U4 - Week 1

This is our first week, and the emphasis will be on getting to know your players, getting them moving, and just having fun! Do as many of these drills as you like, or tweak them in any way you think will work.

As your team shows up give them a ball and have them play pass with each other, or with a parent.

Set up your grid with cones (roughly 15 yards by 15 yards should be good (to measure out a yard just take a big step, that will be roughly a yard), feel free to make it larger or smaller if you need.

When you change to a new drill, send the team for a REALLY quick water break (30 seconds) or have them working on their juggling, passing between each other, or be creative in how to keep them occupied. If you give them time to goof off, they will do just that and you will struggle to get their attention back.

Once they are all there, ask them some questions:

• Has anyone ever played soccer before?
• Does anyone know how to play soccer?
• Do you use your hands?
• How do you score points?
• Do you throw the ball into the goal?

This gets them thinking and involved in what you are talking about. Let them know that you only use your feet; that you kick the ball, and that you dribble the ball with your feet to get it from one end of the field to the other and that the object of the game is to score goals.

Get the players to warm-up with their ball.

• Toe-taps - Place the bottom of their foot on top of the ball and alternate feet doing this faster and faster.
• Tick-Tock - Place the ball between their feet and have them knock the ball back and forth between their feet. THEY WILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH THIS….IT’S OKAY. LET THEM KNOW THAT IT IS HARD AND SHOW THEM YOU HAVE TROUBLE TOO!
• Run in place.
• Jump up and down and act silly.

The idea here is to get them going a little bit and get used to “getting ready” to practice. If you do the same warm-up exercise every week the players will actually start the warm-ups themselves when you call them over to start warming up. Have them touch their toes and stretch up to the sky as far as they can. Stretching at this age is not recommended other than the token stretches above

Define the Area

Run around the outside of the playing field (encourage players to dribble their balls if they like ) to remind players that there is a boundary to the soccer field and that we want to try to keep the balls inside this area during a game. Analogy can be that the ball is their pet and the field is its home and we want to keep it inside it, outside the cones is a lava field and we don't want the ball to melt in the lava, or something like this! Let them kick the ball in your net at the end and talk about scoring.

Walking the Dog

Set up: Scatter lots of cones in two different colours (if you have them, if not a single colour is fine) in a large playing area. In this example, I’ve used orange and yellow 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 orange cones are lamp posts and the yellow 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 orange cone.

Then: “It’s raining! Get your dog under the ‘trees’!” Now the players run with their ball to the yellow cones.

If you only have 1 colour of cone keep changing what the cone is each time. Have fun with it, make it as whacky as you can!

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?

Soccer Islands

In your grid, make “islands” in each corner by using cones to mark out the “island” and make one circular island in the middle. Have the players start in the middle island, and number the 4 corner island 1-4, or give them names. Call out a number (or name) and have the kids run there. Once they get there, have them do a certain skill (toe taps, tic-tock, jump up as high as they can, lay down flat and get back up again, yell as loud as they can, etc… be creative. This is all about getting them to move).

U4 - Week 2

Hey Coaches! Our first week went great, and kids seemed to have fun! Every week our goal is to have fun, and to encourage our players. The more fun they have, the more they will learn -even if that’s just how to run around within a square, or kick a ball to their friend. These are the building blocks of strong players.

As your team shows up give them a ball and have them play pass with each other, or with a parent.

When you change to a new drill, send the team for a REALLY quick water break (30 seconds) or have them working on their juggling, passing between each other, or be creative in how to keep them occupied. If you give them time to goof off, they will do just that and you will struggle to get their attention back.

Get the players to warm-up with their ball.

• Toe-taps - Place the bottom of their foot on top of the ball and alternate feet doing this faster and faster.
• Tick-Tock - Place the ball between their feet and have them knock the ball back and forth between their feet. THEY WILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH THIS….IT’S OKAY. LET THEM KNOW THAT IT IS HARD AND SHOW THEM YOU HAVE TROUBLE TOO!
• Run in place.
• Jump up and down and act silly.

