Pre Season Training 2026 for Boys U7 to U12
Gothia July 2026 - Our U16 boys live game against a Norweigan team
Our U12 Boys playing Oldesloe, VSL, their first Gothia Cup.
PRE-SEASON TRAINING 2026
Fun summer practice for our younger boys
Regent’s Park Football Club presents
THE FOOTBALLERS’ SCHOOL
Your football journey starts today
Five weeks. One goal. Be ready.
Welcome to the Regent’s Park Football Club Summer Development Programme.
We want our boys to return for the new season more confident, fitter and much more comfortable with the football.
The players who improve the most will not be the ones who wait until September to begin.
They will be the ones who start today.
Every bit of practice completed over the next five weeks will help prepare our girls for the new season—and, for many of them, the journey towards Gothia Cup 2027.
⭐ Inspiration
From Regent’s Park to Arsenal
Louis Zecevic-John started exactly where you are now.
Every extra run.
Every extra touch.
Every session when nobody was watching
Louis came through Regent's Park Football Club. The habits he built here earned him his opportunity at Arsenal.
He earned the opportunity through hundreds of unseen training sessions at Regent's.
Watch how he moves.
Watch how hard he works.
Then go outside and begin writing your own journey
You can become a better player. It starts with hard work and working as a team. Here is Louis from his Gothia days.
Over the next five weeks we’ll develop our younger girls:
GAME MENTALITY
Every young player dreams about playing at the highest level.
The difference is that successful players begin building good habits before the season starts.
This programme is not only about fitness.
It is about discipline.
It is about consistency.
It is about becoming the teammate your team can rely on.
Every session completed this summer gives you another opportunity to improve.
Focus on the things you can control:
- Your effort
- Your attitude
- Your preparation
- Your commitment
That is the mentality we expect at Regent’s Park Football Club.
We have former professional players and some brilliant coaches who will guide, encourage and challenge you—but the practice still has to come from you.
⚽ BALL MASTERY
We are using a brilliant video from Joner Football, one of our favourite trainers.
The video demonstrates 25 ball-mastery skills that players can practise at home with very little space.
Parents: please help your son watch and practise along with this video regularly. Ten or fifteen focused minutes with the ball can make a real difference to her control, confidence and use of both feet.
The aim is not to perform every skill perfectly on the first attempt.
The aim is to keep practising and gradually improve.
FITNESS
Football requires energy.
The fitter you become, the more often you can get to the ball first, recover after losing possession and continue making good decisions when the game becomes difficult.
For our younger players, the running should remain enjoyable and often involve the football.
We are not asking children to complete long, punishing runs. We want them moving regularly, building confidence and enjoying being active.
🏆 WINNING HABITS
Every session completed this summer helps build the foundations for the new season.
Winning habits are not only about winning matches.
They are about:
- Turning up
- Practising regularly
- Trying again when something is difficult
- Supporting your teammates
- Taking pride in improving
📅 RETURN TO CLUB PRE-SEASON
We will be running free club pre-season sessions on:
Tuesday 25 August
10:00am–11:30am
Thursday 27 August
10:00am–11:30am
Saturday 29 August
9:00am–10:30am
Places will be limited. Priority will be given to players who have been engaging with the summer programme and sharing their practice with their team.
Every player should aim to complete the programme before returning to club training.
⸻
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Regent’s Park Football Club we believe great footballers are developed through consistent work over time.
Pre-season isn’t just about getting fit.
It’s about becoming a better footballer.
Every run, every touch of the ball and every challenge completed moves you one step closer to becoming the best player you can be.
⸻
SUMMER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Over the next five weeks you’ll complete a structured programme designed by The Footballers’ School.
Each week focuses on Three key areas:
⚽ Ball Mastery on the floor and juggling
🏃 Running & Conditioning
🎯 Football Practice
⸻
WEEK 1 27th July 2026
"Game Mentality"
WEEK 1 — BUILD YOUR ENGINE
The first week is about getting active again, rebuilding fitness and completing hundreds of touches with the football.
The sessions should be challenging, but they should still be enjoyable. Work at your own level and concentrate on doing everything properly.
🟢 DAY 1 — RUNNING WITH THE BALL
Ball mastery
Practise the Joner floor skills for approximately 10–15 minutes.
Week One ball-mastery targets
U7/U8: Learn Joner skills 1–6
U9/U10: Learn Joner skills 1–8
U11/U12: Learn Joner skills 1–10
Use the video as your guide. Practise each move with both feet wherever possible.
Running with the football
U7/U8: 15 minutes
U9/U10: 15–20 minutes
U11/U12: 20 minutes
Keep moving continuously with the football. You can dribble around a park, use cones or markers, change direction and include some short, faster bursts.
Goal
Build your fitness while becoming more comfortable and confident with the football.
🔴 DAY 2 — BALL MASTERY AND JUGGLING
Complete 10–20 minutes of ball mastery.
