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Below is the coaching manual for all the coaches. Ages 5-8 are listed at the top, and ages 9-18 are listed below. Read through the section for your age group for ideas of how a practice should be run, as well as ideas for activities, drills and games.
AGES 5-8
PRACTICE IDEAS
The one skill to focus on at this age is dribbling. Dribbling is the foundation skill for all of the soccer skills they will learn in the future. The more comfortable they are with dribbling, the better soccer players they will become. Part way through the season, if you have already spent several weeks working on dribbling, continue to work on dribbling, but you can consider introducing passing as well. Focus on fun the entire time.
Kids at this age need to be able to touch their own ball the entire practice up until the scrimmage. It can be a challenge for them to learn how to share the ball with a team, so we minimize the need for ball sharing during practice. The more touches on their own ball, the better. Also, the less time spent waiting in line for a drill, the better. Try to keep all the kids moving all of the time, if possible.
Our goal is to teach kids basic soccer skills, teach them how to play together as a team, and help them have a lot of fun. Even more importantly, in this club we teach children that PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WINNING, and the goal is to do our best and improve ourselves and our team. Good sportsmanship is a top priority.
Warm up:
Juggling - Yes, we introduce this to the tiny ones! It helps them get comfortable with the ball. We don't expect them to be able to do more than one or two bounces. Drop ball onto laces, toe pointed up, bounce ball back up into hands. Drop ball onto raised thigh, bounce ball back up into hands. If one bounce is easy, add two. For more experienced players, see how many bounces you can get with either part of the body without touching the ground or hands.
Dribbling:
Dribbling in the box - toe touches, pull back, roll the ball, ding dongs, scissors, both sides of feet - look up and make a silly/scary face
Pirate Ship - scrub the deck (roll ball), hoist the sails (pull back then dribble fast), walk the plank (toe touches), shark attack (coach comes at them)
Knock Out with two boxes - everyone with a ball, trying to kick other balls out. Knocked out players move to the other box and play there until knocked back to first box, etc.
Driving School - kids dribble and follow coach as she gives signs with arms to change direction
*Animal Soccer - kids dribble,trying to hit coach’s feet with ball. Kid who succeeds chooses next animal. Everyone makes animal sound
Ouch! - a variation of Animal Soccer which still involves the kids trying to kick the ball to the coach’s feet, but every time the ball hits their feet the coach simply says, “ouch!” and the game continues
*Treasure Island - monster kick balls far away, dribble back to safety of island - add pirate (coach) to defend island, coach makes pirate sounds
Relay Race - teams of three, dribble out and back, pass ball to next teammate
Follow the Leader - great reward for learning teammates’ names at beginning of season. All kids with their own soccer balls, follow the one chosen as a leader as he/she leads them around the field
Treasure Hunt - cones spread around the field. All kids dribble out and bring back a cone
Paint the Field - imagine balls are paintbrushes, covered with paint. The kids choose colors and dribble all over “canvas” (field)
Kangaroo Jack - kangaroos without balls tag others to become kangaroos
Body Part Dribble - all kids are dribbling. Coach calls out body parts to touch to the balls
Crab Soccer - kids on the ground in crab stance try to kick balls away from others dribbling through. If ball kicked away, become a crab
*Snake Soccer (aka Blob) - two kids with hands or elbows joined try to kick balls away from others dribbling through. If ball kicked away, join the snake (or blob)
Candyland cones, Racetrack gates, Mother’s garden cones, Volcano cones - set cones up in sets of two. Kids run around cone course without ball first, then with ball. Use your imagination!
Sharks and Minnows - kid (shark) in the cones tries to kick balls away from others (minnows) dribbling through. If ball kicked away, become a shark
Shark Attack - Kids with balls (fish) dribbling in the tank, kid without ball (shark) circling outside, until coach yells “shark attack” and shark tries to kick balls outside the tank. Play until only one kid has ball, and she becomes the next shark.
Gates - dribble through two-cone gates, then add bandits (coaches) who try to prevent person from dribbling through
*Red Light/Green Light - Kids take turns acting as the light. [Best if coach chooses who is the next light. Don’t let it depend on who crosses the line first, or turns won’t be evenly distributed.] Others need to dribble on green, and stop the ball on red. If the ball gets away when light turns red, they need to dribble it back to where they were when the light turns red before the game starts back up again.
