This is a guideline for all U-5, U-7, and U-8 coaches to follow. Please take the time to develop a training session that will give the players maximum touches on the ball while still letting them have fun.

Coaches should use the following information for training plans.

The guideline for conducting any one day's session is simple:  KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Let there be ONE theme, or focus, for the day and for the week.  U5 and U6 coaches typically have 30 minutes per week to teach a fundamental skill and to re-in force fundamental skills covered during prior weeks. U7 and U8 coaches may have a practice session during the week to introduce or re-inforce fundamental skills.  Since it is the parent coaches' role to foster ball skill mastery for this age group, Saturday and midweek sessions are precious for enabling every player 1,000's of touches on the ball. There's no time for complex instructions, no time for "laps, lines or lectures." There's only time for the children to play.  While your team is engaged in continuous activities guided by you,  there are opportunities to:

Young players will learn from warm-ups (always with the ball) and from your showing a specific technical skill.  Then, pace your team through a series of games or activities that start with a FUNDAMENTAL skill (players practice the skill, with their own ball, in unrestricted space).  Next, progress with movement and perhaps some parental defense in restricted space, generating a GAME RELATED experience.  Finally, add a goal to add the dimension of "direction," as well as a second goal to replicate GAME CONDITIONS.  During each step of the progression (which you pace and manage), player participation, effort, learning and fitness around one specific skill is enhanced, culminating in a small-sided game involving going goal-to-goal.  That's it, coach!

One skill focus per week.  One skill re-inforce during your weekly goal-to-goal game.  One do-able accomplishment for your players.  One success at a time. Simple.

The set-up of each activity (in words, demonstration, and action) take no more than 10 to 20 seconds!  Love those 3 L's!

Below are some basic session plan suggestions. Use and arrange these plans to your liking, provided your weekly plans are organized around principles summarized above (1-one skill, 2-continuous activity by your players, 3-a learning progression, 4-a small sided game where the skill is emphasized). You can, and are encouraged to, make up your own session plans using licensing course materials, your own experience or any other soccer sources. As the Director Of Coaches advocates: note your plans on a 3 x 5 card and keep 'em on file. Share successful plans with others.  Borrow, beg and steal from others.  The children will benefit from your creativity.

Qualified members of AIYSA will offer session observations, followed by helpful hints, recommendations and, as needed, corrections for parent coaches.  The whole idea is to learn by doing, and to enhance our teaching skills going forward

UNDER 5 (Most activities require one ball per player)

This age group has one Saturday session lasting about 1 hour 15 minutes. The session includes warm-ups with the ball (ball gymnastics), a specific skill-of-the-week session followed by a 3v3 game.  Typically, a qualified coach provides leadership with skill-of-the-week learning to model youth coaching for parents new to the concept. Team coaches manage overall player participation and games.  There are opportunities for parents to participate in their child's learning every week in that they can serve as partners, act as various kinds of "goals" or "targets" or be the primary resource and comfort for the 4-year-old.

At the conclusion of the season, players in the U5 age group are expected to be able to demonstrate fundamental soccer specific ball skills.  Player knowledge about soccer skills which will enable them to learn continuously and with confidence as they play with the ball and play soccer games with friends. Keen interest in the soccer ball continues to generate a healthy "swarming effect" around the the object as each player seeks to satisfy a personal need to "have the ball and keep it."

U-6/U-8 SOCCER: KICKING IS NOT A SOCCER SKILL
By: Jacob Daniel,  Ga. State Soccer Assoc.  Director of Coaching 

By far the most important skill for beginners is the skill of dribbling. Young players need to learn to dribble within a variety of playing situations, such as dribbling forward unopposed, changing speed and direction, shielding the ball from opponents, dribbling past an opponent, and using dribbling to get away from pressure. The ability to dribble is absolutely critical since dribbling is the foundation and preparation for the other fundamental skills of soccer, such as controlling, passing and shooting. When players are receiving the ball and making the preparation touches prior to passing or shooting, they are essentially engaged in a mini-dribble. A limited ability to dribble leads to a limited range of passing or shooting. The ability to dribble also helps maintain possession of the ball. It’s not unusual for players to find themselves in a game situation where dribbling is the only viable option to get out of tight pressure and maintain possession. 

