Planning an underage training session: a simple 60-minute plan
A training session structure for juvenile hurling, camogie and football that keeps every child busy and learning.
The best underage sessions have lots of touches of the ball, very little standing in lines, and games. Here's a simple hour that works for most juvenile groups.
Before you start
Pick one thing to work on, such as the first touch, the hand pass or tackling, and build the session around it. Have the cones and balls out before the children arrive, and take the register as they come in.
0 to 10 minutes: warm-up with a ball
Skip the laps. A tag game, or moving and passing in pairs, warms children up and gets the ball in their hands straight away.
10 to 25 minutes: the skill
Teach the one skill, simply, in small groups. Show it, let them try it, and coach individuals as they go. Keep groups to four or five so nobody waits long.
25 to 50 minutes: games
Small-sided games where the skill matters: three or four a side, with a rule that rewards it, such as a point counting double after a clean catch. Children learn most in games, and it's what they came for.
50 to 60 minutes: cool down and wrap up
A short stretch, then one or two minutes on what went well. Tell them what's next: the next session, the next game.
Afterwards
Note who was there, anything that worked, and anything to change. If you've two adults present, write that down too: it matters for safeguarding.
In My Coaching App
The register records who attended and which coaches were there, and warns you if there aren't two adults at an underage session. Clubs with the Coach Assistant can ask it to draft a session plan around what the squad is working on, which the coach reviews and edits before using. See taking attendance at underage training.
Related
- Adding players and parentsAdd players yourself or share the join link, and bring in parents for under-18s.
- How to track hurling and camogie stats from the sidelineWhat's worth recording during a game, how to do it on a phone without missing play, and what the numbers tell you.
- How to track Gaelic football stats from the sidelineKick-outs, turnovers and scoring: what's worth recording at a Gaelic or ladies football game, and how one person can do it on a phone.