SoccerLifeLessons. Creating a Successful U6 Soccer Season!

Transcription

1 SoccerLifeLessons Creating a Successful U6 Soccer Season!

2 Table of Contents Congratulations! (or What, me coach?)... 2 Creating a Successful Season... 3 Who are these U6 creatures?... 4 Coaching Your Own Child... 5 Communicating with the Parents... 6 Soccer Lesson Plans... 9 Pre-Season Practice Pre-Season Practice Pre-Season Practice Pre-Season Practice Game Season Practice Season Practice Season Practice Season Practice Season Practice Game Season Practice Season Practice Season Practice Tips and Tricks to Teach Along the Way End of the Season Party Common Sense Advice All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities We Would Love to Hear from You! Version 1.5 About the Author Coach Jay Jordan is a certified youth soccer coach and member of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. Having coached (to-date) 18 seasons of soccer at the U6, U8, U10, U12, and U14 levels, he shares with you the tips and tricks he has learned in order to create a successful season. Coach Jay combines his perspective from his Masters of Science degree in Organizational Behavior and his experience as a corporate trainer/consultant with the practical knowledge acquired through coaching young children in soccer. His intent for this guide is to bring together the most effective and productive practices of U6 coaching into one concise guide while keeping proper perspective of what is important in the process. He will appreciate your feedback at jayjordan5263@gmail.com. 1

3 Congratulations! (or What, me coach?) Congratulations! It seems that you have volunteered, or perhaps been asked, convinced, or maybe even coerced into coaching U6 soccer! This guide will provide you with everything you need to prepare yourself to create a successful season. This is a great opportunity for you to create life-long memories for a group of young athletes and their parents. This is not a journey for the faint of heart or those who are only half committed to parenting and coaching, this is a journey for those who are looking to make a positive difference in the lives of their child and/or the children of others. (No pressure right?) Relax, it ll be fun and with a little guidance your season will be a smashing success. With the help of Creating a Successful U6 Soccer Season, you can t lose. Creating a Successful U6 Soccer Season will guide you through the season giving you insight, advice, detailed practice plans, and tips and tricks to teach along the way. Perhaps most importantly, each practice plan will also give you a life lesson to teach along with the skills and knowledge of soccer. Each life lesson is based on a Biblical principle. You have a fantastic opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many families with this experience and you thought you were only coaching Have fun, love your team, stay open when talking with the parents, and keep focused on what is important in life s big picture! Having Fun at the U6 National Championships Disney s Wide World of Sports 2

4 Creating a Successful Season suc cess (sək-sěs') n. - The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted, meeting ones goals. Success in the world of U6 Soccer is not always the same definition of success in the rest of the world (too bad for the rest of the world!). As coach you have the unique opportunity to set initial expectations with the children and the team parents by communicating what success will mean for your team. Whether or not your season is successful will be determined by the goals you set at the beginning of the season, how well you communicate these goals, and how well you reinforce them during the course of the season. These goals should be clear in your mind. Each practice should intentionally focus on these goals, and the team parents should understand their part in achieving success. It is recommended that you establish and communicate your goals early in the relationship with your team and the parents. This may seem like overkill for U6, but without you dictating a clear goal, many of your team parents (and therefore their children) will have slightly different objectives. Your degree of success whether actual or perceived, (and in this case, is there a difference?) will be tempered as a result. It is better to project a clear direction, and have the team parents on your side before going down this road together. Time and again I have seen coaches attempting to create an environment for Little Johnny to have fun, while Johnny s Dad is on the sideline yelling his head off for Johnny to score, score, score! Conversely, I have also seen coaches attempting to teach the useful skill of holding one s position while Johnny s Mom is yelling at him to Run to the ball! Why are you just standing there? It is much better to communicate your overall goals upfront then to battle with the parents all season. The parents will also be grateful as they have a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish and a better appreciation of the skills their child is being taught. Suggested Goals for your U6 Soccer Season For the kids to have an enjoyable experience For the kids to learn some basic soccer skills and rules For the kids to learn about being on a team For the kids to learn about competing 3

5 Who are these U6 creatures? You will be dealing with some of the most wonderful and fascinating creatures that God has put on this earth, a rambunctious group of four and five year olds. Good luck! If you have not been around a group of children this age in an open field with multiple colored balls to kick in all directions, you are in for a treat. It is not uncommon that some of the most common phrases that I hear coaches of this age group say are, Look at the ball, over here, look at ball!, You can hug your Mom later, right now we are having a game., and my favorite Pull your shirt down from over your head! Developmentally, these creatures are just beginning to explore the world around them with a new sense of being a grown kid and not a baby. If you have any doubt of this, ask the four year old, Now, Johnny, are you a baby or a big kid? You ll get an emphatic Big Kid! answer as he grins to convince you and himself. As coach, you need to have an appreciation for their developmental level mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally. (Wow, you didn t realize what you are signing up for did you?) Relax, they ll teach you most of what you need to know, but just in case, here are some helpful things to keep in mind in order to put your relationship and role with them in proper perspective. Typical Four Year Olds Their speech is almost always understandable. Can stand on one leg, can jump up and down Moves forward and backward with some degree of agility Can usually learn the name of all teammates Are sometimes selective about what they wear (try to put a pink jersey on a boy!). Can engage in conversational "give-and-take with you and other players Can identify emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety and fear. Enjoys the companionship of other children; generally plays cooperatively Approaches problems from a single point of view Follows three-part commands (but don t push it and don t exceed three!) Can recall parts of your instructions Typical Five Year Olds Slightly more agile and can jump more easily. Can tell a simple story or repeat instructions Right and wrong, fair and unfair become important. Understands games that have rules, and more likely to concede to them Feels pride in accomplishment Wants to please friends Sometimes demanding, sometimes eagerly cooperative 4

