As a grassroots football coach, you're always looking for ways to help your team improve. You want them to be fitter, stronger, and more skilled on the pitch. But with so many demands on your time, it can be tough to know where to start.
This is where periodisation comes in. Periodisation is a training strategy that involves dividing the training year into distinct periods, each with a specific focus. This allows you to target different aspects of your players' development at different times of the year.
In the world of football coaching, understanding and implementing periodisation can be a game-changer. This systematic approach to training design not only enhances performance but also minimizes the risk of injury. In this blog, we'll delve into what periodisation is, its benefits, and how you can apply it to your coaching sessions for optimal results. First up, we need to better understand what it is:
What is Periodisation?
Periodisation is the strategic planning of athletic training. It involves breaking down the training process into specific phases, each with distinct goals and focuses. This method ensures that players peak at the right time, typically during the most critical stages of the season. The primary phases of periodisation include:
1. Macrocycle: This is the longest phase, often encompassing an entire season or year. It outlines the overarching goals and objectives.
2. Mesocycle: These are intermediate phases within the macrocycle, usually lasting several weeks to a few months. Each mesocycle targets specific aspects of training, such as endurance, strength, or tactical skills.
3. Microcycle: These are the shortest phases, typically one week long. Microcycles focus on day-to-day training sessions, ensuring they align with the goals of the mesocycle.
Now we know the technical terms that make up periodisation but what exactly are the benefits and why should we, as grassroots coaches, think about it?
Benefits of Periodisation
1. Optimized Performance: By strategically planning training phases, players can reach their peak performance during key matches and tournaments. Such as, towards the end of the season when we may be aiming for a top table finish or cup finals begin to take place.
2. Injury Prevention: Gradual progression and varied training intensity help reduce the risk of overuse injuries and burnout. It is the same as training and matches, if we jump straight into full speed sprinting, players risk pulled muscles and joint injuries, progression is key to condition ourselves ready for the rigours of sport.
3. Balanced Development: Periodisation ensures a comprehensive development of all physical, technical, and tactical aspects of the game. It allows us to ensure we tick off every element required to holistically develop our players.
4. Motivation and Focus: Clearly defined goals and varied training routines keep players motivated and focused throughout the season. There's nothing worse than completing the same drills week in, week out, because the coach hasn't had time (or bothered) to plan an effective session. A clearly defined periodisation of the season makes planning individual sessions a breeze.
So, the benefits are clear to see but the million dollar question is how do we implement it into our season and our plans... well lets unpack it a bit and find out:
Implementing Periodisation: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Assessment and Goal Setting: Start by assessing your team's current fitness levels, strengths, and weaknesses. Set clear, measurable goals for the season. These should be centred around team goals but coaches, don't dismiss individual goals, to ensure your players remain focused and driven. Our 6 week pre-season programme is a great way to kick start the season and includes resources to help set goals.
2. Designing the Macrocycle: Outline the entire season, identifying key matches, tournaments, and rest periods. Divide the season into preparation, competition, and transition phases.
Preparation - Introducing and developing a playing style and fitness levels, if you have a completely new squad this can be a vital phase. For teams together for a number of years, it may just be a remind and revise periods where fitness levels can be built back up and a reintroduction to play.
Competition - The bulk of the season, leagues and tournament or cup competitions entered. By now the team should be clear of their objectives and working each week towards them.
Transition - Consider the level of your team when looking at the transition phase, are they moving to 9v9 or 11v11 the following season, can we start building towards and introducing this as the season starts to draw down. You may also find a transition period post Christmas, where leagues structures and priorities change. This mini transition can be useful to identify and plan for during your macrocycle.
3. Structuring Mesocycles: Break down the macrocycle into mesocycles, each with specific focuses. For example, an early-season mesocycle might focus on building aerobic endurance and conditioning, while a mid-season mesocycle might emphasize tactical training and match preparedness. If you know specific teams and fixtures, we can plan these to suit, although this is often rare in grassroots football.
4. Planning Microcycles: Within each mesocycle, plan weekly microcycles. Ensure a balance of training types, including technical drills, tactical sessions, strength training, and recovery periods. Our pre-season programme from last year consisted of sessions broken down into tactical, technical and physical.
Tactical - The what will we play, such as style and tactics to beat the opposition. Consider things like playing out from the back, playing direct or tiki taka style football, will we concentrate on counter attacking? Coaches must consider the players at their disposal when making these decisions, there is no point training for a counter attacking style if your players are slower and more comfortable playing short passes, a possession based tactics would be more suited.
Technical - The how will we play, are players comfortable with the ball at their feet, can they pass with precision and a good range, do they know how to strike the ball properly and accurately. This goes into further details such as where to strike the ball, the technical details could be what part of the ball and foot to use or once players are older and more developed where is it placed in relation to the goalkeeper. If 1v1 then low and hard to the keepers left, making it harder for them to reach. These are just examples but you get the gist.
Physical - The when we play... we need to be fast, strong, agile and durable to complete the rigours of a 50, 70 or 90 minute match (depending on age). The physical element is all about fitness it can overlap with some technical elements such as movements and body shape. The more overlap we can complete the better, a session may be focused on strength on the ball but actually we are using 1v1s to build strength and so we are also building technical control and body shape, we could also incorporate a tactical element of, if I can turn the player what options do I create?
