Training with Position Specific Guidance

During the CRAWL Phase, we want to develop the athlete’s understanding and knowledge of the game. Not all athletes will know their specific positions yet (same goes for coaches) but it is still important to develop trainings that are specific to the different positions in the game. Much like in other sports, players will show a tendency for specific positions but coaches should not force this choice. Instead appreciate each athlete’s personality and attitude and expose them to various positions and opportunities.  

We suggest dividing up athletes based on their position (or possible positions) during certain trainings to better develop the skillset that position requires. For example, goalies should have a different type of warm-up almost every day as they are using different muscles than field players. When training positions, it is of utmost importance to understand the skills needed to play center, defender, attacker etc. The main differences will be the use of legs and technical responsibilities.

Center work is much different than an attacker’s training, which is much different from a defender’s. Separating training based position allows athletes to develop the fundamentals needed to play that specific position. They will also gain a better understanding of what it means to play that position. 

Through this method of training, coaches can help develop the physical skills needed to play different positions in the game as well as the mental skills needed to play specific positions. At a young age, as athletes are still discovering their positions and trying new things, we suggest creating stations where they can focus on trying out every position, but at a different station during training.

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