1to1 Training Sessions – Are they worth it?
The truth about 1 to 1s. Is it worth it?
The short answer is yes, assuming you aren’t paying too much and the conditions are good. But the general thought is that more practice is often good practice. But there are some things to be wary of, and below we’ll give our guide to finding the right support for your football player.
We know that these days everybody has busy lives and it’s not always possible to dedicate the time to practicing with your child after-school. But if you are able to dedicate the time, there are plenty of YouTube videos showing small sessions that may be helpful and potentially save you a small fortune. This is what a lot of coaches use anyway and are charging upwards of £40 per hour to deliver them.
- What are the outcomes? Hopefully lots of repetition, as many touches on the ball as possible should always be an aim when looking for a good 1:1 coach. The more touches a player has, the better connection they build with the ball. It’s common sense really, the more you practice something the better you become.
- A coach that is able to replicate moments in practice that your player will face in real match situations. If the coach is able to build these pictures it helps players to recognise and execute in the game.
- A coach that is making the session specific to your child’s strengths and areas for development. What are they looking to improve? Is the session setting goals for the player so that they can track their progress and recognise improvement. When they can see the results it encourages them to keep going, hopefully in their own time as well.
Things to avoid.
I often use the phrase, “You don’t know, what you don’t know”. Meaning it’s hard to recognise good practice if you aren’t sure what good practice really looks like. Sometimes it’s easy to look at the window dressing and think that something looks fabulous, when actually when you get into it, there isn’t much substance there. I’ll give an example.
I was watching an Instagram reel of a coach doing a 1to1 practice. It had lots of flashing lights, the video was playing at 2x speed to look even more skilful, and lots of words jumping out of the screen like a BatMan comic….Wow!! Bam!!Pow!! I’m sure we’ve all seen them….
The title of the reel was ‘Teaching Players to scan!’ The session consisted of some mannequins setup as defenders and enough cones across the pitch to land a jumbo jet. The coach started the session by passing to the player, who bounced the ball back before running to the mannequin, looking over their shoulder to the opposite side, before receiving another pass from the coach, playing a 1-2 and shooting in the goal. It all looked fabulous, elevated even more by the inspirational theme tune in the background.
Curious about the detail the coach was giving, i asked a question in the comments.
“What is the player scanning for?”
“Well if you don’t understand the importance of scanning then you shouldn’t be coaching football” was the response.
“I understand the importance of scanning, but in this specific session can you please explain what the player is scanning for? The purpose of scanning is to take on information to help the player make informed decisions on the pitch. But in this example, there is nothing there, it’s an empty field. All you are teaching the player to do is to turn their head, there is no information for them to gather.”
At this point my comments were promptly deleted and i was blocked from viewing their profile.
So what are the signs to avoid.
- Coaches who like the sound of their own voice and spend more time talking than allowing the players to play.
- No specific feedback, is the coach actually coaching the player, helping to correct mistakes or add context? Or are they simply explaining the rules of the practice and facilitating the session.
- Most experienced Coaches usually avoid being part of the practice wherever possible. Sometimes it’s necessary for the coach to be involved, but if the coach is getting more touches than the player then something is wrong.
- Generic sessions that aren’t specific to help your player, this can be a lack of experience and the coach is running a session that they are comfortable with rather than identifying the needs of the player.
At this point it’s worth mentioning that most practice is better than no practice at all. And if arranging an organised 1:1 is the best way to motivate your child to go and practice then this can be money well spent. Just make sure you are getting value for your money.
It can be difficult for 1:1 coaches to find areas to play, particularly in the winter when the light becomes an issue, so please bare this in mind that sometimes the coaches maybe raising their prices in order to pay for the facility you are using.
Something else to consider, 1v1 or small group sessions are also worth asking about. These provide an opponent to compete against, adding an element of realism to the practice and creating more of a challenge. It can also reduce the cost for yourself if both players are contributing to the hourly fee. try to join with a player of similar ability so that your child is getting a good challenge otherwise it can be de-motivating if they are not seeing any success against their opponent.
To sum up, there are some really quality and experienced coaches doing some really good work that your players can learn from. There are also some charlatans out there who are stealing a living without any qualifications or appropriate knowledge in coaching, but they talk a good game! If ever you are unsure, try seeking the advice of somebody with knowledge of the local football landscape. It’s also worth mentioning that all coaches have to start somewhere, and an inexperienced coach with good intentions can still deliver a worthwhile practice as they continue to learn the trade. But obviously the price that you pay should also reflect this.