The idea here is to get them going a little bit and get used to “getting ready” to practice. If you do the same warm-up exercise every week the players will actually start the warm-ups themselves when you call them over to start warming up. Have them touch their toes and stretch up to the sky as far as they can. Stretching at this age is not recommended other than the token stretches above.

Coach Says

Played like Simon Says. Anything that gets those little guys moving goes. Use the whole body. Start without soccer balls for movement and stretches. Jog around the area, one foot hopping on each foot, high knees, skipping, kick your butt, etc. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsCLLgkQgNc

Steal the Bacon

In your grid, place the balls in the middle in a straight line. Spit your team into 2 groups and have them line up on either end. When you say “GO” the goal is to run to the middle, and get a ball. Start with having them pick the balls up with their hands and carry the ball back to their end. Once they get the hang of it, get them to DRIBBLE the ball back to their end, once all the balls are at both ends, the game is over.

• Change things up by having the players start with laying down, and getting up when you say go or sitting facing the opposite direction. This will work on their coordination and ability to get up quickly.
• Another way to change it up is to number the players (1 to ?) and call out numbers, I suggest calling out 2 numbers at a time. Only these number can go and get a ball. Once each number has gotten a ball, call out another number. Keep going until all balls are gone

Superheroes

Have all players move around by dribbling in the grid. When you shout different superhero names, there are different things to do for each. Start simple with only one or two, and add as you go. Feel free to add some new superhero moves to this if you want too!

• "Superman" = everyone dives on the ball and lies with it under the chest with arms out like Superman
• "Batman" = put foot on the ball and pretend to fly
• "Spiderman" = put foot on the ball and pretend to shoot webs
• "Hulk" = pick up the ball and squeeze it and roar like the Hulk!

(Don't forget to demonstrate what these all look like!)

U4 - Week 3

Hey Coaches! It has been great seeing you interacting with the players. Remember, they always LOVE it when you join in and have fun with them! Always encourage them and help them out. Here are a few more ideas for this week.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Ball

This is a simple but hopefully fun one! Start with ever player having a ball at their feet standing in a circle around you. As you call out a body part, they have to put that body part on the ball. For example, you say “ear” and they have to get down and put their ear on the ball.

As they get better at it, speed it up. Only give them a few seconds to touch the ball, then call out another one. To change it up even more, you can have them running around dribbling the ball and when you call out the body part they have to touch that body part to the ball.

Crocs and Swamps

Make a line of cones heading towards the net. Players need to pass to each other and not hit the crocs (cones) and then shoot on net. Have the kids work on passing around/past the crocs/cones and shooting on goal. Count how many times you score!

Don't Crash The Car

Red Light, Green Light made fun....check out all the variations! You may want to stick with the basics, but if you have a keen crew I would try some of the additions.

http://www.freeyouthsoccerdrills.com/youth-football-drills.html

INDY 500

Create an oval-shaped "racetrack" with your cones.

Players start from “Pit Row”. Player starts by exiting the pits and dribbling the ball in a clockwise direction around the track. If the ball exits the track they must make 3 toe taps on the ball to restart the engine. Encourage players to make “Vroom! Vroom!” car sounds while driving!

Easier – run the track first with no balls.

Easier – players carry ball in hands and run around track

Harder – Switch directions and have drivers go counter-clockwise.

Harder – Change direction before completing circuit on coach’s command

U4 - Week 4

Hey Coaches! Great job last week! We just want to encourage you that we are here to have fun, to be crazy, and to encourage our players. The more we interact with them, the more fun they have, and the more likely they are to continue to play soccer. Be loud, celebrate every goal and every good pass. The kids love it! At this young age a lot of what we are doing is running around and teaching them how to move, how to fall down and get up, and the simply movements of playing soccer (dribbling, kicking, and passing). As I am sure you have noticed the kids are happy with running around in circles and at times it can be hard to motivate them. Be their friend, chat with them, and try to find ways you can encourage them to join in the drill.

