Two Phases, Two Completely Different Missions
Phase 1: Children's Football (Foundation Phase, approx. 6–12 years)
The foundation phase has one single primary objective: igniting passion.
Not perfecting technique. Not introducing tactical fundamentals. Not learning how to cope with defeat.
First: foster a love for football. Everything else follows.
Play takes centre stage.
And that is not an oversimplification – it is methodology. Children who genuinely play realise on their own that they need technique. The child who wants to dribble but keeps losing the ball will eventually ask: "How do I do this better?" That moment is worth its weight in gold. It cannot be forced.
What specifically belongs in training:
- Psychomotor skills and coordination: agility, mobility, reaction games, and changes of direction. This lays the foundation for everything that follows.
- Initial orientation: Where am I on the pitch? Where are my teammates? What does it mean to win together?
- Frequent ball contacts: every child, every training session, as much time on the ball as possible.
What does not belong in training:
- Result-oriented tactics
- Formation work
- Tense competition that breeds fear of mistakes
- Focusing on winning or losing as a measure of quality
Phase 2: Performance Training (Development and Performance Phase, from approx. 12–14 years)
Here the remit changes. Now the objective is to consolidate qualities and gear them towards performance.
This means:
- Position-specific technique: no longer just the basics, but what does a full-back need, what does a striker need?
- Introducing tactical systems: formations, pressing, handover triggers
- Targeted athleticism: increasing strength, speed, and endurance in an age-appropriate manner
- Raising mental demands: deliberately incorporating pressure situations, utilising competition as a developmental tool
Yet – and this is decisive – the following still applies:
Competition must never come at the expense of player development. A coach who forces their 15-year-old into a specific position simply because it wins games for the team, while the player fails to develop, is making a mistake – even if the league table suggests otherwise.
Why the Sequence Is Crucial
This is where the core problem of many coaching philosophies lies: building the roof before laying the foundations.
Imagine trying to teach tactics to a child who cannot yet control the ball reliably. The child worries about their position and loses the ball in the process. Frustration on both sides.
The correct sequence:
1. Joy of playing and passion (without this, everything else is worthless)
2. Coordination and motor skills (the physical foundation)
3. Technical foundation (ball mastery, passing, receiving, dribbling)
4. Basic tactical understanding (simple principles of play)
5. Specialisation (positions, systems, targeted athleticism)
6. Performance optimisation (mental resilience, competitive routine)
Coaches who follow this sequence lose fewer players – and develop them more sustainably.
The Person First, Then Performance
Football is more than just football. Coaches who understand this become better at what they do.
In children's football, players do not just learn how to pass the ball. They learn how to:
- Deal with defeat
- Take responsibility within the team
- Persevere when things get tough
- Respect opponents and referees
That sounds obvious. But it is not – it requires active cultivation.
An academy, a grassroots club, an individual coach: whoever embodies these values does not just develop better footballers. They shape better people. That is not a byproduct – it is the ultimate goal.
Pressure to Win in Children's Football: The Damage It Causes
Sports science provides an alarmingly clear statistic: in many countries, up to 70% of children who take up sports drop out by the age of 13. One of the most common reasons: a lack of enjoyment.
Enjoyment is lost when:
- Mistakes are punished instead of treated as learning opportunities
- Playing time depends on the match result rather than development
- Parents or coaches pile on more pressure after matches than the player feels themselves
- "Winning" takes centre stage instead of developing
A player who quits at the age of 10 because they no longer enjoy it is a lost talent – regardless of their technical ability. The drop-out rate in youth football is no coincidence. It is the direct consequence of misguided priorities.
Foundational Training vs Specialised Training
This is not an either-or decision – it is a question of timing.
Foundational training (up to approx. 13–14 years):
- Broad foundation: technique across all areas
- No premature positional lock-in
- All children play all positions
- Objective: a complete technical and coordinative base
Specialised training (from approx. age 14):
- Position-specific technique and tactics
- Targeted athletic development
- Competition utilised as a developmental tool
- Individual development plans
The mistake: Many clubs begin specialisation far too early. A 10-year-old trained exclusively as a goalkeeper misses out on everything an outfield player learns – and if they decide at 15 that they no longer want to be in goal, they lack the technical foundation.
Early specialisation boosts short-term results in childhood. It diminishes long-term developmental potential.
Parents Pushing Too Early: The Coach's Perspective
Almost every youth football coach knows the scenario: parents on the touchline shouting, commenting, criticising – and often creating more pressure than the training session itself.
Parents mean well. But good intentions do not always lead to good outcomes.
What parental pressure causes in training:
- Players become more anxious rather than playing freely
- Mistakes turn into a problem rather than a learning opportunity
- The child plays for their parents, not for themselves
- The joy of the game is lost
What coaches can do:
- Hold a clear meeting with parents at the start of the season: "What our children need and what they don't"
- Establish touchline rules (positive encouragement, no tactical shouting)
- Actively involve parents – but in other areas (logistics, social events)
- Offer review meetings to align expectations
A coach who wins parents over as partners creates a far stronger environment for their players. A coach who ignores or fights them creates a problem.
Age-Appropriate Competition Formats
Not every format suits every age group. The DFB match regulations have addressed this in recent years with age-appropriate formats – yet the logic behind them is not always understood.
Why small-sided games and frequent ball contacts at a young age?
- More decisions per player and per minute
- More goals, more moments of success, more learning impulses
- Fewer players stranded on the periphery who never touch the ball
Why no rigid league tables for under-12s?
- League tables shift the focus from player development to match results
- Coaches focus on winning rather than coaching and education
- Players learn "not to lose" rather than "how to improve"
Age-appropriate formats are not a luxury. They are a pedagogical necessity.
4 Key Takeaways for Youth Coaches
1. For the youngest: fun first
Under 12 years of age, the joy of playing has absolute priority. Everything else builds on it. Whoever destroys the foundation of passion loses the player – no matter how good their session plan is.
2. Increase demands with age
From around 13–14 years, demands can and should rise. Consolidate technique, introduce tactics, build athleticism. But do so gradually, not in sudden leaps.
3. Always stay individual
No two players develop at the same pace. A 12-year-old might already be technically ready for more. Another might need another year of foundational work. Recognising and adjusting to this – that is the mark of coaching quality.
4. See the human being
Footballers are people first. Forget this, and you develop technicians who perform well on the pitch but struggle off it. Keep this in mind, and you shape strong personalities – who just happen to play football well.
FAQ: Children's Football and Performance Training
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