6 Coaching Your Own Child It was the best of times; it was the worst of times Coaching your own child in U6 soccer doesn t have to be like reading a Dickens novel... It is important however that you are aware that you are entering into a new dynamic with your child and that you both must be prepared for it. Juggling the role of parent and coach can be a great experience; it can also be quite trying. Unless you have already coached you child before, this experience will create a new dynamic in your relationship and it will require some adjust from you and your child. Handled well, it can be a very positive influence on the relationship, though every moment of the experience may not be one of bliss. Having to share your attention, your praise, and your time might not be completely comfortable for either of you at first. The first step is to recognize this as a new dynamic so that when issues do arise you are not in a position that you will react overly emotional about it. I have seen the parent/coach scold their child harshly, If you don t want to play just get off the field! In this case, the parent was trying their best, but the child wasn t able to accept the role of their parent as coach. This left the child upset, the parent frustrated, and his coaching ineffective. You can assume there will be some issues, because inevitably there will be some. That is okay, it is all part of the process. The second step is to prepare your child for the new roles that you both will play. You may even find it helpful to ask permission of your child for you both to fall into the roles of Coach/Player. You might even want to practice this at home by telling your child, Okay, I am going to be the coach and you are going to be the player, are you ready? Okay player, run in place While at the fields, if you see that your child is not taking direction well, you may want to pull them aside and say, I need you to let me be your coach right now and not your Dad/Mom. Can I be your coach right now? The third step is to rely on your assistant coach to help with your child if they are not responding well to your coaching. Remember, we are not talking about parenting here, but coaching. I have often seen players respond much better to the assistant s instructions then they do the instructions of their parent. This is the case when the child is having trouble seeing their parent as coach. The fourth step is to try try to become objective in your coaching. Parent/coaches are often overly critical of their own child and/or may not let them have equal playing time because they don t want to be seen as favoring their own child too much. I have also seen parent/coaches believe their child is the next David Beckham and keep them in as Center Forward the entire game. The trick is to find the right balance. You cannot possibly be objective, but that is your task. The last step is to relax; sometimes you just won t be effective in coaching your child. It is more important that you be an effective parent. The coaching relationship will develop over time. 5

7 Communicating with the Parents As soon as you receive your roster from your club, you should make initial contact with the parents to 1) introduce yourself, 2) establish the appropriate means of communication ( , cell phone, twitter), and 3) give an expectation of when and where practices will be held. This discussion can go something like this: Hello, my name is Coach Jay, and I am with the Sunshine Soccer Club and I ll be Little Johnny s soccer coach this season. I just wanted to call to introduce myself and to let you know that we will begin having practices in about three weeks at the Sunshine Park. The practice and game schedules are not out yet, but I wanted to introduce myself and make sure I had your correct contact information. From this discussion I would establish the best means of communication with each parent. I recommend that you get the address of each parent if you are savvy and then create your own Distribution Group to make a single shot for each communication. If you have parents who regularly check s, have Blackberry s, etc, this will save you loads of time. As soon as you have a practice schedule and hopefully and game schedule, you should write a letter/ to the child and to the parent to introduce the season. These letters can also be ed if this is a viable option. On the following pages you ll see first an example of an introductory letter to the child and also a letter to the parent. These letters are key to setting expectations for a successful season. 6

8 Dear Little Johnny, Congratulations, you have been selected to be on our team for the Spring Soccer season! We will start practice next week with our first practice at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, February 25 th at the Sunshine Park, Field 3. If you have a soccer ball please bring it, ask your mom or dad to put your initials on it so that it doesn t get lost. If you don t have a ball, don t worry I ll bring one for you to use. Our first game will be on March the 17 th, so we will have only four practices before our first game! The practices will only be about 45 to 55 minutes so you won t get bored. We ll start by stretching, playing some follow the leader games with the soccer ball, learning about the soccer field and soccer rules, and end with some really cool soccer games. To be on our team, you must agree to the following statements and write your name as a promise to do your best to follow the team rules. Your mom or dad can keep this letter or you can bring it to me. 1. I will always do my best and listen to the coaches. 2. I will be kind to my teammates and cheer them on, even if they are bothering me. 3. I will try to follow the rules of soccer, even if I don t like them. 4. I will play hard in practice and in games. 5. I will be a good sport to the kids on the other teams. 6. I will do my best to have fun and help my team. Sign your name here! I can t wait to start practicing and playing soccer with you this year! Coach By the way, can you help me name the team? Do you like the Eagles, Tigers, or Frogs as our team name? Our team color is green, so tell your Mom and Dad to wear something green on game day! 7

9 Dear Little Johnny s Mom and Dad, Thanks for reading the attached letter to your player. It should be a fun season. My main objective will be for the kids to have fun, learn about being on a team, and even a little about soccer. We are planning on having practices on Wednesday afternoons at 5:00 for about minutes. This will be on Field 3 at Sunshine Park. While practice attendance is not mandatory for your child to play in the game that week, practices will be an important time to introduce basic soccer skills and it will be when they will get the most touches on the ball, so I look forward to your child being there if possible. I would like each child to have a soccer ball at practice. If you don t have one, no worry I will bring a few extra. The regulation ball we will be using will be size 3. It will be required that your child have shin guards for the games and practices. It is also required that they have no jewelry of any kind. Cleats are great, but not mandatory. We will have eight players on our team. The rules allow us to play three at a time (3 VS 3). There is also no goalie in U6. This will also mean there is no way I will be able to make sure that each kid has an exact equal amount of playing time in each game, but I will do my best to see that each kid plays an equal amount over the course of the season, or at least as much as they want to. My experience has been that in some games we ll have a hard time getting some kids to stay on the field to play! I ll do my best to be fair and it usually works out okay. There is no score keeping and no team rankings in U6 soccer. While my first priority is to make sure the kids have fun, I will also be teaching them to want to win. Win in this case may be making a goal, preventing a score against us, making a good throw in, or contributing to the team effort in some way. My philosophy is to nurture a competitive spirit in a supportive team oriented atmosphere. And while I hope that our team scores more goals than the other team, I don t plan to even mention it to the kids. It is a requirement that the teams are on one side of the field and that parents are on the other side of the field. I ll need at least one or two parents to help manage the bench however. If you don t volunteer, don t worry, I ll recruit you. During the games I would like each kid to have their own water bottle/container that is clearly marked or identified as their own. This is as opposed to having a container of water and a million paper cups flying everywhere and being crushed and torn apart by the powerful hands of a five year old. (This is experience talking now, can you tell?) We would like each family to provide a snack and drink following the games (i.e. Little Debbie and a juice box, etc.) I will provided a schedule for this, feel free to rearrange it with other parents as it fits your needs. All games are planned to be played at Sunshine Park. Our first game is March 17 th and the last game is scheduled for May 21 st. The schedule is attached. Thanks again, Coach contact number my @ .com 8

