NUSC Recreational Coaching Guide Dribbling Drills & Coaching Points * Keep the ball close. * Keep picking your head up to see oncoming defenders. * Change of Speed. * Change of Direction. * Practice dribbling and faking to both sides. * Be creative with the ball. Passing & Receiving Drills & Coaching Points * Use inside of the foot (receiving). * Cushion the ball like a pillow (receiving). * Keep the ball in front of you (receiving). * Use inside of the foot (passing). * Lock ankle (passing). * Plant foot needs to face the target (passing). Shooting Drills & Coaching Points * Can use laces, nside, or outside of foot. * Lock ankle. * Plant foot needs to face the target. * Approach ball diagonally & draw shooting leg back far enough. * Strike middle of the ball for power. * Aim for corners of the goal. * f the ball is on shooters right side use right foot, left side left foot. * Encourage both feet. * CELEBRATE after a Goal!!!
SAMPLE PRACTCE PLAN 5 T 8 YEARS LD (Practice to be 50 60 minutes total) WARM UP (5 7 min) Busy Bees All players except 1 has a ball in a small rectangle area. The players with balls try to sting the player without the ball by passing balls at their feet. The player without the ball runs around in the rectangle trying not get stung. Rotate players through. Good to start with a few players and add new players as they arrive to practice. (2 3 min) Toe Taps Each player stands immediately in front of the ball and with a small hop alternates touching the top of the ball with their toes. (2 3 min) Ball Stretching * Use balls to stretch: (1) stand legs apart rolling ball with hands through legs in figure 8 pattern, (2) Place one leg forward and the other back. Roll ball around front foot ten times with hands. Switch legs, (3) Players sitting with legs in a V in front of them, using hands roll ball along outside of one leg, around the foot, over to the other foot, along other leg, then behind back, (4) sitting with legs straight out, roll ball from lap to feet, can they roll ball past their feet without bending their knees? Hold this for 20-30 seconds. (2 3 min) can do something with the ball can you? each player takes a turn doing a trick with the ball that the others have to try also (i.e bounce ball on head, bounce ball off of knee, jump with ball between knees, etc.) Try to teach hand eye coordination. (2 3 min) Water Break Main Activities (5-7 min) Red Light, Green Light All the players start on a designated line with the coach about 15 yards away. With his back to the players the coach yells green light and the players try to dribble to the coach. When the coach yells red light he waits a moment and then turns his back to face the players. Anyone who is not stopped moving has to go back to where the person farthest away from the coach is. (5-7 min) Sharks and Minnows The game takes place in a rectangle; all the players start off on one side of the rectangle and try to get to the other side each dribbling a ball. Two players who are sharks must run and try to steal the other players ball and pass it outside of the rectangle. When a player loses their ball they become a shark as well. Play until only two children are left. Those children become the sharks for the next game. (10 15 min) Game Small sided game of no more than 4 v 4 with no goalkeepers. The coach should have several balls handy to play in when one goes out of bounds. Play the ball to players who are less active. A variation to try to combat the beehive affect would be to play in multiple balls during one game. (2 3 min) Water Break
Cool Down (2 3 min) Edge of the World * Starting at the end line have each player pass their ball to the 18 yard line. Players then run after the ball and control it before it falls off the edge of the world (goes over the 18 yard line). See who can get the closest without going over. (2 3 min) Toes * (for stretching) All players sit down and hold their toes (right hand on right toes and left hand on left toes) with feet straight in front of them. Without letting go of their toes, try the following challenges: o Can they make one leg longer than the other? o Who can stretch their legs the widest? o How small can they make themselves? o How large can they make themselves? o Can they get their feet higher than their heads? o Can they place their feet behind their heads? o Can the stand up and walk without letting go of their toes?
