U7Practice03

Prior to practice Free Striking / dribbling

:00 - :05 Gauntlet

:05 - :10 Speed - Magic Cone (Boys)

:10 - :15 Dribbling - Step-On, Bells, Verbal Cue:

:15 - :23 Sharks and minnows

:23 - :33 Dribbling - Attacking

water break

:35 - :45 Four corners

:45 - :55 Scrimmage - Boys

:55 - 6:00 Cool down static stretching

Cheer - Make Up Your Own

4 Corner Shooting w/o goalies (extra)

Catching Robbers (extra)

Descriptions of activities

Gauntlet: Mark off a grid of appropriate size for your number of players. Have all players tuck a pinnie into the back of their shorts except one player designated as “it”. The players run from one end of the grid to the other while “it” tries to pull out their pinnie. If “it” pulls the pinnie from a player, that player joins “it” to pull other pinnies. Game continues until one player is left running who is the winner and becomes “it” to start the next game.

Speed - Magic Cone (Boys): Divide team into five or more rows (never more than 3 or 4 athletes per row). Coach stands about 20 yards away and holds a cone. When coach elevates the cone first group runs forward. When coach lowers the cone, the group runs backwards. When coach twirls cone around, the players do a 360. Continue until players run through and start the next row.

Dribbling - Step-On, Bells, Verbal Cue: Have players find some space and slowly step lightly on top of their ball with each foot. Then have players jog in

place behind their ball and call out “Toe Taps”. Each player should immediately begin toe taps. If the coach says “beside the ball” each player should move to the side of the ball and do 10 jumps, straight up and down. If the coach says “in front of the ball”, each player should move to the front of the ball and do 5 jumping jacks. “Behind the ball” means more Toe Taps.

Sharks and Minnows: In a 20x25 yard grid have 3-4 players acting as the sharks. The minnows are in one end of the grid with their soccer balls. When the coach say “GO” the minnows try to dribble to the other end of the grid and the sharks are trying to kick the ball out. When the dribbler’s ball goes out, he/she becomes a shark. If the minnows reach the other end, they will wait for the coach’s command to play again. The game continues until all players turn into sharks.

Dribbling - Attacking: Use 4 cones to create a 20 x 10 yard grid. Each player has their own ball. Players dribble down the 10 yd length of the field using all parts of their right foot and making short touches. Turn and come back still using right foot. Repeat and then do the same with the left foot.

4 Corner Shooting Without Goalkeepers: In 20x25 yard grid with cone goals at each end, players of the same team are placed by the corner cones of the goal they are defending. Half of the team is in a line at one cone and the other half at the other cone. The coach is standing outside the middle with all the balls. The game starts when the coach serves the ball into the field. The game is over when one team scores or the ball goes out of bounds. Players need to get out of the field quickly and get back in line.

Version 2: Add Goalkeepers

Capture the Balls (extra):

Players should be divided into equal teams to play in a grid with each team’s home in the corners. Soccer balls are in the middle of the grid with all players starting inside their home bases. On the coach’s command, the players each get one ball. They try to dribble or pass it into their home base. Players can steal soccer balls from their opponent’s home bases.

Coach: Call time and each team counts the balls they have collected.

Catching Robbers (extra):

All players are spread around a 15x20 grid; only two players (the cops) have soccer balls. When the coach says “let’s catch some robbers” the cops attempt to catch the robbers who are running around the grid by striking their legs below knee height with their soccer balls. Once a robber is caught he/she goes and gets any ball from the perimeter and becomes a cop.

Coach: Place the balls that are not being used around the perimeter of the grid.