Six ways to keep players engaged when the weather turns

Cold, wet and windy sessions are part of life for footballers and coaches - especially through a long UK winter. While layers and hot drinks help, keeping players mentally switched on is just as important as keeping them physically warm.

Here are six easy, practical ways to maintain energy, focus and enjoyment when conditions aren’t on your side.

 

1. Start fast (and warm!)

Get players moving immediately. Skip the long briefing and use a ball-based activation that raises heart rate quickly. The quicker players feel warm, the less they’ll dwell on the temperature - and the greater their engagement will be.

 

2. Short, sharp blocks

Cold weather magnifies boredom. Keep practices punchy with shorter blocks, quick rotations and minimal standing around. Try to avoid queues or bounce players around the outside of a pitch and find ways to keep everyone involved at all times, whether that’s smaller groups or using neutral players within the practice. Cold weather isn’t the time to work on tactical phases of play. Aim for intensity over duration so players stay warm and more mentally invested.

 

3. Build in competition

Small-sided games, challenges and score-based practices add purpose when motivation dips. Even simple constraints such as time limits, bonus goals or “winner stays on” can lift focus and create a buzz in tough conditions.

 

4. Give clear, simple detail

When players are cold, their capacity to process information drops. Keep coaching points quick, visual and relevant. Show rather than tell where possible, and drip-feed information instead of overloading all at once.

 

5. Share the ‘why’

Bad weather is a chance to reinforce standards. Framing sessions around resilience, game realism or preparing for matchday conditions helps players buy in. A quick reminder of why the work matters can reframe discomfort as challenge.

 

6. Finish on a high

End sessions with something you know your players particularly enjoy, whether that’s a match, shooting practice, or a team challenge. Players will remember how training finished, not how cold it was, and that positive feeling carries into the next session.