Designing Training Sessions That Stick: The Science of Retention in Youth Football

Ask any grassroots coach what they want from a training session, and the answer will likely include words like engagement, development, and progress. But beneath those aspirations lies a critical, often overlooked question:

Are your players actually remembering what you're teaching them?

In youth football, it’s not enough to deliver great content - the key is delivering it in a way that sticks. That means understanding how young players retain information, and designing sessions around those principles. If you've ever felt frustrated when last week's topic seems to vanish from players' minds the moment they step back on the pitch, you're not alone.

Let’s break down how to design sessions that don’t just feel good in the moment, but genuinely shape long-term development.

The Science Behind Retention

Let’s start with a little science. When we talk about retention, we’re really talking about how the brain moves information from short-term memory into long-term storage. According to research by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, people forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours.

That’s the challenge facing every youth coach: your session might be brilliant, but unless it’s built to reinforce key ideas, most of it won’t be retained.

Dr. Mark Guadagnoli and Dr. Timothy Lee, in their work on motor learning, wrote: "Learning is optimized when practice is structured to be variable and effortful." That’s a game-changer for football.

In simple terms? Learning sticks better when it’s challenging, and when players have to adapt to slightly different versions of the same task. Repetition alone isn’t enough - you need variation within structure.

What Coaches Can Do

So how can grassroots coaches put this into practice?

Here are five core principles for designing sessions that maximise retention:

1. Coach Less, Observe More

It can feel counterintuitive, but sometimes the best thing a coach can do is step back. Too much instruction - especially mid-drill, interrupts learning. Let players experience success and failure in real time.

Instead, plan time after the drill for guided reflection. Ask players questions like:

• "What worked in that round?"

• "What decision would you change next time?"

• "What was the trigger for your movement?"

  
  

Encouraging players to think about their actions is what helps cement learning.

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2. Link Every Session to a Core Theme

Players retain better when there’s a consistent thread. Rather than jumping from one topic to the next each week, build a 2–3 week block around a theme (see our blog on Periodization for more info).

For example, a theme of "Playing Through the Thirds" could include:

• Week 1: Receiving under pressure (in the build-up phase)

• Week 2: Supporting runs in midfield

• Week 3: Decision-making in the final third

  
  

This creates meaningful repetition without being repetitive. You’re reinforcing concepts while allowing players to apply them in new situations.

3. Use Constraints to Drive Learning

Design your practices so the game teaches the lesson. Want players to switch play? Set up wide scoring zones. Want quicker transitions? Award double points for goals within 10 seconds of winning the ball.

These constraints create subconscious learning moments. Rather than telling players what to do, you’re designing environments that nudge them toward the right decisions.

Remember: learning doesn’t always come from a coach’s words. It often comes from the challenges we put in front of players.

4. Revisit, Don't Repeat

One common coaching mistake is thinking that repetition means running the same drill again. But true retention is about retrieval, not rote repetition.

Try this: Instead of repeating last week’s drill, start the session by asking players to explain or show what they remember. Can they recreate the setup? Can they describe the key coaching point?

This taps into a phenomenon known as the testing effect - retrieval strengthens memory.

Use warm-ups or arrival activities to revisit previous themes in simple formats. These moments help players form stronger neural links to the learning.

5. Design for Decision-Making, Not Just Execution

Too many sessions focus solely on technique in isolation. The problem? Players forget how to apply that technique in a match context.

Design every session with decision-making in mind. Even when working on something like passing technique, include a decision layer:

• Who do I pass to?

• When do I pass?

• What surface do I use?

  
  

The more context-rich the session, the more likely it is to transfer to game day.

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The Role of Reflection

Don’t underestimate the power of ending your sessions with a short reflective huddle. Two minutes of focused questioning can significantly boost what players take away from training.

Questions could include:

• "What’s one thing you improved today?"

• "What’s something you’ll try again at home or next session?"

• "What did you learn from a teammate today?"

  
  

These reflections activate metacognition - getting players to think about their own thinking. It’s a vital skill for long-term growth.

Small Tweaks, Big Impact

You don’t need to overhaul everything. Often, just tweaking how you structure your sessions can have a massive impact on retention:

• Swap lines of players for small-sided, game-like practices

• Use questioning over commands

• Revisit themes regularly

• Make learning visible through discussion and feedback

  
  

If you’re looking for inspiration, session plans, or just want to see how other coaches are applying these principles, consider a subscription to the-football-hub.org. You’ll find ready-to-use resources designed with learning and development at the heart.

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Final Thoughts

Retention isn’t about doing more - it’s about being intentional. With the right approach, your sessions won’t just fill time. They’ll shape understanding, decision-making, and confidence.

Great coaching isn’t just about what you teach. It’s about what they remember.

As a grassroots coach, your role in helping players develop lasting skills and habits is powerful. When we design with retention in mind, we don’t just develop better players. We develop smarter ones.

For more ideas like this, plus structured weekly plans to save you hours of prep time, explore the coaching library at The Football Hub. It’s built by coaches, for coaches - with development that sticks.

"Learning is not a product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners." – John Holt