Two players face each other with bean bag in opposite hand and soccer ball on opposite foot. The 15×15 yard grid is outlined with four cones of different colors. The coach will call commands such as toss (bean bags tossed to each other), taps (tap soccer ball between feet), color (jog around cone), pass (pass 2-touch to each other with the two balls), pass & toss (combine passing the ball and tossing bean bag in one coordinated movement), spin (turn around quick).
Feel free to make up your own commands. The idea is have players work in a coordinated way in which players must always be listening for the next instruction. Both players must communicate and perform actions in a synchronized way.
I do understand that some people may have questions in regards to the direct importance of this type of training in relation to the actual 11v11 game. My explanation and theories are presented in detail at http://www.soccersmarttraining.com – the only online cognitive soccer instructors diploma course. However, I will tell you that most people in todays modern society don’t focus on one task for more than 3 minutes in an entire day. The result is a lack of ability to focus and concentrate for long periods of time. In order to successfully compete in soccer, players must be capable of focusing for 90 minutes, not 3 minutes. In order to learn anything at training, players must build an attention span that allows for learning to take place! Can’t focus won’t learn. One of the biggest lessons I learned as a teacher was without the skills of attention, self-control, emotional control, focus and basic social skills, there is limited teaching that can be done. There are many more benefits to this type of training but for today I will leave it at the importance of Cognitive Readiness (the ability to be totally mentally and physically ready to learn)!
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