Fun Practice Games Make sure everyone has fun! Dribbling Drills Activity (warm-up) Greetings Game All the players run around randomly inside a rectangle. The coach calls out various types of greetings, which each players then has to carry out with others: shake hands, high fives (one hand), high fives (other hand), shoulder to shoulder, back to back, etc. Progressions: Add dribbling. Coaching points: Good listening, head up, increase speed, add dribbling after a few minutes. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity (warm-up) Ball Retrieval The coach tosses all the balls out for each player to bring back with his or her hands. Have all the players gather closely around you, but not in a line. Each one hands you their ball, which you toss randomly into an open area where they have to go retrieve it and bring it back to you in the manner that you specify as quickly as possible. Progressions: Bring the ball back with it between your legs, right foot only, left foot only etc. The coach should move around the area. Coaching Points: Sprint, quick turns, head up Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity (warm-up) Body Part Dribble Each player has a ball in an area. The coach yells out a body part and the players must move the ball with that body part. Examples include: hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, buttocks, knee. Progressions: ntroduce foundation (passing the ball between the inside of the left foot and the inside of the right foot back and forth) and toe touches (lightly touch the ball with the bottom of the right foot and then the bottom of the left foot, the ball should not move). Coaching points: Good Listening, head up, keep the ball close Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity (warm-up) Explode Every child has a ball and is dribbling in a relatively small space. utside of the small space place four or five cones 10-15 yards away. The children should dribble inside the smaller area, keeping the ball within close control (1 step away). When the coach yells Explode the children have to dribble with speed out of the smaller area around one of the cones and then come back to the smaller area and start dribbling again. Coaching points: Keep head up, keep the ball close, dribble with toe down for speed Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12
Activity Red Light, Green Light Coach All the players start on a designated line with the coach about 15 yards away. With his back to the players the coach yells green light and the players try to dribble to the coach. When the coach yells red light he waits a moment and then turns his back to face the players. Anyone who is not stopped moving has to go back to where the person farthest away from the coach is. Progressions: Add a ball. The coach can move around to make the game more challenging. Coaching points: Good Listening, Keep the ball close, n your toes, quick burst of speed Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity Sharks & Minnows The game takes place in a rectangle; all the players start off on one side of the rectangle and try to get to the other side. Two players who are sharks must run and try to tag the other players as they try to get to the other line. When a player is tagged they become a shark as well. Play until only two children are left. Those children become the sharks for the next game. Progressions: Add a ball (for the players, not the sharks) Coaching points: Keep the ball close, dribble with speed, head up, changing direction quickly to avoid sharks Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-10 Activity Cross the Bridge Divide the players into two groups, one on each endline of a field. Mark the centerline with a cone on each sideline, this is the bridge. n the coaches command the teams switch places, dribbling across the bridge. Which team can switch places the fastest? Progressions: Slide the cones towards the center of the field to make the bridge shorter. Add a bridge keeper to kick balls away. Coaching points: Keep the ball close, dribble with speed, head up Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12 Activity Knock ut All players dribble a ball around in an area. Each player tries to kick other players balls out and keep possession of their own ball. Progressions: Make the square smaller Coaching points: keep the ball by putting your body between the ball and defender, head up Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12
Activity Tag Mark off a rectangular grid and give everyone a ball. Whoever is it carries a practice vest and tries to tag the other players. When the it person tags someone they drop the practice vest and whoever was tagged must pick up the practice vest before they can tag anyone. Progressions: Game can be played without a ball. Specify how players must dribble (insides of feet, outsides of feet, soles of feet, right foot, left foot). Specify where players must be tagged (knees, back, etc). Coaching points: Dribble with speed to avoid tagger, head up, quick turns Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12 Activity Tigerball Each player has a ball except for the Tigers. At the coach s signal, the tigers (2) try to steal a ball from one of the other players. To win it, he must steal the ball with his feet and then hold it above his head in his hands. The tiger should then take the ball to the coach. Now, both players are tigers. Plan until only two people are left and then those players are the next tigers. Progressions: Use only left foot, outsides of feet, soles of feet. Coaching points: Shield the ball (body between the ball and Tiger), quick turns to get away, head up Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12 Activity Bursts All players dribbling in small grid, on go they must dribble to outer disk (1 to a disk). Reduce # of disks to make it competitive Progressions: Use only left foot, outsides of feet, soles of feet. Coaching points: Dribble with speed to cone, keep the ball close on turns around cone, head up. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12. Activity Ball Stealing Split the team into two groups and give one group red vests and one group blue vests or dark shirts vs. light shirts. Give one of the teams balls to dribble. Those players try to dribble inside the area without losing possession of their ball to the other team. The objective is to see which team, red or blue, has the most balls at the end. Players from the same team can work together to steal balls or to keep possession (passing???). Time limit 1min up to 3 mins. Progressions: Rotate who starts with the balls. Coaching points: Shield the ball, head up, quick dribble to space. Recommended ages: U-8 thru U-12
Passing & Receiving Drills Activity uch! Each player has a ball. The coach jogs around in a rectangle and the players try to kick their ball so that it hits the coach. The players get a point each time they hit the coach. The coach should yell ouch each time they are hit to make the game more exciting. Progressions: The coach can stop for three seconds or vary how fast they are moving depending on the level of the players. Specify how the players must strike the ball (laces, one foot, other foot) Coaching points: Use inside of the foot, lock the ankle, face plant foot at target. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity Bingo A number of tall cones are distributed throughout the field. Two coaches are replacers. Each player has a ball. The players dribble around and try to knock down as many cones as they can, yelling bingo as they do so. The coaches stand the cones back up immediately. Who can get the most bingos? Progressions: Must be three yards away to knock a cone over, use the laces to strike the ball. Coaching points: Use inside of foot or laces, head up, lock ankle, plant foot at target. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity Soccer Golf Set up a golf course in the area and have the players golf in pairs. Every player has his or her own ball. n order to complete a hole the players could be asked to pass their ball into a corner flag or to make the ball stop in a small grid. Coaching points: Good weight of pass, plant foot pointing toward target, beat your own best score. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-14 Activity Edge of the World Each player gets a ball and stands on one sideline of an area. The objective is for everyone to pass their ball so that it stops as close to the other sideline as possible. f the ball goes past the sideline it falls off the edge of the world. Players get points for getting their ball within one yard (distance depends upon ability) of the line without going over. Progressions: Players play ball with laces, inside of foot, etc. Coaching points: Good weight of pass, lock ankle. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-8 Activity Hunters and Hares Players are in a marked playing area. ne to three hunters have a ball and are hunters. The other players are hares. The hunters throw the ball at the hares (must hit hares below the waist). When a hare is hit by a ball, he picks it up and becomes a hunter. Progressions: The hunters pass the ball at the hares.
