My players all want extra training. What do I do?

Answer

I did smile at this quandary because it’s one of those classic situations where a good idea or a nice gesture ends up costing you even more time, in what must already seem a thankless and unrelenting coaching schedule. However, in this instance I think you’ve made your bed and you’re going to have to lie in it – for the time being at least.

Referencing the training habits of a great player like Beckham will always provoke players to want to replicate them in some way, so you probably should have seen this coming. On the plus side, any coach who gets players to undertake extra training is on to a really good thing, and you should take a lot of heart because you’re obviously doing something special. I’d give it a couple of weeks. This may be a fad that dies out quickly. And if it doesn’t, it’s time to call on your network of player parents – surely one would relieve you of your duties at the end of training and supervise?