I always welcome players to training and have a chat about their day, what they've done at school, family etc. We also have a short group chat to get that initial chit chat out the way and get the lads together. After that I then keep talking in groups/to the whole group to a minimum through the session, and try to focus on either short team talks or individual chats. I found when stopping the whole group you may only be instructing one or two and the other switched off or went off into their own conversations.

I always try to keep all players involved, either by using small groups or having everyone involved rather than standing in queues or waiting to have a go. This is easier in some games, drills than others but for drills that are harder to do this, ie shooting. I split the team into smaller groups and use a carousel style of training so one group maybe practicing marking, the other ball control and then one shooting. This means they only have to wait for two or three other players to shoot before they get their go, instead of twelve or thirteen. 

Thanks for sharing, Nick!

A really good piece of advice there around welcoming players and asking how they are. It's a simple way to show them you care, and it's a great way to kick off a training session.

Good point regarding player interventions/group chats, too. Well done for noticing that sometimes stopping the whole group isn't always the best choice! Whole group interventions can be very useful, but it's important to use them wisely. Interventions need to be purposeful, done at the right time, and ideally not take players out of the practice for too long. This will help with engagement levels.

You may have already heard this - apologies if so - but we've recorded a podcast focused on finishing which you may find useful. And this article could be of interest, too. I like the fact you've split players into smaller groups so they get more repetition of shooting - no one likes being in a big queue! But these resources could get you thinking about other ways to effectively keep players engaged and working on their shooting/finishing skills.

Thanks Jamie.

I will have a listen to the podcast and take a look at the articles. 

I appreciate the feedback and advice.