10 Soccer Lesson Plans These soccer plans are designed to allow your team to develop through the course of the season. Each practice will build upon the previous concepts and lessons taught. The first four are intended to be conducted prior to the first game. These practices will give your team the basics for a quick start and prepare them for the first game. The following eight practices will allow your team and players to continually develop through the season. The last couple of practices will also focus on getting your players ready to move up to U8 the following season! 4 pre-season practices 8 season practices Each of these plans includes a life lesson that is based on a biblical principle. While the appropriateness of whether or not you share the Bible verses with the team is of course up to your discretion, you must consider how it will be received among your team parents and at your club. Because you are dealing with very young and impressionable children, I would not recommend sharing the verses with the children unless you have explicit permission from each parent to do so. However, whether or not you directly share the verses with the children, you still have the opportunity to teach the children a life lesson based on biblical truth. The reference of the specific Bible verse is primarily written for you as the coach, to affirm your belief that your lesson is based upon a strong and truthful foundation. As a coach, living a righteous life is 100 times more powerful than vocally proclaiming the need to be righteous. 9

11 Pre-Season Practice 1 SoccerLifeLesson - Practice is Important! Activity On the Field/Off the Field! Est Description Time 15 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Start by asking the kids where the field is! Let them guide you by asking them where the side line is, the end line, the center circle, etc Purpose To learn the areas of the soccer field. This will be useful knowledge throughout the season. Stretch Out 5 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Use Follow the Leader Stretches! Also use this time to learn each player s name and involve the teammates to tell you each player s name. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Ask the kids why we have practice. Convey the principle from Proverbs 15:19. Pirate Drills 20 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. This will take longer the first couple of practices, so feel free to spend as much time as needed on this the first few days. Hit the Coach 10 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Target Ball Extra See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. This becomes your regular warm ups for the practices. Life! Ball touches! Dribbling, keeping the player s head up. Set up several targets Proverbs 15:19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. During today s practice, stop and talk with the team about why you practice and why you should listen to the coach. You should explain that the better they do things at practice, the better they will do them during the game. Explain to them that if they practice dribbling during practice, it will be easier to dribble around their opponent during the game, if they practice good throw ins, they will make good throw ins during the game, etc. This practice is especially important to set the tone for the rest of the season. Make sure you are on time and prepared. This lesson will give you more to do than time will allow so if one activity is not working, go on to the next one. Keep it fun, light, and moving. 10

12 Pre-Season Practice 2 SoccerLifeLesson - Love one another! Activity On the Field/Off the Field! Est Description Time 10 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Let them guide you by asking where the side line is, the end line, the center circle, etc Stretch Out 5 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Pirate Drills 20 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. This will take longer the first couple of practices, so feel free to spend as much time as needed on these the first few days. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Love one another. Convey the principle from John 13:34. Target Ball 10 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. This is a Team game. Set up one target in the center circle. When the ball is knocked off the cone celebrate as a team! It might happen only a few times depending on your kids! Marbles 5 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Purpose To learn the areas of the soccer field. This will be useful knowledge throughout the season Warm up, bring the team into focus on the coach s instructions. Ball touches! Life! Touches on the ball, short passing, shot making, but also team building! Same as above Play as a team! Celebrate together. John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. During today s practice, have the kids go around a circle and say each other s name. This is a good way to make sure that each child is recognizing each team member and the exercise by itself will go a long way in building a team. Tell the kids that on game day they will all be wearing the same color and all of their parents will be cheering for each person on the team. Go on to tell the kids that because they are a team that it is important that we look after one another, both on and off the field. If they see a team member that needs help, to help them out, if a team member is having trouble with something to give them a hand. End the practice by saying to them, we are a team and we look after each other, then teach the kids how to gather together, put their hands in a pile on yours, count to three and yell the team s name out. This should be how you end practice and games from now on. 11

13 Pre-Season Practice 3 SoccerLIfeLesson-We are wonderfully made! Activity Est Description Purpose Time On the Field/Off the Field! 5 min Today, use this as only a warm up and reminder everyone go to the end line everyone go to the center circle etc. To learn the areas of the soccer field. To listen to the instructions of the coach. Stretch Out 5 min Warm up, bring the team into focus on the coach s instructions. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot Skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min We are wonderfully made! Life! Coach Says 15 See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Game day! Wall Up! Center-Wing-Wing Kick Off 10 Once you have explained the positions of Center-Wing-Wing, then set up three players to kick the ball off and shark attack on the goal without any defense. Immediately set another three up, then cycle through over and over allowing them to kick off and shoot at the goal. Hit the Coach 5 Dribbling Preparation for game day! Foot skills. See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Hit the Coach 5 Throw-in See Throw-in All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Be sure to Coach for correctness! Kick Off extra Game day! Fun! Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well Each child is made specifically to be exactly who they are. Each child has a certain gift that they bring to the team. Look for this gift in each child. When you see it, celebrate it with them, point it out to them, and let them know what is wonderful about them. Now, let s be honest, it may be more difficult to see God s wonder in some children and easier than others, so you may have to make a special effort on this. There is no doubt truth in this passage however. (The difficulty to see the wonder is no doubt because we are flawed and imperfect as opposed to the kid s insufficiency (ouch!)). In today s practice look for something special to say about each player. 12