Aside from the fact that dribbling forms the foundation for all the other skills, there are many other reasons why we need to focus on dribbling at U-6/U-8. First of all, it takes years to become a comfortable and confident dribbler. Players have to learn to combine body control, agility, coordination and balance with the mechanics of dribbling and the sooner they start, the better. Secondly, the process of learning to dribble involves trial and error. At first, the players’ rudimentary attempts at dribbling will often result in failure as they discover the contrast between a soft touch and a hard touch on the ball. The players will slowly develop a ‘feel’ for the ball as they experiment at controlling and propelling it. Young players don’t get easily discouraged if they fail. Players of this age do not possess the analytical thought process to look back or think ahead. They live for the moment, in the here and now, and the fact that the last time they tried to dribble it didn’t work will not even enter their minds. But if we wait for the players to mature before we emphasize dribbling, many of them will lose their confidence if they do not succeed and will become reluctant to dribble. Thirdly, In 3v3 and 4v4 play, the fields are so small that dribbling is always an option since the ball is always just a few yards away from shooting range. Once the game moves to the larger-sized fields, dribbling becomes less effective on it’s own and must be combined with passing to get the ball from point A to point B. And lastly, it’s better to go through the process of trial and error when game results are not important and standings are not kept. At the U-10 and older ages, game results assume more importance, making it hard for the parents and coaches to show patience and tolerance for mistakes, and putting added pressure on players to ‘get rid of the ball’ rather than risk losing it. Once games become competitive, the resultant environment is not ideal to start learning how to dribble. 

Most parent coaches reading this section will probably agree that dribbling should be a priority. The challenge is to find a way to implement this priority into the real life dynamics of your typical U-6/U-8 program. How can the clubs do it? 

As mentioned in the previous section, most coaches and parents of beginner players unknowingly emphasize the wrong skills. In typical U-6/U-8 club play, the players are encouraged by both the parents on the sidelines and the coaches to ‘boot’ the ball up the field. Shouts of "get rid of it!" and "kick it!" are all too common. The further forward a player kicks, they louder the cheers. Players are so indoctrinated to ‘kick it forward’ that very few of them dare to get out of pressure by dribbling. The reality is that players are controlled like puppets by the adults to such an extent that they are not thinking for themselves, and are afraid to do anything but kick the ball. Even throw-ins are routinely thrown straight to the other team by confused players who are conditioned to play the ball forward, no matter what. The kick-offs are no better, with players kicking the ball straight to the other team, American football style. Players, who clearly have plenty of time on the ball with no pressure anywhere near, are still kicking it forward without any thought or skill. And this type of mindless play is usually not corrected by the parent coaches and is allowed to occur time and again. 

What the coaches must do is encourage the players to dribble, dribble and dribble. Their first touch must be a soft one. There should be very little coaching done by the coaches, just the occasional reminder to "dribble" and, when close enough to goal, to "shoot". The shout to "kick it" should never be hollered by the adults. Dribbling out of pressure should be the emphasis for these age groups. Results don’t count and ‘booting it’ should not be an option. The players must be allowed to be creative, and to solve the problems of pressure and space by themselves, using dribbling techniques. Passing is an impossible technique to master for players who cannot dribble. The better players, once they learn to dribble out of tight areas, will be able to create space for themselves with the dribble and will then start to look up and pass the ball. But that will come by itself. Success at the U-6/U-8 ages is measured by how many times a player can dribble past opponents since game results are not important. 

The coaches’ approach to the pre-game warm-up should also change. No more the traditional line drills where the coach serves one ball at a time to a line of players who shoot on goal. Instead, the players should all have a ball each and dribble inside their half, using fun types of dribbling activities, to prepare them for the game. The club DOC can prepare a sheet of pre-game warm-up activities that every team must do prior to kick-off. 

To summarize, if we want our players to fully master the art of dribbling, the following conditions must exist: a) they must start learning to dribble early; b) we must provide ample opportunities for dribbling in practices and games, and c) we must create the right game environment where players are not afraid to dribble.

The following guidelines are recommended for the skill priorities at the U-6/U-8 ages:
           
Age Group Skill Priorities

U-6 Dribble out of trouble

Soft first touch

No kicking allowed except when shooting on goal

U-8 Dribble out of trouble

Soft first touch

No kicking allowed except when shooting on goal

Coaches need to reduce the number of unnecessary stoppages in play. For example, there is no need to stop and correct every time a throw-in is not done properly. For some reason, parent coaches have a fixation on teaching players how to take a throw-in. There is absolutely no reason on earth for U-6/U-8’s to rehearse throw-ins in practices or games. Why is it so important for the players to do proper throw-ins at U-6/U-8? All the players will eventually learn the throw-in technique over time by themselves. It’s like walking. We don’t teach toddlers to walk - they learn it instinctively by trying and falling. The players will learn to take a throw-in in time without the need for us to stop games and teach it. Every minute of the game should be spent playing, with as little interruption as possible. 

Parents’ Role

The parents must understand the skill priorities and embrace the program structure, if it is to succeed. Clubs should prepare a handout that deals specifically with the U-6/U-8 priorities. The handout should include the rationale behind the priorities and explain to the parents how they are expected to behave on the sidelines. As mentioned before, we feel that the clubs need to be firm and clear about their expectations of the parent’s behavior. The handout should clearly state what is and isn’t allowed on the sideline, and use the field marshals to monitor and enforce these rules.  

