1. Hello Jack. Perfectly normal for the player at that age. They are getting comfortable with being on the pitch and they are learning whilst out there on it. Training has structure with the coach helping the players learn the foundations of the game. On game day the structure they are comfortable with in training disappears and all of a sudden it is fully opposed. Small sided games in training will help as it ensures players have to touch the ball. Tell them that the ball is their best friend !! 

Hello Jack,

As mentioned already this is quite common and as you say probably worried about losing the ball.

In practice, try to agree a 'challenge' for the player and ask him to "TRY TO" have a touch to control the ball / set it up for his next action (a dribble or a pass).

In practice challenge him to control the ball, say, three times. "Try To" means he is not restricted by "YOU MUST" so it is still his decision.

Can you control the ball EVERY time ? No - there may be opportunities to shoot or to play a first time pass.

Question: When might you have a controlling / soft touch?

Let him think and work out an answer.....He might say "When I have space / room" or "When no-one is close to me" or similar. That being the case that's when you can say, Well, that might be when you choose to have a controlling touch.

In games, take his same challenge and ask him to 'Remember what you did at practice? Well TRY TO have a controlling touch when YOU think it is right to do so.'

Then, you can (or ask his parent/carer to) keep a note of

Number of opportunities to control the ball

Number of opportunities he tried to do so

You aren't worried about whether he is successful at this stage - just that he is "trying" to do it. You can measure "successful" attempts when he has the hang of it.

Make a note in the first half and then the second half of his opportunities. You can feed back to him - you had (eg 5) opportunities to control the ball and you tried to do it 3 times - well done.

You can see if he can increase his attempts in the second half, the next practice, the next game etc. If that becomes his personal challenge, he will soon ask you how he is doing and will be pleased at his progress....which is a much better indication of development and understanding than whether or not the team wins or loses.

What other personal challenges can you agree with players? What do they want to get better at? Can you engage all the parent/carers in looking at a personal challenge for their child and use that to show progress and development? It encourages parents to look at skills rather than the score line.

Personal challenges don't always have to be different; they may be similar for several players - but if you can identify what they individually want to get better at and help them achieve that, they will be engaged and try to improve.

Hope this helps and good luck !

Regards

Steve

Could set him a challenge that he must take 4 touches min. when he gets the ball or do conditioned games such as ball can only be dribbled into the next third etc.