14 Pre-Season Practice 4 SoccerLIfeLesson-Honor your father and your mother! (But listen to the Coach!) Activity Est Description Purpose Time On the Field/Off the Field! 5 min Today, use this as only a warm up and reminder everyone go to the end line everyone go to the center circle etc. To learn the areas of the soccer field. To listen to the instructions of the coach. Stretch Out 5 min Warm up, bring the team into focus on the coach s instructions. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Honor your father and mother! But listen to the coach! Coach Says 15 See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Game day! Wall Up! Center-Wing-Wing Kick Off 10 Once you have explained the positions of Center-Wing-Wing, then set up three players to kick the ball off and shark attack on the goal without any defense. Immediately set another three up, then cycle through over and over allowing them to kick off and shoot at the goal. Hit the Coach 5 See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities Dribbling section for details. Hit the Coach Throw-in 5 See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Preparation for game day! Foot skills. Throw-in. Be sure to Coach for correctness! Kick Off extra Game day! Fun! Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother During today s practice spend a few minutes telling the kids that they should always listen to their mother and father and do their best to obey them. It is also important however, that while they are on the soccer field that they listen to their coach. Off the field, they listen to their parents, as soon as they step on the field, they listen to their coach. This is a principle that some parents may even feel a bit uncomfortable with at first, so I would share this concept with the parents right up front if any issues arise. This usually will come up only if the parent does not understand what is being taught to the player and is therefore yelling directions from the side-line that are contrary to what you have taught in practice. An example of this is to hear a parent yelling, Johnny, run to the ball!, while Johnny is holding his position, just like you taught him. I have seen this more than once. Teach your team to honor their father and their mother, and listen to the coach while on the field! 13

15 Game 1 It is game day! Have fun, be patient. You have given your team some really good tools to be able to have fun and also compete. Your behavior at the game is critical because you are in a leadership role, not just for the team, but also for the parents and fans. Here are a few tips to make it a successful 1 st game day. - Before the game assign a Bench Manager, a parent or assistant coach to help control and manage the kids on the sideline (this is critical!) - Greet each kid as they arrive at the field, they may be a little nervous - Use your practice routine as your warm up on the field Stretch Out Pirate Drills Kick Off (I suspect the parents and the other team might even be impressed!) - Introduce yourself to the other coach and the referee (your influence will set the tone for the game) - Ask your Bench Manager to help you with substitutions and getting everyone playing time - Relax, have fun and remember that as a coach of youth soccer, 90% of your wins or losses are determined on draft day. You either have the studs or you don t., I heard one coach describe it. At this age especially, don t take a big win or big loss personally, it actually has very little to do with you. The kid s enjoyment and attitude about the game have a lot to do with you. 14

16 Season Practice 1 SoccerLIfeLesson-We can accomplish anything! Activity Est Description Purpose Time Stretch Out 5 min Warm Up and Focus. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot Skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min We can accomplish anything! Life! Hit the Coach 10 Dribbling See Appendix A for details. For today s game, ask them if they think they can score 20 points, 100, 1 million? Then keep score for them adding up big numbers, making them work hard to hit you, but finally Touches on the ball, but also to give them what seems like a very difficult task and then allow them to accomplish it. reaching 1 million and then celebrate as a team. Wow, you guys can accomplish anything! Note that this game should still only last about 5 minutes. Coach Says 5 See Appendix A for details. Game day! Fun! Wall Up! Center-Wing-Wing Kick Off 10 Practice kick offs repetitively, except Game day! Fun! now put one, then two players on defense. Monster 10 Dribbling Foot skills. See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Kick Off extra Game day! Fun! Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Having confidence will do your team wonders on game days, and in life. In today s practice, work on building your team s confidence! Work on building the confidence of each player! Find a reason to tell them that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to. 15

17 Season Practice 2 SoccerLIfeLesson-We are a team! Activity Est Time Description Purpose Stretch Out 5 min Warm Up. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot Skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min We are a team! Life! Marbles 10 min Play Marbles as a Team! When the team kicks the center ball out of the circle, celebrate as a team! You can change this up a bit to create a rule that each person on the team must hit the ball at least once before the team wins. Goal Kicks 15 min Practice goal kicks today. Some tips for success are that you may want to have one player a short distance and the other player a longer distance in order to create open space. For advanced coaching you can have the short player make a run to take advantage of space creation. Another useful tip may be to coach to never kick the ball in front of your own goal. Last, the kicker should be ready to protect his goal after the kick. Team Building. Game day prep! Cops and 10 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Foot Skills. Robbers Monster 10 min Dribbling Foot skills. See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Kick Off extra Fun! 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. During the practice today, remind the kids that they are part of a team. Ask them, What if Johnny were the only player on the team? Would he win any games? Would he get tired? How many fans would come to cheer for the team? Teach them, that we are part of a team and each member is important and that we can accomplish much more together than we can accomplish by ourselves. 16

18 Season Practice 3 SoccerLIfeLesson-Be a Good Sport! Activity Est Description Purpose Time Stretch Out 5 min Warm up and focus. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Be a Good Sport! Life! Monster 10 min Practice playing hard against each Foot skills. other, but be good sports! Sharks and Minnows 10 min Foot skills. Corner Kicks 10 min Practice corner kicks today. Focus on Game day! player position and the opportunity to Coach Says 5 min Wall Up! Center-Wing-Wing Positioning. Kick Off 10 min Practice kick offs repetitively, except Game day! now put one or two or three players on defense. Kick Off Extra Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. During practice today, explain that when we have a game against another team, they will be wearing different colors, they will have people cheering for them, and they will be trying to stop us from scoring goals, and in turn we will try to stop them from scoring goals. It is important to do your very best to compete against the other team and to help our team. It is also important to know that we should be good sports before, during, and after every game. We should not say, We won! to them at the end of the game, and we shouldn t use our hands to push them away during play. It is important to know that we should play hard and also know that it is the other team s job is to play hard against us. We are all here to play our best and walk away as friends, win or lose. 17

19 Season Practice 4 SoccerLIfeLesson-Prepare to Win! Activity Est Description Purpose Time Stretch Out 5 min Warm up and focus. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Prepare to Win! Life! Goal Kicks 10 min Game Day. Corner Kicks 10 min Game Day. Kick Off 20 min Practice kick offs repetitively, except Game Day. now put one or two or three players on defense. Now include Throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks when the ball goes out of bounds. It is a controlled scrimmage game at this point. What s the Time? Extra See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Proverbs 21:31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. During practice today, teach the kids that they should do their best at practice times, and especially in the games. There is honor in competing and trying your best to win, but what is important is not always the actual victory. Often it is more important to do your best than actually winning. As they get older, there is value also in teaching them to expect to win, but at this age of competition, doing your best is a more advantageous principle to learn. It is a bit like learning to walk before running. Love the battle more than the victory! 18