One of the main problems with parents at games is that they sit too close to the field. Their proximity to the players gives them too much of a presence which, in turn, impacts the players’ behavior, response and performance. It’s very hard for parents to resist shouting instructions to the players because beginner players are visibly unsure of themselves and naturally make a lot of mistakes. Children aged 4 to 8 are naturally dependent on their parents for many of their daily needs. This dependency spills over into youth sports, manifesting as parental coaching from the sidelines. The players themselves will tend to look to their parents for help since they are conditioned to be dependent on them. Therefore, another important objective of the U-6/U-8 programs should be to wean the players out of their dependency on their parents’ help during games. This is so very crucial for the development of soccer players. We all know that soccer is a players’ game, meaning that it’s the players who must make the decisions on the field. In soccer, coaches have a lot less influence and power during games than in some of the other traditional American sports. Soccer players must learn to think for themselves, and the sooner they learn to stand on their own feet, the better. Since results do not matter at these age groups, no one should be overly concerned if players make mistakes that lead to goals. Parents and coaches must resist the urge to tell their players what to do. The following guidelines are recommended for U-6/U-8 game set-up: 

 

5. All this information should be conveyed to the parents in a meeting and using a handout.

   A sample handout for this purpose is included in the section on dealing and educating the parents.
   
   

UNDER 6 (Most activities require one ball per player)

This age group has one Saturday session lasting about 1 hour 15 minutes. The session includes warm-ups with the ball (ball gymnastics), a specific skill-of-the-week session followed by a 3v3 game.  Coaches introduce new  players, and re-introduce for returning players, a skill per week. The warm-up (ball gymnastics and mini-games) takes about 10 minutes, followed by a skill session taught in the "progression method" culminating in a "going to
goal" scenario. A small-sided 3v3 game follows to finish off the session with the game everyone loves. Can you start the 3v3 game in less than, say, 30 seconds? Try it!

At the conclusion of the season, players in the U6 age group are expected to be able to demonstrate repeatable soccer specific ball skills (for example, consecutive juggles alone and in pairs, maintaining possession on the dribble with evasion, break-away and shielding skills, confident passing and shooting motions scoring on a goal).  Confidence with ball skills will enable U6 players to develop creativity and strength as they practice individual skills with the ball and play soccer games with friends. Keen interest in the ball drives the need for perpetual and sole possession of it --- good enough reason to permit the child unfettered access for skill practice and neighborhood games.

 UNDER 7 and UNDER 8 (Skill activities require one ball for every two players)

These age groups have a Saturday 4v4 game and a mid-week training session lasting about 1 hour or so. The training session includes warm-ups with the ball (ball gymnastics), a specific skill-of-the-week augmented with a simple tactic (such as 3v0, 3v1) followed by a small-sided practice game.  Coaches introduce new  players, and re-introduce for returning players, a skill per week using any combination of skills taught in prior sessions to vary the routine and encourage on-going ball mastery. Warm-ups (ball gymnastics and mini-games) take about 5 minutes, followed by a skill session taught in the "progression method" ending with a goal-to-goal game-like scenario. The small-sided game (set up in an instant) follows and wraps up the practice session.

At the conclusion of the U7 and U8 seasons, players with a season or two of experience (encompassing thousands and thousands of touches on the ball in game-like situations) are expected to demonstrate ball mastery "at speed."  Young players should be able to receive, dribble, pass and shoot the ball skillfully as they approach an age of soccer "tactical awareness."  Individual mastery allows each player to create new and freshly minted, golden opportunities to break away from the crowd, to steal the ball away from others, to possess against all odds and to score like never before.

The purpose of a pre-game team warm-up for the Saturday game is to (1) get players into a game frame of mind and performing at "game speed" while (2) allowing the goalkeeper to get ready to perform with confidence.  Since the game of soccer is all motion, it only makes sense to extend the "no lines no laps no lectures" rule to pre-game activities.  As the coach, create pre-game activities, like mini-keep-always, to get the team ready for match play. Have your players develop a thirst for a goal by playing a game that finishes with a goal just before the match starts.  Reward your defenders on take-a-ways as you warm them up to the opposition. As a result of game-like pre-game conditioning for your team, you won't have to wait until "half-time" before your everybody wakes up!

What about the goal-keeper? Follow this simple rule: give your goal-keeper many many touches on the ball prior to the game or prior to the second half (body behind the ball for service:  rolled ball, bounced ball, air ball, slow-medium-fast pace in progression) such that the youngster feels absolutely certain of his/her skill and is confident of success.  Every ball you serve should be challenging, yet stoppable. Your keeper will enjoy the warm-up hoping the game will be at least as exciting!

The session guidelines presented here are just  a start.  We know we can do more.  We know we can do better.  We know you want and need support.  Use the information and try to make it work for you. 

This is a guideline for all coaches to follow. Please take the time to develop a training session that will give the players maximum touches on the ball while still letting them have fun.