Small-group vs team training: what actually helps players improve.
Parents often ask whether they should add small-group sessions on top of team training. The answer isn't always yes. It depends what your child needs right now and how their current team environment works.
What team training is great for.
- Shapes, positions and how the team wants to play.
- Working with different personalities and teammates.
- Game understanding in bigger numbers and full-pitch spaces.
- Managing emotions: wins, losses, subs, mistakes.
No small-group session can fully replace that. It should complement team training, not compete with it.
Where small-group coaching adds something extra.
Small-group football training (3–6 players) gives more touches, more decisions and more feedback per minute. It's especially useful when a player needs:
- More time on the ball than they get in a big squad session.
- Extra repetition of specific match pictures (1v1s, receiving under pressure, finishing).
- A slightly tougher or slightly calmer environment than their current team.
“In a small-group environment, it's harder to hide — which can be exactly what some players need to grow.”
Signs small-group sessions might help your player.
- They're clearly good technically but go quiet in busy team sessions.
- They're confident in training but freeze in matches when space is tight.
- They're one of many in a large squad and don't get much individual feedback.
If you think 1:1 coachingmight be a better fit, we've written a separate guide on when that makes sense.
How we balance team and small-group training.
We encourage players to treat team training as non-negotiable, then use small-group or 1:1 blocks to target specific areas. A common pattern: 2x team sessions + 1x small-group per week in season, with small-group blocks in school holidays when team training drops.
For holiday planning, see our guide on off-season training in Leeds.
Is coaching right for your player?
No pressure. Just an honest conversation about where they are and what might help.