EKS Explains · How EKS coachesNew41-second video
Why small-sided games?
Why every EKS practice has small games like 4v4, 5v5 and 7v7, and what they do for your player.
What you'll see at practice
- ✓Small fields marked with cones, with mini goals at each end
- ✓Short games of 4 against 4 up to 7 against 7, with quick breaks between rounds
- ✓Coaches stopping play briefly to ask a question or show a better option
- ✓Bigger fields and more players as the age group goes up
Why it works
- ✓More touches: every player is close to the ball, all the time
- ✓More decisions: where to pass, when to dribble, when to turn
- ✓More of the moments that make a player: receiving under pressure, turning and playing forward
- ✓Everyone attacks and everyone defends, so no one hides on the wing
How you can help
- ✓After practice, ask how many times they had the ball or what they tried, not who won
- ✓Encourage brave choices, like trying a move or asking for the ball, even when it doesn't work yet
- ✓Set up 2 v 2 or 3 v 3 with friends or siblings at the park, with small goals or cones
- ✓Let the coaches coach during games, and cheer for effort and good decisions