Club Managers5 August 20261 min read
How to Run a Grassroots Pre-Season (Week by Week)
A practical, week-by-week guide to running a grassroots pre-season.
Pre-season is chaotic. Players drift back at different times, fitness levels vary wildly. Here's a structure that accounts for all of that.
Week 1: Reassembly
Session 1: Low-intensity technical work. Lots of touches, lots of success — rebuild confidence. Session 2: Fitness baseline — a simple 1km time trial. Repeat in week 3 to show improvement.
Week 2: Shape and systems
Session 1: Defensive organisation. Session 2: Attacking transitions. Friendly: Apply under match conditions, brief before, debrief after.
Week 3: Match intensity
Session 1: Set pieces — keep it to two or three. Session 2: Light technical work, high intensity, short duration. Friendly: Full match intensity.
Admin pre-season checklist
- ✓ All registrations complete
- ✓ Subs payment plan communicated to parents
- ✓ Kit distributed and confirmed
- ✓ Fixtures calendar shared with all families
- ✓ Safeguarding certificates up to date
- ✓ Emergency contact list updated
