10 Things to Help Run a Great Session: 2. Choose a Clear Theme/Topic

James Marsh
Nov 4
2 min read

choose a clear theme/topic:

When planning a session for Foundation Phase players, choosing a clear theme is really important. Young players benefit from clarity and repetition, if your coaching is jumping around from topic to topic, they won’t know what to focus on, and progress will be slower.

A clear theme keeps your session focused and helps players understand what they’re learning and why it matters. It also helps you as the coach: your setup, your interventions, and your session flow all stay on track. Simpler is better, especially with players aged 5–11.

Why it Matters:

New and developing coaches often fall into the trap of trying to coach everything at once. You might plan a session on “receiving on the back foot” but, when a player scuffs a shot in the game at the end, it’s tempting to suddenly start correcting their finishing. That’s natural, but it can dilute the learning.

By choosing one main topic and sticking to it, you give players a better chance to practise, reflect, and improve.

Remember:

One clear focus is greater than multiple confused ones
If something goes wrong once, it’s a mistake
If it happens twice, it might be a pattern
If it happens three times, it’s a coaching opportunity (likely for another day!)

IN PRACTICE:

Here are a few ways to bring this principle to life in your sessions:

Break topics down: “Passing” is too broad. Try “passing into space” or “disguised passing” instead. A good theme might stretch across 2–3 sessions as your players build confidence.
Keep the theme visible: Mention it in your intro, refer to it in your coaching points, and highlight it in your questions. This helps the players stay focused too.
Don’t chase mistakes: Just because something goes wrong in the session or the match at the weekend it doesn’t mean it needs fixing right now. Stick to your theme and address the other stuff later.

Real example:

Let’s say your theme is “First touch into space”.

In your warm-up, get players moving and turning with the ball into space.
In the skill practice, create scenarios where players receive under light pressure and must take their first touch away from a defender (this could be a cone to start).
In the game, reinforce the idea by praising players who use their first touch to escape pressure, win or lose, that’s your coaching focus.

If someone misplaces a pass or misses a sitter? Let it go, unless it links directly to your theme.