The ages 9-12 should be focusing on the Skill Acquisition Phase, which focuses on the players skill development which is vital in developing elite footballers. In line with the FFA curriculum they have identified the below four core skills needed to keep possession of the ball.
* Striking the ball
* First Touch
* 1v1
* Running with the ball
These four core skills cover 95% of the actions of any outfield player when in possession of the ball during a game of football . The other 5% consists of actions such as heading and throw-ins.
If this approach is applied properly, it will provide a seamless transition into the Game Training Phase. The main purpose of the Game Training Phase is to prepare players for senior football by teaching them to apply the functional game skills in a team setting as well as developing tactical awareness, perception and decision making through a game related approach to training.
Please see below links for reference on session plans to get an idea on what exercises are relevant and how a session should be structured. Also see below notes on how the Skill Acquisition Phase and the Game Training Phase should be structured.
SAP Structure
* Welcome: 5 minutes
* Skill Introduction: 15-20 minutes
* Skill Training: 25-30 minutes
* Skill Game: 20-25 minutes
* Wrap up: 5 minutes
Game Training Phase
*Welcome/explanation: 5 minutes
*Warm Up: 15-20 minutes
*Positioning Games: 20 minutes
*Game Training component: 25-30 minutes
*Training Game: 20-25 minutes
*Warm Down/wrap up 5-10 minutes
