For the first two weeks I will focus on endurance training. I will start by running for a set amount of time and see how far I run in that time, then in the next session I will run for the same amount of time but aim to run further than in the previous session. Then in the next session I will increase the amount of time that I run for and again see how far I ran in that time and then in the next session try and run further in the same amount of time, and will repeat this again for the next two sessions.
For weeks three and four I will focus on shooting. In the first session I will have 30 shots at a keeper from in around the box, and I will count the number of goal that I score and the number that I get on target, in the next session I will have another 30 shots but try and improve on the number that I score and the number that I get target. Then in the next session I will pick a spot in an open goal and have people feeding me balls, I will do it for 30 minutes and count the number that I get in the spot I aimed for. Then repeat for a further 30 minutes and see how many I score after getting a few pointers on what I was doing wrong. Then put this in to a game situation with another striker and some defenders and a goalkeeper and see how many I score and get on target.
To improve the use of the offside trap the team will have to get together and work on it. We will have to practise moving up in unison. Then try it with balls being played through and over the top to a striker and see how many times we catch him offside. Then put it into a game situation with the goal and goalkeeper, some strikers and the midfield attacking the back and again count the number of times we catch the strikers offside.
Objectives:
My objective for cardio vascular endurance: is to run continuously for 95 minutes this will enable me to still get up and down the pitch towards the end of the match.
My objective for shooting: is to develop consistency. My target is to work the goalkeeper for at least 75% of shots.
My objective for using the offside trap: is to get the back four working in unison with each other so that it will be more successful. My target is to get it working at least 65% of the time so that we can use it as a tactic in matches.
*I will be training on a Monday, Wednesday and a Friday. I have normal football training a Thursday and will have a match on a Sunday.
4) Diary:
Week 1- Endurance:
Monday- Did a warm up jog, which were two laps around my garden. Stretched, ran another lap to make sure I was completely warmed up. Then ran for 25 minutes, the rain was hard so I couldn’t do the 30 minutes I had intended to do. Did extra 5 minutes inside on the exercise bike. Then stretched again.
Wednesday- Did 2 laps round the garden as a warm up, stretched, ran another lap, to ensure completely warmed. Ran for 30 minutes, and went for a 15-minute bike ride. Then did some warm down, and stretches.
Thursday- Went to football training at Tile Hill Sports Centre, warmed up and played 6 vs. 7 for 70 minutes.
Friday- Did 2 lap warm up jog round my garden. Ran for 60 minutes. Went for a twenty-minute bike ride.
Sunday- Had a match, we lost 4-2, I nearly scored a header.
Week 2- Endurance
Monday- Did a two-lap warm up jog around the garden, stretched and ran another lap. Went down to the football pitch and ran around it for 60 minutes. Did 20 minutes on the exercise bike.
Wednesday- Did warm up jog, stretched. Ran for 90 minutes but at a slow pace. Went for a 30-minute bike ride.
Thursday- We had football training at the pitch where we play. Played 6 vs. 6 for 70 minutes. Warmed down
Friday- Did 2 laps round the garden, then stretched and did a further 2 laps. Took the dog out with me for the run. Ran for 70 minutes, both of us were tired. Did 20 minutes extra on the bike ride- 50 minutes total.
Sunday- Had a match. We drew 4-4
Week 3- Shooting
Monday- Did two laps around the pitch, stretched then did some sprints. I took 30 shots at our keeper from in and around the box. I scored 12 and got 16 on target. Then we did some passing.
Wednesday- Did 2 laps around the pitch. Our striker was with me, who is our top goal scorer. He watched me take a few shots at an empty goal then gave me some pointers on what I was doing wrong. I wasn’t getting me knee and head over the ball that why they were going high. Then took 30 shots at our keeper. I scored 15, and got 20 on target.
Thursday- Had football training at the sports centre. We warmed up, did some sprinting and passing. Then we played 8 vs. 8 for 70 minutes. We then warmed down.
Friday- Did 2 laps around the pitch. I had an open goal and two people feeding me ground balls from the left and right hand sides of the box, so I had to use both feet. Did this for 10 minutes, then they varied the balls I received e.g. chipping it so I had to volley it or head it. Did this for 20 minutes. We then did worked on passing in triangles for 20 minutes. Then repeated what we had done before. I got around 60% of my shots in or on target.
Sunday- Football match was cancelled. So I played a round of golf with my Dad and brother.
