Yolanda Brooks previews resources with practical suggestions for games, drills and coaching sessions
The Official FA Guide series
FA Learning and Hodder Stoughton, pound;8.99 per book; six-pack schools’
set pound;40
Tel: 01235 827 720
www.hodderheadline.co.uk
www.falearningshop.com
101 Youth Soccer Drills: Age 7-11 or Age 12-16
By Malcolm Cook
AC Black, pound;12.99
Tel: 020 7758 0229
www.acblack.com
Adapted Games Activities: From Tag to Team Building
By Pattie Rouse
Human Kinetics Europe, pound;12
Tel: 0113 255 5665
www.humankinetics.com
Each guide has something for novice and experienced coaches, from developing coaching skills and organising effective and enjoyable practice sessions, to managing finances and joining a league.
One let-down is the unhelpful contacts section. Instead of a long list of county or club contacts, there’s a list of international football associations. I can’t imagine many readers will need to know how to get hold of the Romanian Football Federation.
However, the series does cover all the bases for grassroots coaches and offers advice that will be useful across a range of sports, making it a cost-effective addition to the PE department’s library.
These are not manuals with instructions to be followed to the letter, but guides that provide an all-round understanding of the game, on and off the pitch.
101 Youth Soccer Drills is purely instructional and provides a companion title to the FA Learning guides. If you’re looking for new ideas for drills, you’ll find it here. The explanations are straightforward and succinct, with details on how to set up, and the equipment needed for every drill. The diagrams help simplify the instructions even further.
Inclusion on the sports field and in the sports hall is the aim of Adapted Games Activities. This book features dozens of games that can be played by all primary children, including those with learning disabilities.
Activities include tag, chase and dodge games, ball skills and team-building, and the emphasis is on fun, as well as developing motor skills and fitness.
The Game Finder at the front of the book lists all the games, with a skills overview and an equipment list, enabling readers to pick a game in seconds.
Most of the activities rely on items usually found in primary sports cupboards, but those wanting to make full use of games on offer may have to seek out beanbags, volleyball nets and therapeutic balls.
Adapted Games Activities will keep PE sessions fresh and ensure that the sessions are rigorous and fun for all involved.
