8 Christmas twists to your practices

No matter what age group you work with, it’s likely that a lot of your players celebrate, and are looking forward to, Christmas.

With some downtime from soccer over the festive period, sessions leading up to it are a time to have a bit of fun and Christmas cheer. 

Here are eight ways to do it...

01  IT’S GOOD TO Talk

Find out who in your team is celebrating Christmas, what their festive traditions are and what they are looking forward to.

You might also unearth some things that they find difficult about the season. Whatever you finad out, you have got to know your players that little bit more.

02 Dress up

Encourage players to come in their best Christmas-based outfits – and that means you should dress up too!

Bear in mind that some players may have more Christmas clothing than others, so maybe bring a few things you can loan out.

03 Give things different names

The pitch can become the North Pole, teams can become reindeers and elves and getting the balls back in the bag can be putting presents in the stocking. Anything you can think of to make them laugh!

04 Play Christmas music

If you are in a venue that allows it, why not bring a speaker and play some Christmas music?

You can ask the players for their favourites, or maybe let them choose a song if they win something.

05 Theme your practices

Think about how you can plan or tweak your sessions so that they have a Christmas theme.

Make a few swaps, or change the language you use to make them more festive. 

06 Play lots of little games

Penalty shoot-outs, crossbar challenges, last player standing - all of the little games most players love, but you don’t always have time for – well, this is the time to play them.

Also think about getting some Christmas-themed prizes as rewards for the winners.

07 Play lots of matches

Most players absolutely love playing matches, so get as many in as possible - whether it’s 2v2s, 3v3s, or even a mini tournament.

Get the players a lot of game time – and consider leaving your coaching points to the side for this week!

08 Be aware that not everybody celebrates

Although Christmas is a very popular holiday, some of your players may not celebrate it.

It’s important to recognise that, chat to them about their holidays and traditions, and make sure to let them know they are definitely invited to join in on the fun, and suggest ideas for sessions celebrating other holidays.