Preschool Soccer Drills

Preschool soccer parents may be competitive but the pint-sized players just want to have fun. Soccer involves running, kicking a ball and teamwork, and warming up for practice with games is the best way to develop the skills each element of soccer requires. Avoid an emphasis on winning and losing when preschool children take to the soccer field for the first time.

Cone Drill

Set up three cones just past midfield. Give the first player in line a ball. Have him touch the ball to the right of the first cone, the left of the second cone and the right of the third cone. Then have the player dribble straight back to the start of the line as fast as he can. When he gets back to the starting point, he should pass the ball to the first teammate in line. Make sure all players get a chance to do this drill twice before moving on to the next drill.

Passing Drill

Pair up the players on your team. Give the first group a ball and start them out about 25 yards from the goal. They should be standing about 15 feet apart from each other. On your signal, player A will pass the ball to player B and take off down the field. As player B receives the ball, she passes back to player A and starts running as well. The two players should pass the ball to each other at least three times each before player A takes a shot. Then the two players go back on line and when it's their turn, they switch roles, and player B takes the shot.

Spoke in the Wheel Drill

In this drill, all the players on the team form a circle about 20 feet in diameter. The coach selects one player to go in the middle. That player starts out with the ball. She passes the ball to one player in the circle, and that player delivers the ball back to her. She makes three more passes before the coach selects a new player to be the spoke in the wheel. Make sure all players get a chance to be in the middle. This teaches youngsters how to distribute the ball accurately.