Cycle or Schön’s reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action can provide a framework to guide your thoughts and actions.

7. Share and Discuss Reflections

If possible, share your reflections with other coaches or mentors. Discussing your experiences can provide new insights, shared understanding, and even validation of your reflections.

8. Include Positive Reflections

While it’s important to focus on areas for improvement, also reflect on what you are doing well. Recognising strengths is just as important as identifying weaknesses for building confidence and understanding effective strategies.

9. Reflect on Long-Term Goals

Occasionally, reflect not just on individual sessions but on broader goals for the season or development trajectories of your players. How are your coaching methods supporting these long-term objectives?

10. Commit to Continuous Learning

Lastly, view reflection as part of a continuous learning process. Engage with coaching literature, workshops, and seminars to stay updated with new ideas and methods that could influence your reflective practice.

By regularly integrating these reflective practices, you can develop a deeper understanding of your coaching style, effectiveness, and overall impact on the athletes, leading to more rewarding and successful coaching experiences.









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