Coaching tips
Successful youth soccer coaching
"Kids' football (soccer) is all about the individual loving the game: dribbling and shooting, playing games and scoring goals, experimenting and copying. It is very simple and lots of fun ...
Coaching U8 soccer players
It is the dream of every inexperienced coach to have a manual handed to him or her with all the answers to their problems. This coaching manual does have a ...
Coaching mentality
"Small sided games, while no guarantee, are the best way to get children interested in soccer..." "Over and over again during matches and training sessions, situations occur that are suitable ...
Supercharge your team and win more matches
A lot of youth soccer coaches complain that their young players start slowly in matches and take at least five or ten minutes before they start to play, so these ...
How to help new or weaker players
One problem that often causes problems for youth soccer coaches is pitching the session at the right level, so that it has something for everyone – the new or weaker ...
Analysing performance
I was asked recently by a fellow soccer coach whether it is worthwhile getting your young soccer players to go away after a match and analyse their performance in the ...
How to coach a youth soccer team
One of the delights of youth football coaching is taking on a team of youngsters and watching them develop during a number of years. It's great to see how children, ...
Let the game be the teacher!
To make your coaching effective with a team of youngsters (U10s), my advice is, 'Let the game be the teacher'. We have to keep reminding ourselves that young players come ...
How to get the best out of your players
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." - William A. Ward If you're coaching four and five-year-olds, this article probably isn't ...
The right way to coach youth soccer?
There is no "right way" to teach football to children. Youth football coaches come from a wide variety of backgrounds, coach football for different reasons and have different personalities. So ...
How to deal with a soccer team that cheats
I've seen players as young as eight or nine claiming corners or throw ins when they know they touched the ball last, feigning injury to get a free kick and ...
The importance of the cool down
Most youth football coaches understand the importance of warming up their players before a coaching session or a match. An effective warm-up reduces the risk of injury by increasing core ...
Food for thought – how to boost your players’ IQ
Coaches of very young players spend almost all of their time teaching their players how to kick, tackle, pass and shoot. As their players get older and more experienced, most ...
Why children play soccer
The majority of the reasons children participate in sport are intrinsic. The top priorities are: To learn and improve their skills To have fun To be with friends To experience ...
Coaching tips and advice
Successful youth soccer coaching
"Kids' football (soccer) is all about the individual loving the game: dribbling and shooting, playing games and scoring goals, experimenting and copying. It is very simple and lots of fun ...
Coaching U8 soccer players
It is the dream of every inexperienced coach to have a manual handed to him or her with all the answers to their problems. This coaching manual does have a ...
Coaching mentality
"Small sided games, while no guarantee, are the best way to get children interested in soccer..." "Over and over again during matches and training sessions, situations occur that are suitable ...
Supercharge your team and win more matches
A lot of youth soccer coaches complain that their young players start slowly in matches and take at least five or ten minutes before they start to play, so these ...
How to help new or weaker players
One problem that often causes problems for youth soccer coaches is pitching the session at the right level, so that it has something for everyone – the new or weaker ...
Analysing performance
I was asked recently by a fellow soccer coach whether it is worthwhile getting your young soccer players to go away after a match and analyse their performance in the ...
How to coach a youth soccer team
One of the delights of youth football coaching is taking on a team of youngsters and watching them develop during a number of years. It's great to see how children, ...
Let the game be the teacher!
To make your coaching effective with a team of youngsters (U10s), my advice is, 'Let the game be the teacher'. We have to keep reminding ourselves that young players come ...
How to get the best out of your players
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." - William A. Ward If you're coaching four and five-year-olds, this article probably isn't ...
The right way to coach youth soccer?
There is no "right way" to teach football to children. Youth football coaches come from a wide variety of backgrounds, coach football for different reasons and have different personalities. So ...
How to deal with a soccer team that cheats
I've seen players as young as eight or nine claiming corners or throw ins when they know they touched the ball last, feigning injury to get a free kick and ...
The importance of the cool down
Most youth football coaches understand the importance of warming up their players before a coaching session or a match. An effective warm-up reduces the risk of injury by increasing core ...
Food for thought – how to boost your players’ IQ
Coaches of very young players spend almost all of their time teaching their players how to kick, tackle, pass and shoot. As their players get older and more experienced, most ...
Why children play soccer
The majority of the reasons children participate in sport are intrinsic. The top priorities are: To learn and improve their skills To have fun To be with friends To experience ...
On your bike!
This drill was adapted from a game in The Ultimate Football Warm-Ups Manual.
Objective: To practice passing and receiving skills.
Set-up: Put your players into pairs. One ball per pair.
Place three flat cones in a short line.
How to play:
One player is a server and his partner works round the cones.
The player working must go forward to receive a pass then back-pedal up and around the cones in order to receive another pass on the opposite side.
The players work for 30 seconds on the following:
1. First-time pass back with left foot.
2. First-time pass back with right foot.
3. Bouncing serve and a half-volley return with left foot.
4. Bouncing serve and a half-volley return with right foot.
5. Aerial serve and a volley return with left foot.
6. Aerial serve and a volley return with right foot.
7. Aerial serve and head the ball back.
When the sequence is complete, swap the players round.
Coaching notes: Players should work at speed but accuracy is also important.
- Make the game competitive by seeing which pair can get through the entire sequence without making a mistake.
For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.
Walking the dog
Walking the Dog is a great way to introduce ball control and dribbling to very young football players.
It also encourages the development of spatial awareness and soccer vision.
Even children as young as two or three will learn how to keep the ball close to them while running and I’ve used this game with children as “old” as 10!
Set up: Scatter lots of flat cones in two different colours in a large playing area. In this example, I’ve used green and white cones.
Every player has a ball.
How to play: Tell your players their ball is a dog.
Now ask them to give their dog a name. Have some fun with this! Who can think of the silliest name for a dog?
Now it’s time to take the “dogs” for a walk.
Tell your players the white cones are lamp posts and the green cones are trees.
To begin with, the dogs want to sniff every lamp post. This means players have to run with the ball and pause beside every white cone.
Then: “It’s raining! Get your dog under the ‘trees’!”
Now the players run with their ball to the green cones.
Variations:
- Dribble with both feet (or just their weaker foot).
- Who can get under a tree the quickest? You don’t want to get wet!
- Who can let their dogs sniff the most lamp posts in 20 seconds?
For more soccer coaching tips and products visit Soccer Coaching Club.