20 Season Practice 5 SoccerLIfeLesson-Build each other Up! Activity Est Description Purpose Time Stretch Out 5 min Warm up and focus. Pirate Drills 5 min Foot skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Build each other up! Life! Goal Kicks 5 min Game Day. Corner Kicks 5 min Game Day. What s the Time? 10 min See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Fun! Kick Off 20 min Practice kick offs repetitively, except now put one or two or three players on defense. Now include Throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks when the ball goes out of bounds. It is a controlled scrimmage game at this point. Monkey in the Middle! Extra See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Game Day. Fun! 1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Find a reason to complement a skill or trait that each player is exhibiting, it may be making a shot, a throw in, or even being the first to come to you when you call them, find a reason to build them up. Further, during today s practice focus on encouraging your team to encourage each other. This will include cheering for one another as you and the rest of the team watch a certain skill being attempted. You might even employ this lesson on the one or two kids who you feel have shown some leadership qualities. It is amazing to see how the leaders will influence your team over the course of the season. 19

21 Game 6 At this point your team has a pretty good idea of what to expect during games and during practices. It is now a good time to give them more freedom to experience the game on their own. Instead of actively coaching, try to stay quiet today. If you are like me, that will not be easy! If your club allows you to be on the field, try staying off the field today. The game itself is the best teacher. For the remaining games of the season, let the kids have more control, more input, and more freedom on the field. If (when) you see that some of the kids need more direction on things like where to stand or how to line up, ask your team leaders to step in and help their teammates. If you have kids moving up to the U8 level after this season, the concept of letting them go to make their own decisions (and occasional mistakes) is especially important. During the rest of the season, you may even want to spend a little time moving your team to the U8 field. When they experience the bigger field, they ll begin to really appreciate the concept of passing and team play! Also, you should prepare for the End of the Season Party, see a later section in this guide. 20

22 Season Practice 6 SoccerLIfeLesson-You Can! Activity Est Description Purpose Time Stretch Out 5 min Warm up and focus. Monster 5 min Foot Skills. Sharks and Minnows 5 min Foot Skills. Pirate Drills 5 min Brag, brag, brag on your team. Foot skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min You Can! Life! Target Ball 10 min Move your targets quite some distance away today. This will give you an opportunity for them to focus on placement of the ball on goal kicks, This activity gives you an opportunity to put the life lesson into action. corner kicks, and kick offs. Use those three areas to kick from. Additionally, place a target in the goal and have them kick from the center mark. This is often the tie-breaker in 3v3 U6 tournaments. Kick Off 20 min Practice kick offs repetitively, except now put one or two or three players on defense. Now include Throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks when the ball goes out of bounds. It is a controlled scrimmage game at this point. Game Day. Monkey in the Middle! Extra See All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities section for details. Fun! Psalm 18:29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. During today s practice, have a small celebration after the accomplishment of each skill. ( Yeah! Great! is often all that is needed.) During this part of the season, it is likely that you now know who is capable and not a capable in performing certain accomplishments. Guess what? The kids know as well. Today, it is your job to encourage those who have struggled with certain skills, but also to push those who are more accomplished to a higher level of performance. This can include little tricks like tying a ribbon around a player s right foot and telling them that they may not take any shots on goal with that foot for the day. The ribbon works as a reminder for them and for you. Also, you might notice a player always moves to one side or the other to avoid pressure, today tell the player that they may only move the other way, etc. The statement of I believe in you and I believe you can will go a long way. 21

23 Season Practice 7 SoccerLIfeLesson-Stay Positive! Activity Est Description Purpose Time Stretch Out 5 min Warm up and focus. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Stay Positive! Life! Sharks and Minnows 10 min Foot skills. Monkey in the Middle 5 min Fun! Foot skills. What s the Time? 10 min Fun! Foot skills. Kick Off 20 min Practice kick offs repetitively, except now Game Day. put one or two or three players on defense. Now include Throw-ins, corner kicks, and goal kicks when the ball goes out of bounds. It is a controlled scrimmage game at this point. Kick Off extra 1 Thessalonians 5:15-17 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; Use the practice today to teach the kids that even if things are not going their way, that they should stay positive. First, while sitting with them ask them if any of them have ever had things go wrong or a time when something happened and they were not happy about it. You are likely to get a number of different stories; some of them may be quite humorous. Then tell them that even when things go wrong, they should focus on what is going well or to focus on what they can do to make things better. Go on to tell them that this is likely to happen in a game as well; sometimes things will not go well. When that happens it is important to stay positive and to keep doing their best and to do the things that they have practiced. As long as they stay positive and do their best, that you will be proud of them, and they will be proud of themselves. Tell them not to forget to keep having fun, even when things don t go right. 22

24 Season Practice 8 SoccerLIfeLesson-Be Good to Your Teammates! Activity Est Time Description Purpose Stretch Out 5 min Warm up and focus. Pirate Drills 5 min Brag, brag, brag on your team. Foot skills. SoccerLifeLesson 2 min Be good to your teammates! Life! Free Choice! 40 min Let the kids tell you today what game or activity they want to do! The various activities of the season Fun. On the Field/Off the Field Coach Says Corner Kicks Goal Kicks Kick Off Marbles Target Monster Sharks and Minnows What s the Time? Monkey in the Middle! Hit the Coach! Dribbling Hit the Coach! Throw-in! practices are listed below. Mark 12:31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these. This may be one of the most difficult principles to convey to this age group. But this is a great starting place to encourage the concept of passing! Use today s practice to talk about why we should pass the ball. This can include, because someone is open, because the other team is crowding me, etc, but try to get them to the point of understanding that if we help each other, it is good for the team. We should pass the ball to one another because we want each of the team members to be successful and therefore the team successful. Good luck with this one! It is easier to convey to those who are nearly six years old than it is to those who are barely four years old. Though I have found that often those six year old leaders on the team do a great deal to teach the younger kids through their example. It is a beautiful thing to see the older kids on your team begin to love their teammates through their unselfish play. 23