Week 4- Shooting
Monday- Did two laps around the pitch. Open goal again, with player feeding me balls from the left and right hand side of the box, again the varied the kind of shot I had to do. Did this for 30 minutes. We then did some shuttle runs and played football volleyball to work on touch. Then they stood on the edge of the box and I played a one two with them they again varied the type of shot I had to (driven shot, curling shot, volley). I got around 60% of my shots on target.
Wednesday- Did 2 laps around the pitch, stretched. Had a keeper and 2 defenders. Balls were crossed from the left and the right. Did this for 30 minutes. I scored 29. Then we worked on dribbling and touch. Then we repeated what we had done before. I scored 31.
Thursday- Football training was cancelled. I went to the gym instead. Ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill, did 30 minutes on the bike. Did 30 minutes in the weights room working on my quads. Then went for a sauna and a swim.
Friday- Did 2 laps around the pitch, stretched. Had a keeper and 2 defenders again balls were crossed from the left and the right hand sides. Did this for 30 minutes. I scored 21. Then we did some shuttle runs and played football volleyball, to work on touch. Then one of the crossers had the ball and I was standing in the middle I played a one- two with him and he crossed the ball in, again with the keeper and 2 defenders.
Sunday- Had a cup match. We lost 4-1.
Week 5- Offside trap
Monday- Did 2 laps around the pitch. We (as a back four), practised stepping up in unison, so that we were all in a straight line. Then we had someone playing the ball over the top from various positions in the pitch, and we stepped up together. Then we worked on some passing and shooting.
Thursday- Had football training at Tile Hill sports centre. We warmed up did some sprinting and played 7 vs. 7 for 65 minutes.
Friday- Did 2 lap warm up around the pitch, then stretched. We did some passing and moving, and we did shuttle runs. Then the back four took up our normal positions on the pitch, and again someone was playing balls’ over from around the pitch and we practised stepping up as a unit.
Sunday- Football match was cancelled. Went to the gym instead. Then played a round of golf.
Week 6- Offside Trap
Monday- We did a 2-lap jog around the pitch to warm up, then we stretched. Then we had the back four, two strikers, a linesman and two people playing balls over the top. We put into practise what we had been working on last week, and the linesman counted the number that were successful, out of 20, 9 were successful. Then we did some circuit training.
Thursday- Had football training down at the pitch. We did a warm up and some sprinting then played 3 vs. 3 for 40 minutes.
Friday- Did 2 laps around the pitch as a warm up, then we stretched. We had the back four, four attacking players, a linesman and two people playing balls from the left and right hand side of the pitch. Again the linesman counted the number of attempts that were successful, out of 20, 13 were successful.
Sunday- We had a football match. We drew 2-2
5) Method of Evaluating My Action Plan:
To see if my Action Plan has been a success, in a training session with the rest of the team and the coach present I will take 30 shots at our keeper, as I did first of all to see how many I did score or get on target. The rest of the team will count the number I score and the number I get on target, and compare this number with the first score I got.
To see if the offside trap has been improved again in a training session the back four, four attacking players and some people playing balls over will get together with a linesman and count the number of attempts that succeed, and again I will compare this score to the score I achieved in the first session of week six, number out of 20.
To see if my cardiovascular endurance has been improve I will retake the multi-stage fitness test. The score I achieve will be compared with my previous score.
6) Evaluation of Action Plan:
Endurance- The first time I took the multi-stage fitness test I achieved level 9.5. When I retook the test I again achieved level 9.5. I did not improve, but did not do worse. I think that I crammed too much in to the two weeks; I think that if I had planned two endurance sessions a week for the six weeks then I may have improved.
Shooting- In the first session of week 3 when I took 30 shots at our keeper, I scored 14 on target. When I retook the 30 shots after the completion of the six weeks I scored 17 and got 22 on target. This is a 20% improvement. My target was to get around 75% of my shots on target. I managed to get 73% of the 30 shots I took on target. I nearly reached my target but feel that the 20% increase in my shot consistency is good enough and i am pleased with it.
I think that the number of sessions a week I trained for shooting was good, I didn’t have time to redevelop bad habits, because I was retraining one or two days later.
Offside Trap- In the first session of week 6, 9 out of 20 attempts were successful (this is 45%), when we redid this on the Friday we got 13 out of 20 successful, (this is 65%). When we redid this at the training session, we managed to get 14 out of 20 to be successful, (this is 70% success rate). This is an improvement of 5%. The coach and the players are happy with this, and now we are confidant that we can use this as a successful tactic during matches.
I think that the number of sessions we had a week practising this was good. We also got to work on passing, dribbling, sprinting and ball control.