The nearest player always runs towards the ball after we lose it

I’d coach the space the team needs to protect after the first reaction. The nearest player may well go towards the ball, but the next players should not simply copy that run. Some need to recover inside, protect forward passes or get goal-side of runners. A transition game works well where, after possession changes, the team that lost it gets a point for delaying the attack for a few seconds even if they do not win the ball back. That changes the mentality from “everyone tackle” to “can we slow and organise this?” At U12, I’d keep the language very simple: nearest player affects the ball; everyone else gets back into the game. A good recovery run is the one that helps the team deal with the next action. Sometimes that means running towards the ball. Very often it means running towards the space the opponent wants to use.