25 Tips and Tricks to Teach Along the Way These are some additional tips and tricks that will put your team in a position to score more goals than your opponent. I know, I know, it makes no difference at all who scores the most goals because there is no score keeping at this level; it is only about fun and developing the children s skills. That is true and I agree. But let s be honest, every coach, parent, and player, given the choice would have their team score more than the opponent s team even if there is no score being kept. So, in that thought, here are some tips and tricks that will help your team better learn to compete. Flag your Goal Get a brightly colored sheet or banner to hang on the goal that you are shooting at, preferably a fancy banner with the team logo and color on it. This helps your team immediately know which goal to shoot at! Cross-Over Teach your team to cross-over in front of their opponent when their opponent has the ball. Often we see players at this age run with their opponent down the field as if they are just watching what is going to happen. Start with one player at the end line with the ball, the other player next to them. Say go and let them both start down the field, tell the player without the ball to cross-over in front of the path of the player with the ball so that they can take it from them. The player with the greater speed has an advantage of course, but having to dribble a ball at this age takes lots of speed away, so the idea of crossing over become effective. You may want to give the dribbler a slight head start. 24

26 Outside and Down Teach your team that the best route to the goal is not always a straight line. At this age it is almost always better to teach your kids to take the ball to the outside of the field, away from in front of your goal, then down the field, moving towards your goal only when you get on your opponents side of the field. This will teach them to move away from pressure. Your verbal cue for this is to tell them outside and down. You ll have to show them and repeat this over and over during the Kick Off times of your practices. This one tip will be a great help. Outside and Down! 25

27 Cross If you have a few advanced players, you should teach them to bring the ball down the sideline and cross the ball to their team mate for the shot on goal. 26

28 End of the Season Party When it comes to the End of the Season Party, I believe in simple and easy! At week six you should make preparations for the end of the season party! This includes ordering trophies or medals if you choose to, setting up a place, time, and date, and organizing refreshments. This can be a big ordeal, or you can make it very simple. If you have a team mom, they may wish to take this over for you. If so, let them! People often like to get involved and want to take part in these types of activities. If you are doing it on your own and would like a simple approach, I suggest the following easy solutions: At or about Game 6 (assuming a 9 10 game season) At the Party - Order Trophies or medals on line for direct delivery to you - Set a date and time (15 minutes after the last game is usually a winner) - Select a place (Chick-fil-a is my personal favorite, call the manager ahead of time, I have found that they are always accommodating) - the parents with the date, time, place, cost of trophies, and when they can pay you - At the party let each parent provide the food for their own child - Be prepared to say something about each player when handing out awards. Suggestions for awards are: Best Defense Best Offense Most Aggressive Best Team Player Most Improved Most Fun Player Best Attitude Leadership Award Mr./Ms. Speed The Boot! Mr./Ms. Power The Man! Shot Maker The Wall! PrimeTime! Super Man / Super Woman Best All Around Most Smiles Most Laughs Most Goals Most Passes 27

29 Common Sense Advice Always insist that a parent be close by and that you are able to contact them during practice and games in case of emergency. Keep a list of names and cell phone numbers in a coaches bag with you at each practice. Never put yourself in a position that you are alone with a child unless it is your own. This may seem like a strange recommendation, but in today s day and time, you should protect yourself with this rule. Related to this is to always have their own parent or guardian be responsible for any clothes or wardrobe changes, or bathroom issues. Follow the rules of your club. The club is there to support and protect you, and themselves. It will always be in your interest to follow their rules. Most clubs offer some training in basic first aid and emergency training that is geared toward children. Take advantage of these opportunities. When in doubt, call the experts, 911! Better safe than sorry. In case of inclement weather, it is usually best to just call the practice or game off. At this age level, it is much more about the experience of playing soccer than the competition, so make it fun for the kids, parents, and spectators, and wait until a better day. They ll be plenty of time in these kids futures in which the game will be played as scheduled. Great Resources A couple of my favorite resources are and I recommend you consider joining the National Alliance for Youth Sports They are a great resource for keeping a proper focus on coaching kids. The following is their pledge: I hereby pledge to live up to my certification as a NYSCA Coach by following the NYSCA Coaches Code of Ethics: I will place the emotional and physical well being of my players ahead of a personal desire to win. I will treat each player as an individual, remembering the large range of emotional and physical development for the same age group. I will do my best to provide a safe playing situation for my players. I promise to review and practice basic first aid principles needed to treat injuries of my players. I will do my best to organize practices that are fun and challenging for all my players. I will lead by example in demonstrating fair play and sportsmanship to all my players. I will provide a sports environment for my team that is free of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, and I will refrain from their use at all youth sports events. I will be knowledgeable in the rules of each sport that I coach, and I will teach these rules to my players. I will use those coaching techniques appropriate for all of the skills that I teach. I will remember that I am a youth sports coach, and that the game is for children and not adults. 28

30 All-Time Best Games, Drills, and Activities Follow the Leader Stretching Lead the team by telling and showing them as in follow the leader. Reach way up high toward the sky (Use two hands similar to a throw-in, we are looking for repetition in body movements to encourage proper technique later) Reach way down low to your toes (Stretching hamstrings and calves) Feet apart, reach to one side reach to the other side, Flamingo stretch, try to keep your balance! Other side Twist like a washing machine (Stretching out your core muscles) Windmill shoulder rolls, other side (Stretching shoulders and back) Rubber neck roll, ( Stretching neck) Grab your ears and and loosen up your brain because soccer is a thinking game! (Over time, stop at soccer is a and let them answer thinking game! 29

31 On the Field, Off the Field! (Critical Building Block) This is a great exercise to play with the kids to teach them the structure of the soccer field. It is also a critical step in giving them instructions for other games and drills in practice, but also for in-game instructions. (You know what I mean if you have seen coaches pick up and place their kids on the field in the right spot.) Start on the very first day to gather the kids around you next to the field, engage them by asking questions. Who can tell me where the field is? Let s get on the field, let s get off the field. Repeat this several times, and have fun with it while you are stepping over the side line. What is this line we are stepping over? The Side Line Everyone stand on the side line Keep you balance. Now off the field (Later you can teach them that it is also called the touch line later like. U10!) Continue this line of questioning by asking where is the Center Circle, Side Lines there are two, End Lines there are two, Center Line, going to each and standing in or on the area in question. Then you as coach, stand on the side of the field next to the bench and direct the kids around the field. Everyone in the Center Circle, Everyone on a side line, everyone to the goal. This will help you during games, in practices, and in general team management! Also use this introduction to define the rules of the goal, Never hang from the goal, don t stand inside the goal because you might get hit with a ball, stay out of the net, etc. Have an advanced group? Use a diagram like below to point at an area for the kids to go to. 30

