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Are You Prepared to Coach????
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Are you a new coach? Did someone rope you into coaching your kid's team for the first time??? Here is just some questions to get you prepared to coach a soccer team.
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What should you expect after one year of training???
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This is a smart guideline for a coach of a young team, what your reasonable expectations should be after one full year of training.
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Ages 6-8
Soccer at this age should be all about having fun with the ball and encouraging the players to want to have the ball at their feet. Much of the training should be concentrated on the player and the ball. The numbers should still be one and two players to a ball.
For the 5, 6, 7- and 8- year-old age groups, the training activities should only be seen as another fun activity that happens to include a soccer ball. Each player needs to want the ball, must learn how to find the ball, deal with the ball, feel more comfortable with the ball, and keep the ball close to them. The ball should become the player’s best friend! Most of the information from us, the coaches, during these times will pertain to each player’s individual relationship with the soccer ball, but you should start the introduction of field positions and passing at this time. With an early foundation of passing techniques during practice, the passes will eventually come in a game time situation.
At this age, you should be working on:
Session 1 Dribbling – Ball Control
Session 2 Dribbling – Change of Speed
Session 3 Dribbling – Change of Direction
Session 4 Dribbling – Use of both feet
Session 5 Dribbling – Turning
Session 6 Dribbling – Change of Speed #2
Session 7 Dribbling – Ball Control #2
Session 8 Passing – Introduction to Passing
You can find videos on most of these on other pages.
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Ages 9-10
Soccer for this age is a fun activity for the kids that encourages a lot of games to goals and encourages experimentation with the ball. The ratio of balls to players should be small enough that all your players are involved all the time. The focus is on developing a relationship with the ball in a joyful environment. There should be no standings and no awards.
For the 9- and 10- year-old age groups, there are some players that are becoming more physically mature. This is the age where speed and size can make a player standout; however, we as coaches must encourage our players to use ball skill to get past opponents, especially in tight spaces. Repetition of exercises and activities will be vital in the development of your players.
Building comfort with the ball at ages 9 and 10 will provide your players with a variety of crucial skills they will need as they get older. At this age it is important to introduce decision making and movement within the game, as it relates to teammates and opponents. Skill development should continue to be our number one objective at his age, however passing should become very important to the team concept. Feel free to add more players to activities and games, while keeping the emphasis on 1 v 1, 2 v 1 and 2 v 2 battles created all over the field. Play, as both fun and as competition, is paramount. The more opportunities for each player to have experience with the ball, in fun games that allow them to go to goal, the better it will be for that player.
At this age, you should be workng on:
Session 1 Attacking 1 v 1 Take on Moves
Session 2 Dribbling – Control Dribbling
Session 3 Individual Defending
Session 4 Attacking Small Group Concept (2 attackers)
Session 5 Passing
Session 6 Dribbling – Control Dribbling
Session 7 Attacking 2 v 2
Session 8 Defending 2 v 2
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Ages 11-12
For the 11- and 12- year-old age groups, the themes addressed in practice should be developed and expanded on from those that they dealt with at the U-10 level. Repetition is the key to player development. Each practice should address individual ball skill as well as individual and small group decisions, in the attack and when defending.
As a coach of 11 and 12 year olds we are responsible for encouraging our players to develop an attitude of attacking and creative soccer. At this age all players should be encouraged to see their own role in the attack and the defense. Basic combination play will be introduced at this age group but the main focus will be the ability for the players to understand 2 v 2 defending and attacking and the roles each player plays. A coach will also introduce 3 v 3 situations as a season progresses to paint the big picture on the field. Keep in mind that skill development is still very important for this age group, as well as team play.
At this age, you should be working on:
Session 1 Attacking 2 v 1
Session 2 Attacking 2 v 2
Session 3 Dribbling – Change of Direction
Session 4 Defending 2 v 1
Session 5 Defending 2 v 2
Session 6 Introduction of 3 v 3
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Ages 13-14
Soccer for this age should still be fun but there is much more focus on the priority to develop a team's ability to maintain possession of the ball. It is critical that we teach our players to KEEP the ball and not give it away. The focus will continue be on the development of individual skills, individual and small group tactics. Possession will be a key component to all your training activities. How to keep it? How to get it back?
For the 13- and 14- year-old age groups, the themes addressed in all practice should include the development of individual skill to be centered around individual challenges and competitions. Our players should have already developed some understanding of combination play with the focus on support, takeovers and wall passes. Individual and small group defending should be done frequently to refresh your teams' ability to defend in 1 v 1, 2 v 2 and 3 v 3 situations. In these training situation the player's should develop an understanding of delay, tracking an opponent, depth and balance.
As a coach of 13 and 14 year olds we are still responsible for encouraging our players to develop an attitude of attacking and creative soccer. At training sessions we should start to introduce functional play, team play and set plays. However, our main focus as a coach is to have all training activities be challenging, motivating and game-like, that involve transition
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