THE DOVERY METHOD
HOW WE TRAIN & DEVELOP PLAYERS AND TEAMS
... focused progressive training that increases in sophistication as players improve ...
LEARN PLAY ENJOY
LEARN : creating an environment that allows young players to learn as a unit
PLAY : developing footballing skills and experience from play orientated activities
ENJOY : positive enforcement of development by making activities enjoyable
Dovery Dynamos does not currently participate in any local leagues and so our sole focus is directed towards the recreational aspects of junior football and the associated, positive, benefits - namely, physical and mental development in young children as they mature from pre-teens into teenagers. We believe it is critical for us as a volunteer organisation to achieve a balance of the competitive and social aspects of football by elevating two key competances;
Learning About Ball Control
For young players we feel it is crucial to develop good call control and associate foot work before learning any other football skill. Good ball control is the foundation of all other football skills and directly accelerates the development of a player's physical coordination. We deliberately focus on basic passing, collection, trapping and ball transition via repetitive practice and work to get these honed so that each player becomes comfortable with their own abilities.
Speed, Agility & Reactions
In this phase we begin to teach aspects of changing direction and moving at speed while in possession of the ball with the emphasis on maintening control of the ball as transitions occur. We also begin to teach the responsive and reactive actions required in match play to counter movement by the opposition side players. At this point we reinforce the need to stay focused and maintain descipline in formations and roles which begins to make use of more field space.
Scoring & In Front of Goal Area
In this phase we look at scoring and in particular optimal scoring approaches for each skill level achieved via structured multi-player and player on player drills. We also develop more goalie related skills as a counter to players learning scoring techniques. This will also be the point at which significant aerial ball work is introduced in the form of corner and free kick practices. Time is also applied to set plays in and around the goal area in particular reacting to corners and free kicks
Stamina
Football skill training is mixed with traditional physical training with a fun game emphasis to develop player stamina and endurance over the course of their season's training activities.
Fitness
Player physical fitness is built by mixing periods of warm-up and physical activity during training and during the end of training match play. Focus is on achieving incremental fitness.
First Touch Finesse & Passing
As player develop their coordination we introduce more complex passing techniques and drills with more movement before and after contacting the ball to get them familiar with moving with the ball, keeping it under control. We also introduce multi-player passing drills and the first instances of player on player and player with player drills to teach team work, supporting play and group movement when in possession of the ball during match conditions.
Key Roles; Attack & Defence
We introduce football roles in this phase specifically looking at the roles and responsibilities of each of the major roles in a football squad. At this point players should begin to achieve a natural affinity with roles based upon their own personal preferences and playing ability however, we will continue to rotate players in roles to ensure they gain an appreciation of the importance of each role to the overall performance of the team and the flow of the games.
Play Flow, Tactics & Organising
Concepts of captaincy and leadership are introduced as early as possible to teach players the organisational aspects of the game. However, in this phase, we teach team coordination, formation and response to set pieces designed to illustrate normal aspects of a game. We encourage captains to 'manage' their players including midfield and defensive player formations. We also look to develop tactical awareness during set pieces so players consider options.
Accuracy
Practical training drills are applied to encourage precision in passing and shooting with the ball. Obstacles are introduced in more advanced drills to increase difficulty and develop greater skill.
Power
Player kicking strength is developed in line with other physical attributes so that power is not achieved at the expense of other skills. More advanced drill are used for older players..
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Individual Proficiency
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providing direct guidance for players to achieve the skill levels that they desire within the extent of their capabilities
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Team Proficiency
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providing collaborative guidance for players to form effective, organised teams of mixed skill and experience levels
Our ambition is to always encourage our players to play to the best of their abilities and to enjoy their participation in a team sporting activity. Afterall we want them to enjoy the game and being part of a team first because we want to work from this sense of belonging to promote their desire to improve in step with their team mates.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Over the years the club has cultivated a focus on ground based football, i.e. playing the game based predominantly on skills focused on moving the ball, foot work and movement on / and off, the ball both as individuals and teams. The document - 'Coaching the Dovery Way' - has been compiled as a summary to reflect our core philosophies and principles. Here we expand upon the contents of the summary to provide more detail behind out 'Method'.
With young players, several physical and psychological factors must be considered when coaching. Stature, build and ability are the obvious examples of physical attributes which must be considered. Emotions, reactions, and interpretative acumen are examples of psychological considerations. In simple terms, we feel that training and development should be different for each age group with increasing sophistication and mastery applied as young players age in years.
So for example there has been and still continues to be debate regarding the potential long-term hazards of actively encouraging or promoting the heading of a football by youg players. This is why as a rule we do not actively train our players to head the ball - preferring instead to focus on good ground skills (although obviously it will be impossible to stop adhoc heading taking place during match play). We also apply an age specific element to equipment like footballs and goals to ensure that player development and perception is accurate for their age and physical size.
Finally, we focus on key skills and activities for each age group being careful never to push our players beyond their comfort zone as they begin to develop a self awareness of what they can and cannot do. Every year group is assigned at least one experienced coach (someone who has run at least one full season with the club previously) and supporting coach. The coaches will remain with each squad of players as the progress through the years to encourage bonds of understanding, knowledge and respect to form between coaches, players and their respective group of parents - reinforcing the sense of 'football family'.
DEVELOPMENT AREAS & PHASES
We break the development phases into six distinct mentally orientated footballing areas and four physical areas with a spread of application on a year by year basis. Each squad coaching team will also then have the freedom to modify the core focus areas to adapt to the attributes of their squad so that it is customised to the collective abilities of each squad of players. This will inform decisions on what training practices and activities to apply to get the best from each collective of players. The intention is to emphasise the positive attributes for all players.