Juggling targets
U7/U8: Aim for 6 keepy-uppies
U9/U10: Aim for 8 keepy-uppies
U11/U12: Aim for 10 keepy-uppies
Players who cannot yet complete the full target continuously can allow one bounce, or practise one touch and catch.
Focus on:
- First touch
- Close control
- Turns
- Both feet
- Juggling
Record your best score so you can try to beat it later in the week.
🔵 DAY 3 — CROSS-TRAINING
Complete approximately 30 minutes of another sport or physical activity.
Choose one:
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Dancing
- A family walk or run
Keep the intensity moderate. The aim is to stay active and enjoy moving.
🟠 DAY 4 — TECHNICAL SESSION
Repeat the Joner floor skills for approximately 10–15 minutes.
Week One ball-mastery targets
U7/U8: Skills 1–6
U9/U10: Skills 1–8
U11/U12: Skills 1–10
Then complete another running session with the football:
U7/U8: 15 minutes
U9/U10: 15–20 minutes
U11/U12: 20 minutes
Challenge yourself to improve from Day 1.
Can you:
- Use both feet more often?
- Keep the ball closer?
- Change direction more quickly?
- Complete the skills with your head up?
- Add short bursts of speed?
🟣 DAY 5 — BALL MASTERY AND ACTIVE RECOVERY
Complete 10–20 minutes of ball mastery.
Juggling targets
U7/U8: Aim for 6 keepy-uppies
U9/U10: Aim for 8 keepy-uppies
U11/U12: Aim for 10 keepy-uppies
Try to beat your score from Day 2.
Then choose one lighter activity:
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Light jogging
- A long walk
- Playing football with family or friends
Finish with a few minutes of gentle stretching and mobility work.
🎯 WEEK ONE CHALLENGE
Complete:
✅ Two running-with-the-ball sessions
✅ Four ball-mastery sessions
✅ At least 2,000 touches of the football
✅ One photo or short video uploaded to your team WhatsApp group
U11/U12 players should aim for 2,500 touches if possible.
Let’s see which team puts in the most practice this summer.
Nobody remembers every difficult pre-season session.
Everyone remembers the player they became because they kept going.
WEEK 2 — MASTER THE BALL
Build on everything completed in Week One.
New Joner skills
U7/U8: Skills 7–12
U9/U10: Skills 9–16
U11/U12: Skills 11–20
Keep practising the earlier skills as well.
Juggling targets
U7/U8: Aim for 7 keepy-uppies
U9/U10: Aim for 9 keepy-uppies
U11/U12: Aim for 11 keepy-uppies
Repeat the same five-day structure from Week One.
The aim is to become more confident using both feet and performing the skills without constantly looking down at the ball.
WEEK 3 — PLAY WITH CONFIDENCE
Build on everything completed in Week Two.
New Joner skills
U7/U8: Skills 13–18
U9/U10: Skills 17–25
U11/U12: Skills 21–25, followed by a review of skills 1–10
Juggling targets
U7/U8: Aim for 8 keepy-uppies
U9/U10: Aim for 10 keepy-uppies
U11/U12: Aim for 12 keepy-uppies
This week, try to use some of the skills while moving.
Can you use one of the moves to change direction or beat a parent, sibling or friend?
Confidence comes from practice.
WEEK 4 — THINK LIKE A FOOTBALLER
This week is about putting the skills into football situations.
We will also share a Gothia Cup match for the players to watch.
Ball-mastery targets
U7/U8: Skills 19–25
U9/U10: Review all 25 skills
U11/U12: Review all 25 skills at greater speed and with both feet
Juggling targets
U7/U8: Aim for 10 keepy-uppies
U9/U10: Aim for 14 keepy-uppies
U11/U12: Aim for 20 keepy-uppies
While watching the Gothia match, look for:
- Players moving when they do not have the ball
- Players helping their teammates
- Players working to win the ball back
- Players receiving with a good first touch
- Players trying to use both feet
Match link to follow.
WEEK 5 — BE READY
This is the final week before we return to club training.
Review all 25 Joner skills.
Try to complete your best ball-mastery session of the summer.
Try to beat your highest juggling score.
Play as much football as possible, but do not suddenly train for hours every day. Keep the work regular and enjoyable.
The aim is to:
Arrive fit.
Arrive confident.
Arrive ready to compete.
PLAYER EXPECTATIONS
✔ Practise with good effort
✔ Warm up before faster activity
✔ Use both feet
✔ Stretch after harder sessions
✔ Stay hydrated
✔ Eat properly
✔ Learn all 25 Joner skills
✔ Encourage your teammates
✔ Share your progress
✔ Enjoy the process
THE COUNTDOWN STARTS NOW
The season does not begin when you return to club training.
It begins with the work you do during the summer.
Keep practising.
Keep enjoying the football.
Keep trying to beat your own score.
We’ll see you back on the pitch in August.
Regent’s Park Football Club
The Footballers’ School