The Coaches' Room
3v3•U7•Squad Management

Do you let them switch teams in the middle of a festival if a game is poor?

Asked by MM48
2247 views 3 replies
Not talking about a one-sided score necessarily. Sometimes a three just does not work - two children both want the ball and the third barely touches it. Would you change one player after a game even if the score was close, or does too much coach mixing stop them learning to solve things together?

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@CoachRyanC

UEFA C Coach

Grassroots session design

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Yes, I would change it sometimes even if the score is close. The score is only one clue. If one child has barely touched the ball for two games because the other two are constantly competing to do everything, that is a reason to alter the group. I would not change them after every small problem, though. Sometimes the learning is in working out how to share the ball or help each other. Give the group a little time. If the same picture keeps repeating, swap one player and see whether the experience improves. That is the benefit of short games. You can make a small adjustment without announcing that a team has failed. I’d use team mixing to change the learning environment, not just to correct the result.

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION

Join the football discussion. 3 replies

P

Parksy

Parent

I would give them more than one game first. Sometimes the first six minutes is just three kids working out each others names.
L

luke_again

Coach

Agreed. We only changed it because the same pattern was there twice. I dont want coaches rebuilding groups after every bad minute.
J

just_here

Parent

Yes. We changed one player after two close games because one child had barely touched it. The next combination was much better even though the score barely changed.

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