Chilly temperatures and dark evenings can cause challenges when delivering football sessions, so we have developed a free resource full of ideas and tips for coaching during the winter months.

Keeping players warm and active in the cold weather will help them to stay engaged and comfortable, so the Kent FA Winter Training Pack covers arrival activities, technical and skills sessions and match play practices to get players moving while also having fun whatever the conditions.

Each activity includes visual instructions in picture format, a breakdown of how to deliver it and a list of benefits, such as incorporating lots of touches and movement on and off the ball to help players stay active.

There are also a range of ideas for different team games to mix up match practice elements, as well as simple arrival drills to get players moving and warming up right from the start.

Among the top tips for keeping players warm and comfortable during the colder months are reminding them to dress appropriately for coached sessions, including wearing additional layers such as jackets and gloves to train in, checking players’ medical conditions to ensure they will not be adversely affected by playing in cold conditions and assessing whether surfaces are safe to play on before each session.

It is important to ensure training venues have adequate lighting to train in and a safe signing in and out process that is followed by all coaches and players.

Where necessary, it may be possible to use an alternative training venue during the winter months, such as an indoor sports hall or covered or 3G pitch.

See our Winter Training Pack below for more session ideas this winter.

If you have suggestions for practices, sessions or templates that would help you when delivering training, email Kent FA’s Football Participation Lead (Workforce) at David.Webb@KentFA.com with your ideas.