Week 38

Outcomes

• ✓Players can shoot at goal without waiting for a 'perfect' moment.
• ✓Players can shake off a miss and immediately try again.
• ✓Players can encourage teammates to shoot and celebrate attempts.

Equipment

• 1 size-3 ball per player
• 6 small flat-cone goals
• 16 cones
• pinnies

Run of show

1. 1. Arrival Free Play

   5m

   Set up: Large open goals (bigger than usual). Balls for everyone.

   How to run it: Shoot at HUGE goals from anywhere. Almost impossible to miss. 'Every shot is a great shot today!' Build a feeling of invincibility.

   • ›Bigger goals = guaranteed success = confidence building.
   • ›React to every shot like it was the greatest goal ever.

2. 2. Warm-Up Game: Bravery Dash

   8m

   Set up: Players in a line at one end with a ball each. Two small goals at the other end.

   How to run it: One at a time, player dribbles full speed to the goal and shoots. No stopping — keep the pace up. Coach yells 'BE BRAVE!' as they run. Whole group cheers every shot. Go through the line four times.

   • ›Full pace, no hesitation — bravery is the theme.
   • ›Misses get cheered the same as goals.
   • ›Quick turnaround — no long waits between players.

3. 3. Skill Theme Game: Miss and Go Again

   12m

   Set up: Pairs. One ball per pair. One small goal per pair, 8 yards away.

   How to run it: Player shoots. If they miss — they clap, shout 'NEXT ONE!' and shoot again immediately. Count consecutive shots taken in 60 seconds (not goals — shots). Most shots taken wins. Swap with partner. Four rounds each.

   • ›Misses are rewarded — the key metric is attempts, not goals.
   • ›Quick resets between shots — keep the rhythm fast.
   • ›Model 'NEXT ONE!' yourself if a player looks deflated.

4. 4. Small-Sided Games: 3v3 Brave Shooting

   15m

   Set up: Two 3v3 games. Large goals each end. No goalkeeper.

   How to run it: Normal 3v3. Extra rule: any player who has a clear look at goal and chooses NOT to shoot gets a gentle 'SHOOT!' from teammates. Celebrate shots on goal regardless of outcome. Two 7-minute games.

   • ›'SHOOT!' must be encouraging, never scolding.
   • ›Coach participates in chanting 'SHOOT!'
   • ›Praise indiscriminate shooting — fix accuracy later.

5. 5. Cool-Down & High-Fives

   5m

   Set up: Players sit in a circle with their ball.

   How to run it: Coach says: 'Put your hand up if you shot the ball today without being scared.' Every hand goes up. Coach: 'That's bravery. That's what Austin Hearts does.' High-fives all around. Club cheer.

   • ›Frame bravery as a core club value.
   • ›Every player ends feeling proud.

Outcomes

• ✓Players can attempt at least two shots per game.
• ✓Players can respond to a miss with immediate positive action.
• ✓Players can create a culture where shooting is always encouraged.

Equipment

• 1 size-3 ball per player
• 8 small flat-cone goals
• 20 cones
• 2 sets of pinnies

Run of show

1. 1. Arrival Free Play

   5m

   Set up: All goals out, large and open. All balls available.

   How to run it: Shoot freely. Coach counts aloud every shot attempted — not goals — just shots. When the count reaches 50, the whole group cheers.

   • ›Counting shots (not goals) reinforces the right behaviour.
   • ›Get to 50 quickly — create early success.

2. 2. Warm-Up Game: Shot Clock

   8m

   Set up: Two small goals. All players with a ball. Coach has a timer.

   How to run it: Players take turns — 10 seconds per player to dribble and shoot. If they score before 10 seconds, bonus cheer. No score = no problem. Cycle through all players twice.

   • ›Time pressure encourages quick decision-making.
   • ›10 seconds is plenty — no stress.
   • ›Celebrate every attempt, not just goals.

3. 3. Skill Theme Game: Attempt Counter

   12m

   Set up: Groups of four. One small goal per group. Players count their own attempts.

   How to run it: Each player takes 10 shots in a row — no resetting, just retrieve and shoot again immediately. After 10 shots, players share their count. Celebrate: 'You took 10 brave shots!' Next round: see if anyone can do 12 in the same time.

   • ›Speed of retrieval matters — stay energetic.
   • ›Volume of attempts is the goal.
   • ›Praise the player who gets back fastest.

4. 4. Small-Sided Games: Mini-Match Festival

   15m

   Set up: Three 3v3 or 4v4 games. Goals each end. No goalkeepers.

   How to run it: Play three 5-minute games. After each game, players count total shots attempted by their team — not goals. Team with most attempts gets a bonus cheer from everyone. Rotate teams.

   • ›Attempt-counting shifts the culture away from results.
   • ›Coach keeps a rough attempt tally to validate players' counts.
   • ›Fast rotations between games.

5. 5. Cool-Down & High-Fives

   5m

   Set up: Players jog a slow cool-down lap with their ball.

   How to run it: During the lap, players fist-bump every player they pass. At the end, sit down for the club cheer. Coach gives every player a verbal high-five: 'I saw you shoot — brave stuff!'

   • ›Personal verbal recognition matters enormously at this age.
   • ›Specific praise if possible ('I saw that left-foot shot!').