Tips for Coaching Youth Soccer

	Remember, at this age, all the Players and Coaches should have FUN! As a coach you want  your players to come back and play the next season!
	Be Ready & Organized - Have your practices mapped out so you will be able to go right into the next activity without making it up on the fly
	Have a Plan, but be flexible enough to change the plan if it's not working. Some activities will work and some will not. Have a few extra activities ready, just in case you may need them
	Seek out Volunteers (Parents). The More the Better!
	If the Players do not understand; YOU are explaining it wrong! Try explaining it another way
	Keep the players and the activities constantly moving. When young players are standing around, they will get disinterested and lose their focus
	Do Not Overwhelm your Players with complicated activities. Break Down concepts/activities into SMALL manageable activities. Young minds can only process small amounts of information
	Remember: Keep Your Sense of Humor and Your Sanity

It's Only a Game!

Each player has their own ball

Layout an area with cones that the children must stay within
Note: Make sure the area is appropriate for the amount of players you have - not to big or to small

Players stand side by side facing towards the coach

When the coach say's "GO" he/she runs away from the players (slowly and staying within the coned area) while the players dribble the ball at their feet while chasing after the coach and shooting to "Hit the Coach"
NOTE: If you have an assistant coach or other parents to help break up into teams of 4-6 players

Coach: Tell the players that if they hit you 5 times you will stop the game & make the sound of their favorite animal (i.e. Dog, Cat, Lion, Elephant, etc) they pick the animal. Then start the game over

If they are having a hard time hitting you as a coach slow down or reduce the amount of hits on the coach to 3 instead of 5

Total time for this game should last no more then 5 minutes

4 versus 1 with passing to the striker (U10 and up)

Organization

	4 versus 1 in a square
	When the ball has been passed around 5 times, pass to the striker
	The striker wall passes and the upcoming player may score
	When the middle player intercepts he may score on the empty goal
	Older players: 5 versus 2 or 4 versus 2 with a defender guarding the striker

Coaching

	The striker has to be available for a pass
	Quickly joining the attack when finishing on goal

	Have them hold a ball in their hands high over their heads, bounce it down to the ground and then catch it waist high. The catch should emphasize the classic W shape, thumbs together, other four fingers angled out at 45 degrees
	Keepers should be moving around and changing directions during this activitie
	Don't let them just drop the ball and catch it. Emphasize the over the head throw down towards the ground

A progression of this activitie is to have them walk around, bounce the ball, lift their leg over the ball and re-catch it always emphasizing the W catch. Do it ten times with the right leg, then ten times with the left, then alternate legs. A second progression of this warm-up is to have them hammer the ball out of their left hand with their right hand and then re-catch it with the W. This is tougher because the keeper must quickly position their hands after releasing the ball