Soccer is a social sport. Players get to play with their friends, make new friends, learn the importance of team work, leadership, fair play and the result is often dependent on the performance of the team as opposed to the individual. Even during the 1986 World Cup, where it was widely considered that Diego Maradona single-handedly won the World Cup for Argentina, they still managed three shutouts en route to their success which would not have been possible without a rock solid defense.
Despite this, the team is made up of a number of individuals, each with their own specific skill set that will have been refined and worked on during their younger years. The challenge for the youth coach is to make sure that these players receive the adequate amount of practice to not only enhance their importance to the team, but to develop the characteristics and skills need for each unique individual. Two 1.5 hour sessions a week is not enough to cover all of this, even if the coach is somehow able to spend 1-2 minutes per session speaking to each player separately.
With this in mind, Private Training offers young players the opportunity to get that individual attention and allows the coach to really highlight the areas of improvement for each individual player. But how does it benefit them and is it worth it?
Repetition
In a one hour session, players can run through the same technique/skill at least over 300 times if done correctly. Robin van Persie highlighted that he knew what he had to do to reach the highest level when he saw Dennis Bergkamp stay out on the Arsenal training ground while the rest of the first team had their post training meal. Van Persie claimed that Bergkamp spoke to one of the Academy players and had him serving passes along the floor as he continuously hit a first time finish into the bottom corner of the goal for an hour.
This kind of repetition allowed Bergkamp to place the ball instinctively when the situation arose on game days. Private Training allows for this kind of repetition, allowing players to focus on the placement of their non-kicking foot, shape of their hips, stride into the ball and the part of the ball they strike consistently, so that it happens naturally during games on the minimal opportunities they get to score. This can also be applied to passing, receiving, 1v1's, dribbling, Goal keeping, intercepting passes and a whole host of other techniques.
Although technical practices can be applied in team sessions to work on these skills, the amount of repetition a player can go through quadruples with a private training session.
Individual Attention
On a study trip to Ajax Amsterdam, a professional club out of the Netherlands with one of the most famous Youth Academies in the World, I learned that they spent close to €30 million each year to keep it running. This expense took into account facilities and maintenance, uniforms, coaching costs and video analysis. Video analysis was used not only for games and to view the team performance, but also the individuals technique and running style. The speed, agility and quickness coach informed myself and the other visitors that he will review the footage and look for any irregularities in a players running technique. If any players were not running 'properly', he would work with them individually to have it corrected. If the player in question could not make the necessary corrections, they would be looking for a new club.
In youth club soccer, such luxuries are not at our disposal. Even the US Developmental Academies and Elite Club National League teams cannot afford this kind of expense. Private Training allows this individual focus, giving the coach a chance to work with players closely over a number of weeks, analyze and technical deficiencies, both with and without a ball, and help to correct them, which they will struggle to do when running a session and looking at 12-16 players at the same time.
Non-Dominant Foot Focus
Every player has a foot they prefer. Lionel Messi, will often use his left foot even when it does not seem possible. However, find a youtube video of his goals collection, and you will see a decent percentage of them are with his right foot.
When completing the Coerver Coaching Youth Diploma, founder Alf Galustian told me how he visited Real Madrid's training ground and saw Zinedine Zidane practicing on his own. Galustian asked Zidane why he was practicing alone, he was the best player in the World (at the time), what could he possibly have to improve on. Zidane replied "I'm not happy with my left foot" (and this not long after scoring this goal).
The point here is that there will be situations in games where players will need to utilize their non-dominant foot. A chance to score may fall to them in the box, they may have to put a cross in or the opposition defender may be playing them towards their non-favored side. The focus on working this foot that Private Training can provide far exceeds that of a team session. A whole hour can be dedicated towards this, building the players' confidence to use it more often in games.
Bonding with the Coach
In a team session, big personalities will always be heard more often than those of a quieter disposition. This is not to say one is right or wrong, but those who are a little quieter may not get the attention they need, due to those who are more outgoing taking the spotlight.
Private raining offers more than just soccer training. It allows the coach to get to know the player more personally, gaining a greater indication of what makes them tick, what their aspirations are in the game and what they thought about the way they recently performed, things that the players may not be comfortable talking about with others around.
Private Training has it's cons...unrealistic pressure, not working with team mates, the lack of game like practice...but the pro's certainly outweigh those. Technique is the foundation of every player and private training is a great way to enhance those techniques and make them as consistent as possible when it comes to game time. As the new saying goes, "practice makes permanent".
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