How to Organize a U6 Soccer Practice
It can be difficult to coach younger players, the sort you find in U6 (under 6-years old) soccer. Their muscles are still developing and they don't grasp concepts as quickly as older players. The key to making practices effective is to make kids want to play and participate.
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Instructions
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1
Warm up. Ask you athletes to sit and stretch their legs and arms and do jumping jacks. Warming up helps to eliminate pulled muscles.
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2
Work on their dribbling skills by playing Red Light, Green Light. When you call "green light," the players dribble the ball toward you. When you call "red light," they stop and stand still. Another exercise is to let each player dribble the ball, weaving in and out between cones.
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3
Teach the kids how to protect the ball from the other team by playing a keep away game. Outline an area 60 feet by 75 feet with cones. Choose two players to take the ball away from the rest of the group. The group dribbles and passes the ball around, and the two players must snatch it away.
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4
Demonstrate a throw in. Have each player stand with a ball on the sideline. He should hold the ball with both hands and bring it behind his head. Instruct him to take a step forward and throw the ball onto the field with a good, bullet pass.
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5
Practice shooting the ball by having a contest to see who can kick the ball the hardest. Instruct players to kick the ball with the tops of their shoelace and their toes pointed down. Put a coach in the net and roll the ball toward a player. He should run forward and kick the ball into the net.
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6
Play Monkey in the Middle to teach passing and getting the ball away. The "monkey" player stands in the middle of a group and tries to get the ball while the other members pass it to one another.
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Tips & Warnings
Remember that these players are young and practices should be fun and engaging. If the players are bored or if you make practice too difficult, they're going to lose interest in the sport.
These kids are only U6 players, so remember to keep the drills age appropriate.
