📋 Session Plan
U13 Pre-Season — Week 5
A 75-minute match-realistic session — the rebuild is done, intensity rises. SSG-heavy with finishing pressure. First friendly belongs at the end of this we
A 75-minute match-realistic session — the rebuild is done, intensity rises. SSG-heavy with finishing pressure. First friendly belongs at the end of this we
Two parallel rondos. Run the standard 6 minutes, then 4 minutes one-touch only. By week 5 the squad should handle one-touch rondos cleanly — that's the technical baseline for match-realistic work.
Run the full progression including 100% pace defender. Players should handle pressure cleanly by week 5. If composure breaks, return to the 5-second timer for 4 minutes, then back to 3-second.
Run 5 rounds of 4 minutes, each with a different constraint covering all the season themes: passing, first touch, defending, dribbling, shooting. By round 5 the squad should be applying multiple themes naturally — that's the integration test.
Move to a larger pitch (40×25 yards). Add full goals + keepers (rotate 1-2 outfield players in goal). Free play, no constraints. This is the first match-realistic environment of the pre-season — players should look like a team.
Closing circle. Brief, simple debrief: 'are we ready for the friendly?' Listen to player responses honestly. Squad self-assessment is part of the maturation.
Clear demonstrations and high energy. Keep the session moving with minimal queuing, and reinforce one or two key coaching points rather than overloading players with information.
Players standing in queues (set up enough stations to keep everyone active) and the session running too long on one activity (keep blocks tight and move on while engagement is high).
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Coaches tip: Post-session recovery nutrition matters as much as the drills themselves — MaxiNutrition's recovery range is built for exactly this.
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Building conditioning between sessions at home? DeerRun UK's home treadmills make it easy to keep up cardio work off the pitch.