Five Tips For Individual Player Sessions

1. Technical and Tactical

As coaches we are often very focused on the teams tactical understanding to ensure the performance and the result goes the way we want it to. Individual sessions are a great way to focus on a player understanding of their specific role within the team from a tactical point of view both in and out of possession, but also an opportunity to focus on their technical ability to execute under pressure. Giving players the opportunity to practice a technical skill both unopposed and opposed with repetition is the beauty of individual sessions.

2. Physical Loading

When creating an individual session for a player who may need to do more from a technical or physical point of view, it’s important to always consider the physical load on that players body within the session design. As mentioned above, one to one or individual session will mean that the players will be conducting or repeating more actions than they may do within a group session, and as such the design of the session, the rest periods between actions and the physical impact must be considered.

3. Develop an Individual Development Plan to guide session design

When creating a players development plan, considerations are that it links into your playing philosophy, its position specific and the player themselves has input. Identifying an individual players strengths and areas for development (and having them buy into that through contributing in the development process), will ensure that when creating the sessions for one to one work, it will be developing both their strengths and areas for development. Its fundamental as coaches that we continue to develop a players strengths as well as their weaknesses, as their strengths are what makes them unique as a player, and why you have them as part of your team to begin with.

4. Linking into National Team Development Plan

One consideration for players who will be doing some one-to-one work, is to consider if there is scope to add any developmental needs from their international development plan requirements. Not every club will want to incorporate national team needs into their individual sessions, but for those who have alignment with national team areas for development, it’s a great way to get the buy in of the player if it isn’t already present. Linking the individual sessions to goals set through both club and national team can be very powerful with the player, and also help you maximise the players potential long term.

5. Consider using video analysis to help analyze the players development

Filming individual sessions and asking players to go back and watch their performance is a great way to continue their development off the pitch. As coaches we often have limited time, so if the sessions design is directly linked to clear objectives related to the players position and our playing philosophy, this is something the player themselves can clip and sit down and go through with you as a coach to be as effective with time as possible. These clips can then also be used if needed for any cross over with national team coaching staff if appropriate.