Composure,
Week 3
Training becomes more challenging, so players get real moments to use what they have built.
This week, the pressure increases on purpose, giving players a chance to practice staying steady in training before a match tests them.
Composure is tested when the game gets difficult, so this week you raise the challenge in training.
Your session brings the harder moments of a match onto the training pitch, stepped up a little at a time. That way players practice staying steady where getting it wrong costs nothing, and a player who has done it in training is better placed to do it on match day.
This is the week to hand over those wristbands to players, so they can write their Reset Word on them - the final piece of their plan to stay steady.
Coaching Strategies
Bring the wristbands and markers to practice this week.
At the start of training, give each player a wristband and marker, and invite them to write their Reset Word on it. This is a word they say to themselves to remind them of their plan to stay steady. Some of them may have already seen the video we sent to parents that explains how to pick a Reset Word, but some may not. To support them, you can watch the video here.
Build the challenge in steps, and watch how players respond. Start each session at a level the squad handles comfortably and add one change at a time, such as a new rule or one team falling behind. The aim is a challenge players can rise to. When the group is coping, add another step. When several players are struggling, hold it where it is or take a step back. You don't need to tell players it will be harder or why, because knowing can change how they react. Run the drills as you would any other week and let the challenge come from the football. At the end of training, take a moment to explain what you were working on.
What to look for
Which players struggle to think about their reset word, and which get it right off the bat.
When pressure rises across the squad through louder voices, sharper words, or players drifting out of the drill.
How players respond to rising pressure, and how that affects the overall mood on the pitch.
What to say
To a player stuck on their Reset Word: “Think of the moment that gets to you most. What do you want to hear yourself say in that moment? Pick one for today, and you can always change it later.”
When the pressure rises across the squad: “Take a second. Look at your wristbands, then go again.”
When a player gets back into it after a tough moment: “That one could have got to you, and you stayed in it. Did your Reset Word help?”
How to respond
When a player is stuck on their Reset Word, keep it light and remind them they can always change it later.
When pressure rises across the squad, hold the challenge where it is or step back.
When a player’s reaction starts to affect the squad, address that player first by making the moment easier in the drill, such as adding an extra passing option or a simpler role.
Drill Design
Ideas to Borrow:
Run the challenge in short blocks of a few minutes, with normal play in between.
Switch to a different challenge halfway through, so players have to stay steady through something new.
Finish the session with a normal game, so players leave the pitch feeling steady.
Drills that suit it:
An overload game, such as 3v5, where the smaller team tries to hold out for a set time.
A final-minutes scenario, one goal down with two minutes left, with the waiting players making noise from the sideline.
1v1s with a talkative defender, who can talk about the football only.
Penalties where the keeper can move and make noise before the kick.
A changing-rules game, where you tell the group at the start that you’ll call out new rules during play, such as headers only or weaker foot only.
A shrinking pitch, where you move the cones in every few minutes.
A small-sided game where one team can only score after a set number of passes.
Possession under a high press with a two-touch limit.
On match day
Don't add pressure on match day; the match provides enough on its own.
At half-time, ask who caught their first signal when they were starting to lose their heads. During the match, stay steady no matter the result so players can see and model you.
The Player’s Practice:
The Reset Word
Building on last week's If This, Then This practice, each player now chooses their Reset Word.
This is a short word they say to themselves at their first signal to remind themselves of their plan and sum up the next action they chose to take. A good Reset Word reminds them that everything is okay, like “breathe” or “I’ve got this”. We sent the parents this video to share with their kids. It has the step-by-step instructions to help kids pick their Reset Word.