Coaching points: Aim at a moving target, head up. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12
Activity Soccer Marbles Everyone needs to be in pairs with a ball for everyone. ne player plays their ball and the other person tries to play their ball and hit the first ball while it is still moving. f the person misses the first person quickly goes to their ball and tries to play it to hit the second players ball. Players get a point each time they hit the ball. Progressions: Must strike ball with laces, inside of foot, left foot only, etc. Coaching points: Plant foot face target, lock ankle, head up. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12 A few different passing and receiving drills. Recommended ages: U-6 thru U-12 -Pass through the gate to partner -Pass to out side of cone partner passes back, goes to other -Pass to partner and take a step back the goal is to be farthest apart o X o X X o X o o X X o Coaching points: When receiving a pass cushion the ball like a pillow, head up, keep the ball in front Keep away - 5 v 2 or 6 v 2 -Rotate who is in the middle -4 v 4 first to have 4 passes without the other team stealing wins X X X X X Coaching points: head up, be ready to pass the ball before it arrives.
Cones are placed in the middle (A) with teams on the outside -Team that knocks over the most cones wins X A A A X X X Coaching points: head up, accurate pass, good weight on the ball. Cone War -Team to knock down opponents cones first wins -Can t cross the half line -Can defend cones but must be at least 1 yard away A X A A X A A X A A X A A X A A A Coaching points: head up, plant foot face target, pass with laces, inside or outside of foot Shooting Drills -X passes to -Shoot on target (no goalie or defender) -Progression with defender no goalie -Add goalie and defender X xxxxxx Coaching points: keep the ball in front, plant foot faces target, encourage accuracy and power
1v1 Gates -Both teams run through gate before game begins -first to the ball is on offense, second defense -First team to five wins X xxxxxx Coaching points: even the teams, encourage speed and get to the ball, quick shot before defender arrives Star shooting drill - is the shooter and runs around cone -he or she receives one pass turns and shoots -Progression add a defender and goalie (U-10 and higher) xxxxxxx X X X X X o X Coaching points: speed burst, quick turns, lock ankle, shoot with laces for power. Activity Number Game Two teams of equal numbers stand at either end of a 25 x 18 yard field of play. Give each player a number (make sure there s a matching number at the other end). Coach sends in a ball and calls out a number and that number from each end goes onto the field and plays 1v1. Progressions: Try calling multiple numbers from each side so there is a 2v2 or 3v3 game happening. Coaching points: good listening, head up, get to the ball quick, shoot when open. Power and Finesse -Line passes to A for the power shot -After power shot X passes to middle for a finesse shot X xxxxxx A
Coaching points: Use laces with the power shot, use inside of foot for finesse shot, keep the ball in front of shooter. Give & Go -Shooter () passes to X who passes to space - runs on to the ball and shoots -Progression 2v1 to goal (ages U-8 and higher) xxxxxx X Coaching points: good quick shot on goal, laces or inside of foot Fun Practice Games End every practice with 3 v 3, 4 v 4, or 5 v 5 (make teams even all ages no goalies for U-6) -1 v 1 is excellent for all ages -keep games to about 1 or 2 mins. -goals can be dribbling over the end line or cones -rotate players with others after each game or best of 3 games xxxxxx X xxxxxxx Coaching points: Aggressive going forward, be quick to get back on defense utta There -Two teams on the opposite end lines -1 v 1 to start, winner stays (after 4 wins in a row 2 new players) -if the ball goes out of bounds both are off and two new players enter -Coach always throws a new ball in -Progression: 2 v 2 xxxxxx XXX X C xxxxxxx
Coaching points: quick to score, quick to get the ball back if you lose it Team Handball -3 steps when holding the ball -if the ball hits the ground the other team gets possession -score by throwing it in, heading =3 points, volley =2 points (older age groups) -Progression: no hands - play soccer xxxxxx X X X X X xxxxxxx Coaching points: show how easy it is for a team to move the ball when throwing it, quick pass (with feet) do the same
From the Touchline Vince Ganzberg-Director of Education for ndiana Youth Soccer A coach needs to show a face its team needs to see. Mike Krzyzewski Men s Basketball Coach for Duke University Too often, we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. Roger Lewin, US Humorist, Author Let s start by looking at some numbers: n a 4 v 4 match there are 56 channels of communication available on the field. n a 6v.6 match there are 132 channels. n an 8v8 match there are 240, and in an 11 v 11 match there are 462 channels of communication on the field. So why do we still so much coaching from the sidelines? For some of us who played sports other than soccer growing up, that s the way we were coached. The coach was the sage on the stage, in control of the ship. Yet soccer isn t basketball, football, or baseball. t is chess in motion, where players are in control of their own destinies, regardless of age and ability. watch many youth games and my theory as to why kids don t spread out? They have coaches yelling at