Move of the week: A simple way to reward for proper development

The Play Better program is happy to introduce the ‘move of the week’ metric, for younger age groups.  After a series of tests we have decided it is a fun, simple and effective metric, which can be easily rewarded.

To do this will you need to incorporate a few goals and challenges weekly to keep them engaged and simplify the big picture for everyone.

Goals

1) A focus of a ‘Move[s] of the Week.’

2) Practice at home, consisting of a few set ways to get touches on the ball…and get better! [Simple and easy].

3) Demonstration of the moves in a game setting (taking what the kids learned in practice and transferring it over to the game is the next level). If a player preforms the ‘move of the week’ in a game like setting then you reward him/her for their efforts.

Introducing the ‘move of the week’ during your weekly training sessions is the first step.  It is important to go over at length the said move at practice.

We will ask the boys/girls to practice that move and add it to the ones they are learning throughout the year. Sometimes you may do the move a few weeks in a row. As coaches’ we will focus on all areas of “head up, body position, proper technique and then aiming to get faster at executing the moves.” As a parent you can encourage those things as well.

Above all we want to encourage your boys/girls to practice 3 times per week for at least 15 minutes, which we know is about 1000 touches.

This is again where we can reward our boys/girls in addition for their hard work. They get better, so does the world.

Example: Charlotte will be inspired to do 3 days of 1000 touches at home [only a small area required] including the move of the week and I will reward here with $1-2 for her effort. If I see the move in a weekend game or repeatedly at practice I might choose to give her a high five for the cause as well. Up to you, but you will be surprised how into practice they get when they know they make a difference to their cause and how good they feel by accomplishing these physical movements. They will be happy. I promise.

Here is a short video of 1000 touches made by a friend of mine. As an example, you may have them do it or just practice the move of the week and some of the touches they have done in practice.

Fun, practice, and learning to love the game by becoming confident young men and ladies.