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Sunday 22nd October 2017
User 319534730 Oct 2017 - 17:50
Harrow RFC Training Report Under 7s
We returned to Harrow this week for the first training session of the half-term break and I was delighted that we were able to field eleven players and three coaches because it gave us an excellent opportunity to focus on each individual player’s skill development in turn. It was a blustery day with a slight chill in the air and perhaps the first showing of the winter training sessions to come in the next few months. A number of players were sporting gloves for the first time and so had to adjust their handling skills accordingly but this did not take long and we were soon all up to our usual high standard. At this stage of development in the game, players staying warm is vital because it keeps everyone engaged, willing to participate and have fun!
We began training this week with a Bulldog variation called “sharks and fishes” that warmed up the players through a series of evasion exercises with the ball in hand throughout. The more chance that players have the chance to get comfortable carrying the ball the better. This is especially important when trying to evade the defence because it reduces the number of times the ball is dropped and improves the team’s chance of scoring with each possession. When everyone was nicely warmed up, we split the players into three groups and each coach took a group through a series of skills. The focus of this week was passing and moving and so the drills were arranged to exploit development opportunities in these key skills.
The players took to these drills with great enthusiasm and I was very impressed by everyone’s work rate. This dedication meant that every player was able to get the most out of the focussed sessions and I observed some rapid improvement as a result. The largest gains were made in continuity, flow and decision making. Within one of the drills, we worked on evasion techniques and how a player can use their movement to create space and beat a defender. The players really took to this concept and learnt that you can use your eyes (looking one way and moving another), shoulders (dipping a shoulder), hips (swerving), feet (sidestep or double movement) and hands (dummy pass) to fool the defence. It will be exciting to see how the players employ these new found skills in attack and defence over the coming weeks.
We rounded out this week’s training with a short match and then an enjoyable game of Bulldog. Everyone must be applauded for their hard work this week and congratulations go to Dara (Best Effort Award) and Johnny (Player of the Week). I look forward to seeing you all again at the next training session.
Johnny
We began training this week with a Bulldog variation called “sharks and fishes” that warmed up the players through a series of evasion exercises with the ball in hand throughout. The more chance that players have the chance to get comfortable carrying the ball the better. This is especially important when trying to evade the defence because it reduces the number of times the ball is dropped and improves the team’s chance of scoring with each possession. When everyone was nicely warmed up, we split the players into three groups and each coach took a group through a series of skills. The focus of this week was passing and moving and so the drills were arranged to exploit development opportunities in these key skills.
The players took to these drills with great enthusiasm and I was very impressed by everyone’s work rate. This dedication meant that every player was able to get the most out of the focussed sessions and I observed some rapid improvement as a result. The largest gains were made in continuity, flow and decision making. Within one of the drills, we worked on evasion techniques and how a player can use their movement to create space and beat a defender. The players really took to this concept and learnt that you can use your eyes (looking one way and moving another), shoulders (dipping a shoulder), hips (swerving), feet (sidestep or double movement) and hands (dummy pass) to fool the defence. It will be exciting to see how the players employ these new found skills in attack and defence over the coming weeks.
We rounded out this week’s training with a short match and then an enjoyable game of Bulldog. Everyone must be applauded for their hard work this week and congratulations go to Dara (Best Effort Award) and Johnny (Player of the Week). I look forward to seeing you all again at the next training session.
Johnny
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