*Freeze Tag - It has no ball, kicks ball away to freeze others. Everyone else dribbling. When frozen, kids stand with legs apart and ball in hands overhead. Others kick ball between feet to unfreeze teammate
Shadow Dribble - partner exercise of follow the leader in twos
Passing:
Gates Passing - Pairs start with just passing through gate to learn technique
Gates Passing on the Move - Pairs move through a course of gates. Add a timed challenge - how many passes through gates in 30 seconds?
Box Drill - four cones, three players, pass in triangle - later add monkey in the middle
Shooting:
*Box Soccer - Box in center of field, surrounded by a ring of cones (“ring of fire”).. No other cones, since there is no out of bounds. Two even teams, one ball. Goal is to hit the box with the ball (1 point) or, for more adventurous players, chip the ball into the box (3 points). Nobody can shoot from within the ring of fire, so if the ball stops there it is quickly cleared by a kick out from anyone. The ball is always in continuous play.
Cops and Robbers - cones set up around the field. Robbers kick over cones with balls. Cops (no balls) run to stand cones back up
Other:
*Capture the Balls - all balls start in the middle, kids start in 4 home bases on the corners of a large square, coach gives 2 minutes to get as many balls into your team’s base as possible. Coach gives the rule that you must stay on your feet and use your feet only. Kids have the chance to create strategy as a team and figure out how to get balls from other teams and protect their balls at their bases
*First to the Ball (Steal the Bacon) - Players form two lines on the sideline of center field with a goal at each end. Coach kicks ball into center of field, and the first person from each line runs to it. Each is trying to score in the opposite goal. Play ends when one scores or ball goes out of bounds.
Monster Kick - how many big kicks does it take to get down field?
End each practice with Scrimmage
Scrimmages at this age are focused on dribbling and shooting. No throw-ins and no goalies for the U7 teams. Don't let the kids puppy-guard the goals. When the ball goes out of bounds the coaches roll it back in for the kids to continue playing.
*Favorites
AGES 9-18
PRACTICE IDEAS
The most fundamental skill for soccer players to develop is dribbling. Dribbling is the foundation skill for all of the soccer skills they will learn in the future. The more comfortable they are with dribbling, the better soccer players they will become. Every practice should include some dribbling exercises. At this age, you can also include passing, shooting, shielding, throw-ins, and goalkeeping skills.
Keep in mind that the more touches on their own ball, the better, and the less time spent waiting in line for a drill, the better. Try to keep all the kids moving all of the time, if possible.
Our goal is to teach kids basic soccer skills, teach them how to play together as a team, and help them have a lot of fun. Even more importantly, in this club we teach children that PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WINNING, and the goal is to do our best and improve ourselves and our team. Good sportsmanship is a top priority.
Warm up:
Juggling - Drop ball onto laces, toe pointed up, bounce ball back up into hands. Drop ball onto raised thigh, bounce ball back up into hands. If one bounce is easy, add two. For more experienced players, see how many bounces you can get with either part of the body without touching the ground or hands.
Dribbling:
Dribbling in the box - toe touches, pull back, roll the ball, ding dongs, scissors, both sides of feet
Pirate Ship - scrub the deck (roll ball), hoist the sails (pull back then dribble fast), walk the plank (toe touches), shark attack (coach comes at them)
Knock Out with two boxes - everyone with a ball, trying to kick other balls out. Knocked out players move to the other box and play there until knocked back to first box, etc.
Pull the Tail - pull pinney out of back pocket while dribbling - kid with pinney when coach calls time wins
Dribble Around the Box Race - Two players per box of cones. One flat cone inside the box, with a ball on top of it. The players each have a ball, and start on opposite corners from each other. At the whistle, the players dribble around the box, back to their starting points, and kick their ball to knock the middle ball off the cone to win.
Driving School - kids dribble and follow coach as she gives signs with arms to change direction
*Animal Soccer - kids dribble,trying to hit coach’s feet with ball. Kid who succeeds chooses next animal. Everyone makes animal sound
*Treasure Island - monster kick balls far away, dribble back to safety of island - add pirate (coach) to defend island, coach makes pirate sounds
Relay Race - teams of three, dribble out and back, pass ball to next teammate
Follow the Leader - great reward for learning teammates’ names at beginning of season. All kids with their own soccer balls, follow the one chosen as a leader as he/she leads them around the field
*Snake Soccer (aka Blob) - two kids with hands or elbows joined try to kick balls away from others dribbling through. If ball kicked away, join the snake (or blob)
Sharks and Minnows - kid (shark) in the cones tries to kick balls away from others (minnows) dribbling through. If ball kicked away, become a shark
Shark Attack - Kids with balls (fish) dribbling in the tank, kid without ball (shark) circling outside, until coach yells “shark attack” and shark tries to kick balls outside the tank. Play until only one kid has ball, and she becomes the next shark.
