This week I've been doing 1v1's with nearly every group. This particular 1v1 requires a lot of work and skill to be successful at. It requires having to beat the defender several times in different ways. You have to be able to get behind them AND turn them to be able to score. I have training clips in the NOT FOR EVERYONE video below.
Since this format of 1v1 requires a LOT of hard work, players that are losing tend to give up rather quickly. Twice this week in two different sessions, I had girls that asked if they could QUIT doing the drill once they got down by two goals, we were only playing to THREE. This brings up an entirely different problem that I've noticed throughout my coaching career that I covered in this video linked below from a few years ago. Throughout all of the levels of coaching, ONLY 1 level of female players actually enjoyed 1v1's to the point of calling out teammates to challenge them to the duel.
Now 1v1's are a regular staple at PlayMaker Training but I actually prefer creating a 1v2 environment where the player on the ball has to take on two defenders because in a game there is always a second defender, anyone can push a ball past a player and run by them, but can you keep it from going out of bounds (a second defender)? Can you keep it under control enough so that you can avoid the second defender? We MUST develop players that have the mentality to take players on. Develop players that can take on several players at a time and come out with the ball. Players that shock everyone watching and shout "How the hell did she come out with that?!"