Soccer Coach Weekly Issue 39

A lot of success in soccer comes down to decision making.

You can be gifted technically but if you can't interpret the situation around you and make the right choices, you will not make the most of your talent. One area this is borne out in is the 1v1 situation.

You can probably picture the scene now - an attacker running at a defender, with options racing through his mind.

Last week, Eric Luzzi outlined different scenarios you may need to introduce your players to - this week, he explores the various benefits of utilising 1v1s in your sessions. It's not just about sharpening up decision making, either - as Eric explains on page eight.

Leading coach developer Ben Bartlett, author of Constraining Football, will be writing a series of articles over the coming months examining the various tensions that can shape our coaching outlook. In this issue, he explores the politics around team selection and relating it back to your overall club philosophy, something Ben discussed in his opening article last week. Our interview this week is with former Houston Dash and Penn State University assistant coach Sarah Lowdon, who talks about her coaching journey and advises on taking bold steps up the ladder.

The Q&A is an abridged version of the full audio interview, which you can hear as a podcast by clicking the link at the bottom of page 10 or by subscribing via your usual provider. This week's session plan, on shooting, comes from Chicagobased Tristram Bisgrove.