Why 121’s are NOT always the answer…

The demand for 121 football coaching has grown significantly in recent times.

We’ve been doing them for around 7 years and have learnt a lot along the way.

Some of the things we see posted online leave us cringing knowing that those parents have basically been conned into handing over their money with the belief that their child will improve

You know what’s really easy? Teaching a child to do a particular skill or maybe do a load of keepy-ups that look good for Instagram.

You know what isn’t easy? Teaching a child the ‘skills’ they actually need based on the game and what position they might be playing.

We see these videos online of kids dribbling through cones or doing step-overs completely unopposed – THAT IS NOT THE GAME

It will not help them come match day and, quite frankly, they could do that home – you could have saved some cash!

This is not a post to say our 121’s are the best in the world. We’ve been guilty in the past of falling into the trap of doing activities that, when we’ve reflected, have no game-related benefit.

But we’ve adapted based on what we’ve learnt instead of doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.

Sure, touching the ball more can help. But a 121 should be so much more detailed than some of the things we see.

One thing you should know is that a 121 is NOT better than a group session.

The RIGHT group session wins every time because it is opposed. It is more like the game…emphasis here on the ‘right’ group session for your child.

This post is to hopefully educate parents so they know what to watch out for.

Some points we’d add:

Anyone under the age of 7-8 does not need a 121 – they are much better adding another group session specific to their ability level.

You will see some technique improvements (with the right 121 coach) but your player will need to be doing more away from the sessions to see the best gains.

The biggest benefit we see with 121’s is confidence – most players just need some extra belief and 121’s can be great for developing that side of things (again, with the right coach).

Higher level/older players probably get the most benefit from 121’s, in our experience.

Lesser ability/beginner players are again best in a group session catered for their level, mixed in with some home-based training.