32 Pirate Drills (Critical Building Block) This is a great way to teach your team how to properly have touches on the ball and it makes it fun for the kids. These drills are more like a game that you can start slow and then build upon. Pirate Drill 1 Walk the Plank Teach and show the kids to touch the ball with the insides of their feet to have small touches to move the ball with small steps, just as if you were turning your feet outward a little and walking on a plank. Pirate Drill 2 Scrub the Deck Teach and show the kids to scrub the deck by putting their foot on top of the ball and moving their foot slightly back and forth while keeping their balance. Once this is mastered (perhaps by practice 4) you should begin to instruct the kids to scrub the deck, now pull back to change directions of the ball. Pirate Drill 3 Tick Tock Remember the Alligator in Peter Pan? You can start by teaching them to switch feet when scrubbing the deck to alternate the foot that they stop the ball with. Then ask the kids to hop to make the switch, eventually you will be able to ask them to switch feet, switch feet, switch feet repetitively. Once this is accomplished they are ready to learn to make a hop from one foot to another alternating which foot is on top of the ball. The verbal cue you use with this exercise will be tick, tock, tick, tock with each switch. This is quite difficult for many of the young kids at this age. For those who struggle with this, it is good to spend a few minutes with them one-on-one, stand in front of them with the ball between the two of you, place your hands on both of their shoulders and help them shift their weight from side to side while slowly picking up the opposite foot to place on the ball. I have found this as the most effective way to teach the coordination necessary to learn this skill. Pirate Drill 4 Hoist the Sail! Teach the kids to reach down with both hands, grab the ball on both sides and lift it as high as they can to the sky. Then tell them to set the ball down, still holding it with both hands. This is the beginning of teaching them how to hold the ball when throwing it in. You don t teach them to throw the ball in this exercise however, this is just a step in preparing them to learn that later. Pirate Drill 5 Shark Attack! After they have mastered (or should I say mastered ) the first three pirate drills, you can yell Shark Attack which is the cue for the kids to quickly dribble the ball to the goal and shoot it in. This is you opportunity to teach the kids the difference between a control touch like walk the plank with the inside of your foot and a shot like shark attack that is a powerful shot with the top of the foot or on the laces. 31

33 Pirate Drills in Practice (Critical Building Block) Putting these Pirate Drills all together makes a very effective warm up and also gives the kids verbal cues that you will be able to use with them for the rest of the season. The overall Pirate Drill will go something like this: Okay, everyone on the Center Line Keep your ball in front of you Okay, Walk the plank towards me (you move backwards in different positions good walk the plank walk the plank. now Scrub the Deck Good. walk the plank.. scrub the deck. walk the plank. scrub the deck. Hoist the Sail. Way up high!... Now down with the ball.. walk the plank walk the plank scrub the deck switch feet walk the plank. scrub the deck switch feet switch feet switch feet. (or tick tock tick tock walk the plank walk the plank. SHARK ATTACK!, SHARK ATTACK! Shoot at the goal, quickly quickly!!!! GOOD JOB!!!! Let s play it again!... everyone on the End Line! These become verbal cues for teaching other skills and even for the in-game coaching. 32

34 Coach Says (Critical Building Block) This is a favorite game of mine because with a little creativity you can make this really fun, but also have a teaching objective that will benefit the team s play. Coach Says is a lot like Simon Says except that no one is put out. When a player doesn t do what coach says you only correct them and keep on playing. Coach Says can be used to direct the players on the field and also gets the kids accustomed to listening to the coach s instructions. You can start by doing silly things like coach says put your hand on your head, coach says lift one foot, coach says run around the goal and come back. But you can also include in-game type instructions to say, coach says wall up. With this have the kids line up in front of you shoulder to shoulder. Move to another area of the field and then direct the kids again, wall up while you motion for them to make the wall in the new location. This verbal cue of wall up will be a way to set your defense for the other team s throw-ins or goal kicks, etc. Eventually, they ll get the idea and begin to position themselves in the right places for this. WALL UP Defending a Goal Kick WALL UP Defending a Corner Kick After they have mastered wall up and other silly directions, teach them about the positions of a U6 team by using the verbal cues of Center-Wing-Wing. Show them on the field by placing a player as Center in the middle of the center circle, then another player at Wing, and then a third player at Wing on the other side. Talk with them about how a bird has the center, a wing on one side, and a wing on the other side. Then you can add this to you game of Coach Says to say, Johnny - Center, Sally - Wing, Billy - Wing. The players should be able to go to their designated spot. 33

35 Center Wing Wing Wall up! On your kick off you can use the Center-Wing-Wing cue, and when it is the other team s kick off, goal kick, corner kick, or throw-in you can use wall up. If you find in the course of a game you are over powering the other team, you can have your team wall up, then direct one, two, or all three players to drop which will be their cue to back up closer to their own goal. This will provide a softer defense to give the other team a chance to put the ball in play. Drop 34

36 If you find in the course of a game that you need to provide more pressure on the other team, then you can teach the kids to wall up, then Johnny, mark up. With this instruction, Johnny will leave the wall to stand behind or near one of the players on the opposing team. Once your players are responsive to the instructions of wall up and mark up you can nearly set the tempo of the game. In some cases you ll have kids that are just not responding to your verbal cues (you know who I am talking about), this is when you use all your reserves of patience that you have, smile, and love them anyway! Hit the Coach (Throw-In) Center Wing Wing I often see coaches teach their kids to throw the ball in by first crossing their legs to prevent them from lifting one foot or jumping. Unfortunately, I have also seen this style of throw-in never get corrected and the player ineffectively revert to this style even at the U12 level. With a few simple games and drills a more effective way to learn throw-ins can be achieved. Starting with the Pirate Drill of Hoist the Sail as a good building block skill. Have the children stand off the field one step back. Ask them to hoist the sail picking the ball up with both hands straight over their heads. Have them put the ball on the back of their neck, and then throw to try to hit the coach. When first teaching, don t worry about them jumping or lifting their feet, focus on them being off the field, one step back, ball on neck, and throw. During the next practice you can add the additional skill of keeping their knees bent just a little while they throw the ball in. If they keep their knees bent just a little, then they won t jump or step. (This puts them in a position as U8 players to learn to take a step forward and drag their back foot during a throw-in.) 35

