Tips for Conducting Safe Training Sessions

Tips for Conducting Safe Training Sessions

Though the risks can be few, coaches have a responsibility to ensure that athletes know, understand and appreciate the risks of football. The safety and well-being of athletes are the coaches’ primary concerns. Football is not a dangerous sport, but accidents do occur when coaches forget to take safety precautions. It is the head coach’s responsibility to minimize the occurrence of injuries by providing safe conditions.

1.       Establish clear rules for behavior at your first practice and enforce them.

2.       Keep your hands to yourself.

3.       Listen to the coach.

4.       When you hear the whistle, “Stop, look and listen.”

5.       Ask the coach before you leave the field of play.

6.       When the weather is poor, have a plan to immediately remove athletes from inclement weather.

7.       Make sure athletes bring water to every practice, especially in hotter climates.

8.       Check your first-aid kit; restock supplies as necessary.

9.       Train all athletes and coaches on emergency procedures.

10.    Choose a safe field area. Do not practice in areas with rocks or holes that could cause injury. Simply telling players to avoid obstacles is not enough.

11.    Walk the field and boundaries and remove unsafe objects. Be particularly vigilant when you are playing in cluttered indoor gyms. Remove anything that a player might run in to.

12.    Check the balls for loose panels that could cause eye injury.

13.    Check the goals for poorly secured posts and cross-bars. Instruct players never to swing on goals. Pay particular attention to portable goals that could tip over in a high wind or if players swing on the cross-bar. Make sure these goals are securely staked into the ground.

14.    Review your first-aid and emergency procedures. Have someone who is trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation on or very near to the field during practice and games.

15.    Establish clear rules for behavior at your first practice.

16.    Warm up and stretch properly at the beginning of each practice to prevent muscle injuries.

17.    Train to improve the general fitness level of your players. Physically fit players are less likely to get injured. Make your practices active.

18.    Make sure that players are physically matched in games where players go against each other, head-to-head, (e.g., one-on-one drills).

19.    Require all your players to wear shin pads at practices and games. The use of athletic cups and fitted mouth guards is recommended, particularly for players with slower reactions.

20.    Do not put a player with a very slow reaction time in the goalkeeper’s position. Make sure that a goalkeeper is able to understand how to play the position safely.

Selecting Team Members

The key to successful development of a traditional Special Olympics or Unified Sports team is the proper selection of team members. We have provided some primary considerations below.

Ability Grouping

Unified Sports football teams work best when all team members have similar sports skills. Partners with abilities that are far superior to other teammates will either control competition or accommodate others by not competing to their potential. In both situations, the goals of interaction and teamwork are diminished and a true competitive experience is not achieved.

Age Grouping

All team members should be closely matched in age.

·                    ·         Within 3-5 years of age for athletes 21 years of age and under.

·                    ·         Within 10-15 years for athletes 22 years of age and over.

For example, in football, an 8-year-old should not be competing against or with a 30-year-old athlete.

Special Olympics Football Skills Assessment Card

Athlete’s Name		Date
Coach’s Name		Date

Instructions

1.       Use tool at the beginning of the training/competition season to establish a basis of the athlete’s starting skill level.

2.       Have the athlete perform the skill several times.

3.       If the athlete performs the skill correctly three out of five times, check the box next to the skill to indicate that the skill has been accomplished.

4.       Program assessment sessions into your football program.

5.       Athletes may accomplish skills in any order. Athletes have accomplished this list when all possible items have been achieved.

Control-Receiving

    Controls ball using inside of foot

    Controls ball using chest

    Controls ball using thigh

    Cushions ball with chest or thigh

    Distributes body weight, so that they are able to move backward, forward or sideways

    Judges ball flight speed appropriately

    Chooses the right technique and body surface to control ball

Dribbling

    Dribbles forward, using the top of foot

    Uses inside of foot to quickly change direction

    Uses outside of foot to shield ball from opponents

    Uses sole of foot to change ball direction

    Dribbles up field with ball while walking

    Dribbles up field with ball while running

Passing

    Squares up ball, player and target in a straight line

    Makes eye contact with intended receiver

    Follows through in direction of intended receiver kicking foot

    Places kicking foot flat against back of ball

    Contacts ball with the toes pulled up, foot parallel to ground and ankle locked

Shooting

    Approaches ball from side

    Places non-kicking foot by side of ball

    Controls ball before shooting

Tackling

    Leans upper body into front-block tackle

    Maintains good balance with outstretched leg in side-block tackle

    Tracks and closes down on opponents dribbling the ball

    Knows when to use appropriate tackle technique

    Moves quickly to close distance to opponent with ball

    Focuses attention on ball, not opponent’s body

Heading

    Attempts to head the ball

    Looks at ball as it comes toward the head

    Rocks onto back foot before ball arrives

    Attacks through ball for power

    Directs ball in correct, general direction

    Directs ball with accuracy

    Heads ball while standing

    Heads ball while jumping

Goalkeeping

    Maintains concentration when ball is away from the goal

    Gets behind the line of the ball

    Scoops up low balls with legs straight and together

    Goes down on one knee and scoops up low balls

    Secures high ball with both hands working together as one unit

    Dives on side of body

    Distributes the ball, using appropriate technique

Football Attire

Players must wear appropriate football attire to train and compete successfully. Inappropriate uniforms and equipment can impact a player’s ability to play the game and, in some cases, may be a safety hazard. Teams dressed in good-looking and properly-fitted uniforms are more likely to be motivated to train and play as a team.

Appropriate football attire is required for all competitors. As coach, discuss the types of sport clothes that are acceptable and not acceptable for training and competition. Discuss the importance of wearing properly fitted clothing, along with the advantages and disadvantages of wearing certain types of clothing during training and competitions. For example, long-pant jeans to blue-jean shorts are not proper football attire for any event. Explain that they cannot perform their best while wearing jeans that restrict their movement. Take athletes to high school or collegiate matches and point out the attire being worn. You can even set the example, by wearing appropriate attire to training and competitions and not rewarding athletes that come improperly dressed to train and/or compete.