Sarah Lowden, FA coach development officer (diversity and inclusion), suggests a creative way to introduce challenges so you can keep your players engaged in training.

We all love a challenge and trying something new - your players are just the same.

Keeping everyone engaged and focused can often be a challenge in itself, so here’s something to try which is quick and easy to add into your sessions.

How will this work?

The aim of this allows to coach to create and assign ‘secret missions’ to players. This is simply a few different challenges for the players to achieve within their small-sided game for example, to keep them motivated and trying something new.

Have a go at doing the following:

1. Set the scene

Before you set the players off into a game-based practice, tell them that someone or a couple of players in the game will be asked to perform a ‘secret mission’ within the game.

2. Set up a game scenario

Based on the theme of your session perhaps, set the teams up ready to begin in a small-sided game with a goal at each end.

3. Write down different ‘missions’

Using a whiteboard or paper, write down some different challenges for your players to choose. Some examples include: score with a one-touch finish, score with your right foot, link up with a teammate ten times, complete five successful passes, be confident enough to take someone on 1v1 or use a new trick.

4. Ask players to choose

While the game is being played, ask someone to come out and pick a mission to complete from the board. Only you and the player should know what their mission is.

5. Make a note

Write down the initials of the player underneath the mission on the whiteboard. This will help you review success and effort in the game. Also, at the end of the game, it allows the player to reflect on their own performance.

6. Make it fun

During the game or at the end, see if the opposing team can guess what the secret missions were for the other team.

7. Reward bonus points

As a bit of extra competition, you may want to reward an extra goal or point if the mission is completed.

8. Create competition

If this is something you’ve tried already, think about setting times to complete the mission in. For example, you might want to time five minutes and then have a quick chat with the player. Have they completed it? Would they like a teammate to help them on this mission?

9. Be inclusive

Ensure that all players have an opportunity to take part. This might mean you continue this type of game in the following weeks and other players can have their turn. This would be something to monitor as a coach. It may also allow you to see if they can practice this ‘mission’ outside of their club session and perhaps try it at school or with friends.

What do you think of this idea? How do you set your players challenges in training? Let us know in the comments below!