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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches
U6 and U8 Coaches Tips & Tricks The following are some ideas/tips that new coaches may find usefull.
What you will learn your first year of coaching FIRST AND FOREMOST: ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!
Make sure all parents are aware that nighttime temperatures can change quickly, so have warm cloths ready. Show up early, (15-20 min) to set up the nets and cones etc. This way you’re ready when the kids show up. I let the kids run around with a ball and play keep away and just have fun untill everyone shows up. If you see a player coming, kick a ball to them and have them run the ball to the field. This works well to get late players into the mode fast. At the first practice lay out the rules. Review these rules at the start of second and third practices as needed. a) NO HANDS at all during the practice. Use your feet to move the ball even when you’re bringing the ball back to the side or center etc. b) When you call ‘STOP’, or whatever key word you use, have everyone stop and place their foot on the ball and listen. Spending time trying to get the players to stop and listen cuts down on their practice time. If this is done first practice you will save a lot time and energy over the season. Introduce yourself to the parents as they show up, and have them Positively Encourage the kids from the side line by watching and not texting the whole game. Kids are proud of what they are doing and are constantly look over to their parents for support and approval of what they do. Parents coaching from the side can be counterproductive and confusing to the players., If you have a parent doing sideline coaching, wait until after the practice or game and POLITLY explain this to them how this effects the players and coaching staff. Do not do this in the presence of other parents. If a parent wants to actually help on the field, talk to the Soccer Director about adding them to the roster as an assistant. BE FUN, Kids want to have fun, laugh and play, the more this is incorporated in the practices and games the faster the kids will learn. Find drills and routines that have each kid with a ball on their foot as much as possible. Ball control can only be learned with a ball on your foot. Encourage parents to purchase the correct size soccer ball and practice with thier children as much as possible. Even walking down the street and back with their children dribbling the ball will greatly improve their skills. Encourage parents to rotate snack duties and only accept healthy snacks such as fruit. Or alternatively you could collect $10.00 from each parent at the start of the season and you can take charge of the snacks.
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches
Fundamentals Try to send 5-10 minutes working on fundamental skill at the start of each practice. These key skills focus on correct passing, dribbling, shooting, and shielding with your body.
Passing: Every practice have the players walk up the field and back dribbling the balls with the inside of their foot, left- right- left- right all the way up the field. This gets them used to using the right part of the foot. This is important because this is how most passing is done. A few minutes of passing back and forth with one partner is good, but not too long or they get bored.
Shooting the balls on net: You may want to try putting the kids in a semi-circle and taking turns shooting one at a time, followed by having the kids run as fast as they can to get their balls back and return to the line, (NO HANDS!). Ensure they kick the ball with the right part of the foot when shooting on net. See Images below. Also have chest over the ball and not leaning back, as leaning back cause the ball to go up and over the net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvGgalWhMA (Great Shooting Video).
Shielding:
This takes one- on- one teaching. Have your assistant coach run fun drills and games while teaching this to each player. The Technique: Have the ball on your feet and turn your back to the player and ask them to take the ball; Then, while looking over your shoulder, watch which way the player is coming and rotate to keep them always behind you. After demonstrating, I have them try it. This becomes huge in the game of sharks and minnows and they love the feeling that they control the ball. In the game this helps them learn how to approach defenders and how to defend attackers. *note there is a difference between ‘shielding’ and ‘Obstruction’. An ‘obstruction’ will yield a foul in later age groups. http://soccer.soccerhelp.com/tag/soccer-obstruction/ . Coaching Tips, 2016
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches Below is another great site to learn all about the soccer shoe and how to use advanced techniques: http://coachingamericansoccer.com/features/19-surfaces-of-the-soccer-shoe-new-fall-14/ .
Example Drills to Run Have each player with a ball and dribble the ball around trying to stay as far away from other players as possible. This teaches the players to spread out (in theory lol). After everyone is spread out and looking good I would call out the next move. You could choose one from the list below:
Have the players stop, then starting with the closest to farthest take a shot on net from where they are. After all shots have been taken, have the kids retrieve the balls and start dribbling again. This helps them realize you can shoot on net and you don’t need to run the ball in the net. This also ensures they are shooting with the proper spot of the foot. Have the players run as fast as they can with the ball to the net and to put the ball in the net. If one player is looking sluggish or not into the dribbling, call them out as a shark and with an energetic and speedy voice encourage them to attack the minnows. Have the players stop and one at a time pass their ball to either the coach or the assistant. Move around to make them pass it to you past other players as well as pass it to you when you’re moving slowly. This gets them to think of your future position.