them on sideline and then the parents are yelling at them on the other, they don t really like to hear it so they just all stay in the middle. We have to remember that when you are coaching, you are also teaching. remember when was a director of coaching for a club and would get parent complaints about their child s coach is not coaching them during the game. My response? GD! would then go on to say that if he/she was then knew that they didn t do their job during the week while training them. also remember hearing Peyton Manning talk about Tony Dungy and the interviewer was mentioning how Coach Dungee really doesn t get worked up during the games. Peyton s answer was that After Friday, coach puts the hay in the barn. Translation is that there is really not much more that he can do except make some adjustments here or there on game day. The rest is up to the players. How many of you would expect your child s teacher to give them the answers to every test? Literally stand by them and scream out the answers by their desks? am sure that many parents would have issues with that teacher because how else is there child going to learn. When was in the classroom would use the tests as a measuring stick to see how much my students knew and to also see how well taught them. f they didn t do well on the test, then knew had to re-teach, but never once stood by their desks and screamed the answer to make sure that every student received an A. The same can apply to youth coaching in that these matches really should just be little quizzes. Let them play without your guidance, encourage them because that is allowed, and whatever the result is, it is. Use these little quizzes to help you with your next week s training session. n training, it s important for coaches to put players in situations that force them to improve their vision and decision-making, without coaches telling them where to go, where to run, and when to dribble, pass or shoot. The reason is that players already have to process a great deal of information much of it coming from off the field! Soccer is definitely a multi-tasking sport. Players need to learn to make their own decisions during game time. How many of us adults can e-mail one person and talk to someone else on the phone at the same time? Not many. Most of us have to either quit typing and talk, or quit talking and type. The point is that for coaches, there are times to instruct and teach, but these things should be done at practice, not during the game. Being the Guide n The Side" For a player s overall development, it s vital for coaches to facilitate the learning environment without controlling it. Coaches need to put the players in control and give them confidence that they can play without guid-ance from the sideline during the match. -stead of thinking about what they re going to do with the ball, players need to know what they re going to do with it. When this starts happening consistently, then we know we re creating the right environment for player development. Putting players in control of making their own decisions creates learning experiences (both good and bad) that foster development. We need players who feel and sense the game. We don t have enough of those players. The only way we get these players is to let them play with freedom and understand that they are going to
make mistakes. saw a coach scream at a player during the state cup for taking a shot and missing! think he thought that she had a better option. As continued to watch the match she had several opportunities to shoot. Why does this happen? Soccer and hockey are one of the few games in which you can shoot and miss three feet to the right and the left and everyone still claps. f you miss the hoop in basketball three feet to the right or the left you get air ball chanted at you. Football, miss thirty feet to the right and you are probably on the waiver wire the next day. We need for players when they are near goal to take risks and if it doesn t work out then hope that they learn from it. Self Worth have watched some coaches and you would think that their whole self worth is wrapped up into their kids winning the match. t should not be a win at all cost, but a fun at all cost. have a teenage son who is looking to play soccer at the next level. n his college resume, we didn t put on it how many games he won when he was 12 years of age. As a coach, your self worth should be evaluated if your players are out there giving their all even when they are down, not necessarily when they are up. Are they enjoying themselves and smile like Ronaldinho for Barcelona does and siah Thomas did while playing. Do they come back to your organization because of how you are as a teacher? The first quote of this article is from Mike Krzyzewski. A good coach during adversity will show a face that is calm yet displays confidence that his/her team can come back. f a coach starts to panic more than often their team starts to panic. The same goes when screaming at these young referees. When you start to scream, that sets off a red flare to the parents and players that something isn t right. Even Bill Walsh stated that about 20% of every game is by chance. There is really not much you can do. n continuing to improve the environment for ndiana Youth Soccer, we as coaches need to think of us not as soccer coaches, but as a leader that happens to coach soccer. (Another Coach K quote) Have FUN and enjoy it while it lasts!