Now we have a strong foundation understanding of periodisation, lets look at a few tips for implementing it:
Useful Tips
Use a variety of training methods: There are many different training methods that you can use to implement periodisation. These include small-sided games, drills, weight training, and plyometrics. Variety, coupled with individual and team goals will keep players engaged and working hard throughout the season.
Keep it Simple: While elite clubs have extensive resources, grassroots coaches can still benefit from periodisation by keeping plans simple and flexible.
Revisit goals: Don't just set and forget your goals. Review them after each match or mesocycle, get players to review theirs and reflect on their progress so far. Forgetting about goals will stunt progress and the season will go off track or plans will get waylaid. If we review and reflect on the previous period we can ensure we are on the right path towards achieving them or adjust our training to get back on track.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Be prepared to adapt your plan based on unforeseen circumstances, such as injuries or changes in the competitive schedule. Flexibility ensures continuous progress despite setbacks.
Education and Communication: Educate your players on the principles of periodisation so they understand the purpose behind each phase. Open communication fosters trust and commitment.
Prioritize Recovery: Ensure your training schedule includes adequate rest and recovery periods to prevent injuries.
An Example Season
Lets take a look at a basic example of how you might periodise your training program for a youth football team:
Pre-season (4-6 weeks): Focus on building fitness and strength. Use a variety of training methods, such as running, weight training, and small-sided games.
In-season (20 weeks): Focus on maintaining fitness and skill development. Use a variety of training methods, such as drills, small-sided games, and tactical sessions.
Post-season (4 weeks): Focus on recovery and injury prevention. Use a variety of training methods, such as light running, yoga, and swimming. These can be great for team building and reflective periods such as going for a team hike.
Transition (4 weeks): Gradually increase the intensity of training in preparation for the next pre-season.
This is just a basic example, of course. The specific way you periodise your training program will depend on the age and experience of your players, as well as your team's goals.
But by following these tips, you can get started with periodisation and start to see the benefits in your own football team.
Real-World Examples
Periodisation is used to great effect in the elite game, with teams of analysts and scientific research identifying the best programmes around the world. At grassroots we don't have the same resources, but we can utilise tools from their research to aid us in developing our players. If it works for the professionals, it's normally for very good reason and can, to an extent, work at grassroots level.
FC Barcelona: Known for their meticulous training planning, Barcelona uses periodisation to ensure players like Lionel Messi peak during crucial Champions League matches.
Leicester City: During their 2015-2016 Premier League winning season, Leicester City's training was meticulously periodised, focusing on high-intensity training and recovery to maintain performance levels throughout the season.
How Pep Guardiola Uses Periodisation to Maximize Player Performance
Pep Guardiola, renowned for his tactical genius and innovative training methods, employs periodisation to fine-tune his players' performance. At Manchester City, Guardiola meticulously plans each training phase to ensure his team peaks at the right moments, such as during key Champions League fixtures and the final stages of the Premier League season.
Preparation Phase: In pre-season, Guardiola focuses on building a strong fitness base and implementing his tactical philosophy. This phase includes high-intensity interval training to enhance aerobic capacity and endurance, while also integrating tactical drills that align with his possession-based style of play.
Competition Phase: As the season progresses, Guardiola shifts the focus to maintaining high-intensity performance levels. Training sessions are designed to simulate match conditions, emphasizing quick decision-making, pressing, and positional play. This helps players maintain sharpness and adaptability during competitive matches.
Recovery Phase: Guardiola prioritizes recovery to prevent fatigue and injuries. He schedules lighter training sessions or rest days following intense matches, allowing players to recuperate. Recovery strategies also include activities like yoga, swimming, and personalized rehabilitation programs.
Adaptation and Flexibility: Throughout the season, Guardiola continuously monitors his players' physical and mental states. Using performance data and player feedback, he adjusts training loads and session intensity to ensure optimal performance. This adaptability helps the team remain resilient against the challenges of a long and demanding season.
By meticulously planning each phase and adapting to his players' needs, Pep Guardiola maximizes his squad's potential, leading them to consistent success domestically and in Europe. His approach to periodisation is a testament to the importance of strategic training in achieving peak performance.
Conclusion
Periodisation is a powerful tool that can elevate your coaching and your team's performance. By understanding its principles and applying them thoughtfully, you can help your players reach new heights and enjoy a successful, injury-free season. The approach taken by elite coaches like Pep Guardiola highlights the importance of strategic planning, flexibility, and recovery in achieving consistent success. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your team thrive. Remember, the ultimate goal is to develop well-rounded, resilient players who can perform at their best when it matters most. Embrace the journey of periodisation, and transform your team's potential into tangible results.
Thanks for reading, join The Football Hub now to find drills and session plans that you can build into your own periodised season. We've got plans to suit any level:
Individual Plan - £5 per month - 30 day free trial
Full access to our Coaching Library
Coaching Webinars
Messaging advice/session reviews
Access to our coaching courses
Downloadable Content and tactical guides
So much more
Grassroots Club Plan - £18.99 per month
Pro Club Plan - £29.99 per month
Or why not try one of our annual plans for all of the above at discounted rates... we'll even throw in a free copy of our 6 Week Pre-Season Programme:
Comments