Don't Crash The Car

Red Light, Green Light made fun....check out all the variations! You may want to stick with the basics, but if you have a keen crew I would try some of the additions.

http://www.freeyouthsoccerdrills.com/youth-football-drills.html

Soccer Bowling

Partner players together or have children work with their parent. Set up a ball on top of a disc cone, one for each pair. Players are taking turns back and forth, trying to knock the ball of the cone by shooting their ball at it. Appoint a parent or two to help place the balls back on top of the cone when it is knocked off. The video is slightly different and they have used it as a passing activity, but can also become a shooting activity. Do a quick demo of proper shooting technique, pointing out which part of your foot players should strike the ball with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKGyrJGmJNk

Nuts And Squirrels

In your grid, use your pop-up nets or cones to make "hoarding areas/trees" in the corners of the grid.

Place all of the soccer balls (nuts) in the middle of the grid.

Divide players up equally to become the "squirrels", and start in the hoarding area.

Taking turns, players are trying to get as many "nuts" as they can from the centre of the grid when you shout "Go!"

When there are no balls left in the middle, coach yells "steal" or (something else appropriate) and then they may try and steal nuts from the other hoarding areas. No defending the nuts!

Start with having the players carry the ball back to their hoarding area. After they understand the game, progress to dribbling the ball back and stopping it in the hoop.

Feel free to also go and take the “nuts” out of the nets and kick them back towards to middle to keep the game going.

U4 - Week 5

Vegetable Soccer

This is one to keep the kids from using their hands, and also to work on dribbling the ball. Start by simply have the players dribble around your area. See who can take the most touches, or who is the fastest. Remind them that there is a set area that they are supposed to be in (this is something we can always be reminding them of).

For each Vegetable, we will be that vegetable and dribble the ball while acting as the vegetable. Encourage them to alway be moving and kicking the ball ahead in front of them.

• Carrot - Arms held on our side nice and tight. Think of a carrot, they are tall and straight.
• Asparagus - Arms held above our heads with fingers interlaced (holding our hands together). Arms should make a pointed triangle above our heads (just like the top of asparagus)
• Tomato - Make a big circle above your head
• Lettuce - Hold arms up and straight out making a V. Your arms are the lettuce leaf
• Watermelon (Did you know watermelon is actually both a fruit and a vegetable!?) - Make a big circle in front of you with fingers interlaced again

Get creative? What other vegetables can you think of? Be as crazy as possible!

Animal Soccer

Have your players choose an animal (change animals as you go). Get the kids of come up with them. Try and get them to think of some animals to act as. A Bird is a great example as they don’t have arms. If you are a bird, dribble the ball while flapping your wings (and make bird noises). If you’re a skunk walk on your hands and feet with butt in the air. Go find a cone and “spray” it. Again, be creative.

Some other ideas: Penguin (do the Penguin Waddle), Elephant (use arm as the elephant's trunk and make noises), snake (lay down and slither (or roll) around while pushing the ball), Crocodile (put arms out in front of you and slap your arms together as if your arms are the crocs mouth).

The Wandering Wonder Net

Make sure everyone has a ball. Start with the net in one place, and have everyone shoot their ball into it. After everyone as scored, pick the net up and start walking around with it. Have your players shoot at the net while it’s moving. To start move it and then place it on the ground and let them score. Make it harder as they get better.

Treasure Hunt

Take your cones and scatter them around your area. This is the “treasure.” Take one (or both) of the nets and put them in the middle. This will be the “treasure chest.” Tell your players that you lost all of your treasure and you really want it back. Their job is to run around and pick up all of the “treasure” and get it back into the treasure chest. Once they have done it, scatter the cones again, and then scatter the balls. The balls are really special treasure and you want to make sure you don’t lose anything!

Treasure Hunt with Pirates!

Oh No! The Pirates heard about all of this lost treasure! They are coming to take it all for themselves! The treasure isn’t safe unless it’s in the treasure chest. Have yourself or parents act as the pirates. Have fun, speak like a pirate, be a pirate. Kids love it when we act silly!

Balls in the bag

This is really just a way to clean up before the game, but we might as well have fun! Make sure everyone has a ball, and hold your ball bag open on the ground. Have them shoot their ball into the bag. Once all the balls are in, say something like, “what’s that? Oh no! There’s a hole in the bag!” and dumb all the balls out. Do it again, but maybe move the bag a little, or have them stand further back.