More Drills (detailed instructions are provided below) Go Wide Set up: form two lines of players near the center of the field. (Separate the lines enough to discourage talking between the lines.) The coach and assistant are near the sides and will move along the lines shown. Drill: Have the players run on the outside of the coach and at the same time the coach will move along a straight line but does not interfere with the player or the ball. The coach only acts as a wall. Once around, the player is to run to the net and shoot. The player then returns to the back of the opposite line. When practicing this drill, you repeat “Go Wide” - this will help players quickly move to the outside of the field in a game when you call out “Go Wide”
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches Blind Aggression This drill is progressive and will take a few practices to get up to final stage. It may also be a bit complex for U6 until about half way through the season when dribbling and passing is starting to be muscle memory and not so much of a conscious thought. Setup: Have two players (forwards) stand on or near the edge of the center circle (or make a line) with their back to the coach and the assist. Drill Part 1: Have either the coach or the assistant role a ball past the two forwards, as soon as the players sees the ball they are to quickly decide who should get the ball, “Call it” and run to pick it up. Drill Part 2: Once the players start getting good with the first part, you can add one defending player. This player is to go for the person with the ball; meanwhile the forward who did not get the ball will get in an open position for a pass. The forward with the ball is to pass it to the forward that is open. The open player receiving the ball is to shoot to the net. Drill Part 3: Great! Now that the players have part 2 down, let’s add one more forward and one more defense so now its 3 on 2. The forward who picks up the ball will now be approached by the closest defense, the second defense is to pick up the closest forward to them, and this leaves the 3rd forward to get open for a pass. If needed, you can make this progressive by stopping the play just as the defense are reaching their targets and allow the forward with the ball to find and make a clear pass to the open forward.
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches Sharks and Minnows This drill focuses on the U6 and U8 players and their ability to dribble out of pressure. This drill can be used to focus on the players using their body to protect the ball by placing their body in between the ball and the defender.
Setup Build a grid approximately 20X25 yards this field should be adjusted based on the skill level and number of players participating. Each player should have a ball except for 2 sharks. Instructions The players with balls (the minnows) attempt to protect their ball from the two "Sharks". The Sharks attempt to gain possession and knock the minnows (ball) out of the grid. Once this happens, the minnow can run around the grid once and return to the game. Each minnow has two changes, and the last 2 minnows remaining become the sharks in the next round. Variations o Players only use left foot to dribble. o Players use outside of feet to dribble. o Players use sole of feet to dribble. Coaching Points o Keep the dribblers under control and not panicked once the sharks get near them. o Inform players to keep the ball close within playing distance.
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches Ouch! This drill should be used with younger players (U6 and U8) to introduce dribbling, looking up and properly striking the ball at a target. And best of all, it's FUN!
Setup Build a grid 20X30 (may adjust if too large or small). Every player must be in the grid with a ball. Instructions The coach jogs around in the grid and players try to kick their balls and hit the coach. The players get a point each time they hit the coach. The coach should yell OUCH each time they are hit to make the game FUN. Variations If the players are struggling to hit the coach, the coach should stop for a couple seconds to give the players a chance. Use different parts of the foot: Inside, Instep, Right and Left foot. Coaching Points Encourage players to get their head up and look for the coaches while dribbling. Make sure the players are striking the ball with the proper part of the foot.
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches KEEP YARD CLEAN
The object of the game is to keep your yard clear of soccer balls. Good drill for passing practice. The set up: Two 40x40 grids next to each other. The Game: Start with two equal teams, one in each grid. Each player has a ball to start the game. On the coach’s whistle, the players try to pass the ball from their yard into the opposing team’s yard. When the coach blows the whistle (3-5 mins), play stops the team with the least amount of balls in their yard wins. Coaching points: Tell the players what type of Game to play. Have each coach stand behind grids to keep balls in play. Variations Passing only- No Dead Space needed Kick hard and fast- Clear the yard. A dead space is needed Left foot only- Most team don’t need a dead space for this
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Tips and Techniques for EMSA North Coaches
References
Picture 1- http://trick27.blogspot.ca/2012/07/football-passing.html Picture 2- http://coachingamericansoccer.com Picture 3- https://mcphersonbloggers.wordpress.com/2013/11/22/how-to-strike-a-soccer-ball/ Picture 4- http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/soccer-drills/ball_control/how-to-stop-children-kicking-asoccer-ball-with-their-toe/ Sharks and Minnows- http://www.soccerxpert.com/soccerdrills/id1228.aspx Ouch- http://www.soccerxpert.com/soccerdrills/id1224.aspx Keep yard clean- http://www.coachingsoccer101.com/keepyardclean.htm
Other Ressources: http://www.soccerxpert.com/ http://www.coachingsoccer101.com/ http://coachingamericansoccer.com/ http://soccer.soccerhelp.com/ https://www.youtube.com/?hl=en&gl=CA (YouTube search can find lots of great stuff)
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