37 One smart verbal cue that I heard a coach use was pillow fight to remind his kids to use both hands on the ball as if they were hitting their brother over the head with a pillow. Once they are able to get the basics of the throw in, it is important to teach the kids not just to try to hit the coach, but to throw past the coach. This will later translate into throwing past their teammate, where they want the teammate to run to and not to the feet of their teammate. This step will facilitate the skill later as a U8 player to learn to block out your position to receive the ball in your favor on a throw-in. One at a time, please! 36

38 Monster (Dribbling / Ball Control) This is a great game to teach good foot skills, ball protection, and it is usually is a favorite. Have the kids walk the plank or quickly walk the plank (dribble) randomly within a specific area. I like to have the kids stay inside the center circle. Once they all get going, call out one player who is the monster. That player will go around trying to kick the other player s balls out of the circle. Once their ball is out, they must retrieve their ball and sit out until the game starts over. The game continues until the monster has eliminated each player. If the game is not moving fast enough, call out two monsters. Sometime this is such a favorite that you may have to play this game eight or nine times in a row, a turn for each player to be the monster. If the kids are enjoying it, let them play, it is a great game to teach ball control. 37

39 Monkey in the Middle (Passing / Shooting) All players stand around the center circle while one player (the "Monkey") gets in the middle of the circle. The players outside the circle pass one ball back and forth while the player in the center tries to gain control of the ball. When the player in the center gains control of the ball, you can choose another player to be the Monkey. This game gives you an opportunity to teach both good and aggressive receiving as well as good passing and even fakes. In teaching receiving teach try to get in front of the ball, lift your foot and turn it outward so that the ball hits the inside of it, and give a little hop. You ll have to show this one a few times, but once they master this, they are on their way to being soccer players! It often helps to say out loud down when you show them how to stop the ball, so to put it in the child s mind that they want to keep the ball down. In making passes teach take a peek at your target, strike the ball with the inside of your foot, and follow through. The most important thing to focus on at this stage is to take a peek at your target. This game can easily get out of control, but it is also a kid favorite and will allow you to take time to address the passing and receiving skill of each individual player as the game goes on. 38

40 Sharks and Minnows (Dribbling) Have the kids line up on one side line, each with their own ball. They are the minnows. Have one player on the other side line, he is the shark. When the coach yells Go! the minnows will ( swim ) try to get to the other side of the field without the shark taking away their ball. As each minnow is captured, they then become sharks and join in on the other side to help capture the minnows. The last one or two minnows left can become the sharks of the next game. This gives them incentive to try to win. 39

41 Cops and Robbers All players but one start by dribbling around, staying in half the field, these are the Cops (blue). The Robber (red) must start in Jail (center circle). The Robber must wait until the coach yells Jail Break!. The Robber then runs out and must steal a ball and successfully dribble it back over the center line. At that point, the child whose ball was stolen also becomes a Robber and the two Robbers must go back to jail to start the game again. Again, the Cops dribble around and the coach yells Jail Break for the second time, at which the two Robbers run out and attempt to steal a ball and successfully get it back across the center line. Every time a ball crosses the center line the Robbers must go back to Jail and the game starts again with an additional Robber. Coach your Cops to dribble into open space, keep taking peeks up to find the open space on the field and move to that space. This will help them learn to avoid the opponents during game day. 40

42 What s the Time Mr. Wolf? (Dribbling) This was a game taught at our club by the British Soccer Camp counselors. The kids loved it. The more dramatic you are, the more they like it. Have the players stand on the end line, each with a ball. You stand on one side line or maybe closer. You turn your back on the kids and have them call out What s the time Mr. Wolf? You turn to them and say, Four O clock, they can then take four steps forward and then scrub the deck. You turn with you back to them again, and they will yell out, What s the time Mr. Wolf? You turn to them and say, Three O clock, they can then take three steps forward with the ball and again scrub the deck. This goes on with you calling various times until you decide to answer DINNER TIME, the kids are then to pull their ball back and dribble back to the end line away from you. As you catch a player s ball, they then join you as the wolf and also give you suggestions about what time you should call out and when you should call out Dinner Time, and also help you catch the others. As a variation on What s the Time Mr. Wolf you can also play Sleeping Bear. In this variation you will lie down in the grass and pretending that you are a sleeping bear with lots of grumbles, snores, and growls to add effect. You instruct the kids ahead of time to make small touches on the ball with the insides of their feet to sneak up on the bear, but they must be very quite or they will wake up the bear! When the kids get close enough, you pop up and chase them back. Any players you catch can then become baby bears to help you sleep, then chase the other kids. A fun thing that the kids enjoy is to ask them after catching the first player, Should I give him another chance or should I eat him?!?!? 41

43 Marbles (Shooting) Place a special ball (perhaps a unique color) in the center circle and have the players stand around the edge of the circle and attempt to kick their ball at the special ball to knock it out of the center circle. Once the ball is knocked out, reset it and play again. Target Ball (Shooting) Place a ball on the top of a cone in front of the goal, have the players shoot from different distances and angles on the field to try to knock the ball off the cone. 42

44 Hit the Coach (Dribble) On Go, run away slowly as the players dribble toward you in chase and then shoot at your feet to try to hit you. They get one point every time they hit you. Ask who got points when the game is over. 43

45 We Would Love to Hear from You! Please let us know how your season is going and if you found this guide helpful. If you have a great game, an effective technique or teaching tool, we d like to include it in the guide. We also would like to post some of you Soccer Life Lessons on our web site to share with others! Please contact us at jayjordan5263@gmail.com. 44