Gates - dribble through two-cone gates, then add bandits (coaches) who try to prevent person from dribbling through
*Red Light/Green Light - Kids take turns acting as the light. [Best if coach chooses who is the next light. Don’t let it depend on who crosses the line first, or turns won’t be evenly distributed.] Others need to dribble on green, and stop the ball on red. If the ball gets away when light turns red, they need to dribble it back to where they were when the light turns red before the game starts back up again.
*Freeze Tag - It has no ball, kicks ball away to freeze others. Everyone else dribbling. When frozen, kids stand with legs apart and ball in hands overhead. Others kick ball between feet to unfreeze teammate
Shadow Dribble - partner exercise of follow the leader in twos
Passing:
Gates Passing - Pairs start with just passing through gate to learn technique
Gates Passing on the Move - Pairs move through a course of gates. Add a timed challenge - how many passes through gates in 30 seconds?
Box Drill - four cones, three players, pass in triangle - later add monkey in the middle
Keep Away - Four players per box of cones. One flat cone in the center of the box with a ball on it. Three players pass to each other while the fourth guards the center ball and tries to steal the ball from the passers. If the passers can hit the ball in the center with their ball the person who hit it becomes the new guard.
Wall passes in a Square - several players and coaches outside the square. Players inside the square with a ball each. Players dribble toward coach on edge and pass at angle and run to receive wall pass from coach. Player keeps going to another edge to pass again.
Passing Line - teams of three on a straight line, pass 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, so person in the middle practices turning to pass backward
Numbered Passing - always pass in order, 1 to 2 to 3 to 1, move into open space. Once mastered, add that the one not passing or receiving can try to steal the ball on the pass and interrupt the sequence, starting it immediately at their number
Spider Web - coach in middle, players are web, pass in and out
Dutch Circle - players with balls on outside, without balls inside
Shielding:
1 v 1 to a cone - one ball for two players, each one trying to hit the cone with the ball, while not allowing the other to do the same
Shooting:
*Box Soccer - Box in center of field, surrounded by a ring of cones (“ring of fire”).. No other cones, since there is no out of bounds. Two even teams, one ball. Goal is to hit the box with the ball (1 point) or, for more adventurous players, chip the ball into the box (3 points). Nobody can shoot from within the ring of fire, so if the ball stops there it is quickly cleared by a kick out from anyone. The ball is always in continuous play.
Pass, Pass, Pass - player in a line, calls for a pass, receives pass from coach in front of goal, shoots first touch
Lightning - As above, Coach feeds balls to players who shoot first touch. As soon as the player shoots he becomes the next goalie and the goalie shags the ball and gets in line.
Clean Your Backyard - Two teams, each with one end of the field and no-man’s land in between them. They must monster kick the balls into the other team’s end, always trying to remove all balls from their own end.
Throw-ins:
Throw-in competition - throw to partner’s feet to practice trapping
Other:
*Capture the Balls - all balls start in the middle, kids start in 4 home bases on the corners of a large square, coach gives 2 minutes to get as many balls into your team’s base as possible. Coach gives the rule that you must stay on your feet and use your feet only. Kids have the chance to create strategy as a team and figure out how to get balls from other teams and protect their balls at their bases
*First to the Ball (Steal the Bacon) - Players form two lines on the sideline of center field with a goal at each end. Coach kicks ball into center of field, and the first person from each line runs to it. Each is trying to score in the opposite goal. Play ends when one scores or ball goes out of bounds.
-Adaptation: Numbers: instead of lines, pair the players (according to skill if there is a disparity) and give each pair a number. Organize as above, but the coach calls out the number and the pairs go against each other. Coach can call more than one number at a time.
*Double mini goals on each end mini scrimmage - great for teaching players to spread out
*Defense/Offense Modified Scrimmage - two mini goals for defense to score, one large goal for offense to score. Great for defense to learn how to clear the ball to the sides of the field.
End each practice with Scrimmage
Don’t let any game become a blow-out. Rearrange players to ensure that the score is closer to even and everyone can enjoy the game.
*Favorites
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