I contacted my local youth soccer league to inquire about becomming an assistant soccer coach. They have a U4 team and since my daughter fits into that age group they said I can be an assistant coach there. However, it now seems that there are not enough coaches and I have been asked to coach that team. I have never coached before. I know that at that age group it is important they have fun and that they just run with the ball. They are WAY too young to pass or do anything "team" oriented. Does anyone have any experience coaching kids this young? Do you have any fun game ideas or fun practice ideas to keep kids interested in the game and practices? I mean am I supposed to show up to practice and just have the kids kick the ball back and forth and chase eachother? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I would be surprised if anyone did. Creating an organized U4 soccer team is about the dumbest idea I have ever heard of.
I'll babble about this for a bit. There are two main things you can do: do some movement education, and play soccer-like games. Movement Education ... Basically, this is a way to expose children to athletic movements and introductory balance. You can play little games like "Simon Says", "Goal Celebration!" or "Follow the Leader" and ask the kids to do different things that challenge their balance, agility and coordination (ex: stand on one foot, hop on one foot, skip, bound, roll on the ground, etc.). It's important that kids are exposed to this stuff at an early age. It doesn't have much to do with soccer, but it's great for the kids anyway. Soccer-Like Games ... You can get Soccer Coaching Made Easy by Tom Goodman, and you can download the USSF Best Practices handbook from ussoccer.com. ... But, all that is even more in-depth than you'll need to go. Try to play really simple games with a soccer ball: Tag, Pac-Man, Follow the Leader, Tag games with "safe zones" are great, "Pretending" games are even better - superheros, animals, etc. Ultimately, HAVE FUN. Don't just make sure the kids have fun but have fun yourself. I coach all sorts of serious stuff like Premier, ODP, or Varsity HS, but when I coach little kids, I take pleasure in acting like a kid as well. U-Littles is not about "soccer" like adults know it. It is just playing with kids, and a soccer ball. They could play catch - with their hands - all season, and they won't be any worse off than any other kid. But, if they had fun... they will come back. Side note: When I play with my 3.5yr old daughter, I stand with my legs apart like a goal and tell her to shoot the ball through. If she makes it through, we proceed to run around the living room screaming goal, pretending to be an airplane, choo-choo train, or doing somersaults. That's about it. :shrug: But, she loves soccer - b.c that's what she thinks it is and it is fun.
Hey there, Sunshine! There are many house leagues that have these - all over. And, yea, it's dumb. But, it's out there. Personally, I think the living room / backyard of the home is the best place for a 4yo to play. But... that's just me.
These Movement Education and Soccer-Like Games, are they explained and drawn out in Tom Goodman's "Soccer Coaching Made Easy"? On another thread the books "The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Soccer" and "The Baffled Parent's Guide to Great Soccer Drills" were also recommended. If anyone has any experience with these books, can they tell me which one may have games or fun activities that can be played with kids ages 4-5?
Off hand... I don't know. US Youth Soccer also makes great DVDs of activities. Can't say enough about them.
I have a fair amount of experience with this age group. The most effective thing I have found is to change play ground games they know into soccer games: Red light green light with a ball at your feet. Follow the leader Tag in its million variations Foxes and Hunters Mother May I They touch the ball a ton, you do not need to spend much time talking cause they (some of them any way) know the games already, and it is fun. Three "L's" No Laps No Lines No Lectures If you actually do play games (we had 20 minutes of "practice" followed by 20 minutes of "games") just have them all go to goal all the time- do not worry AT ALL about positions, defending etc. If you can get kids to want to dribble at people you will have accomplished something If your objective is to have each kid end the day/season saying "I love soccer" and you coach to that you will do fine.
My U7 team has a bunch of U4 little bros/sisses, so I guess we could form a new team for them as well. In fact, it's ever to soon to start practicing for those U4 tournaments, so I'll get right on it! Let's see, got to make up some age-appropriate drills and homework: "Blues Clues Handy Dandy Soccer Ball" -- draw a Blues Clues paw print on a soccer ball. Hide it. Tell them they have to find it and kick it back to the Thinking Chair (dad's recliner). "Doras 3D Soccer" "Me Want Cookie" -- coach dresses up in a big cookie monster outfit. Pretend that the soccer balls are cookies, and kids have to keep the soccer ball away from them. Or maybe a Cookie Monster shirt will work for this. For even more terrifying fun, replace the soccer balls with real cookies. --- My 3-year-old likes to kick a ball around the living room and score a goal under the coffee table. Yells "Goal" and runs around like 26's kid. Her stuffed animals also like to play.
Very well put. I've also coached near that age (we start at U5... so they're 4 yrs old) and all your advice is spot on -- the DOs (lots of games they already know) and the DON'Ts (the three L's). Bottom Line: You're not really "coaching" at this age - you're just encouraging them to have fun so they associate soccer with good times. They'll score lots of goals (sometimes in the wrong goal), but they won't care either way... their level of success is nothing more than fun, which is almost entirely dependent on the "coach" making them laugh a lot and feel proud of themselves. I'd add a couple more games you could do... Bumble Bees - Each player has a ball and dribbles around making buzzing sounds. The ball is their stinger and the object is to "sting the coach" -- essentially kick it into your legs. While you walk around, act silly-afraid and say "ouch" a lot and they have a blast. Simon Says - the classic kids game. All the freeze-tags are good at that age and any activity that has each of them with a ball and lots of touches. Just thought of another one my girls used to love was "silly statues" - they dribble randomly and you tell them that it's a "stop-and-go". When you yell out a body part, they stop the ball (with the feet) and then rest that body part on the ball. Start with "knee" and then it gets goofier from there... nose, head, butt, shoulders, etc. Just have fun.
Big Bad Wolf Coach faces players as they all start on a line. He turns around and then they start dribbling to him. He turns back to face them and they have to stop with their foot on top of the ball. (If they don't stop within a reasonable number of touches, send them back to the start.) Coach asks, "Who's afraid of the little bad wolf?" Repeat with changing the question. The coach might be walking out in front. When the question is, "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?" they take off dribbling with their balls away from the coach. Who then chases them as if he is a big bad wolf. When all are caught, start again. It can be scary the first time, but engage them in it. Make animal sounds and ask them if that is a wolf, etc. Ask them to make their own wolf sounds. Etc. Coaching Points: Have fun. Learn to stop the ball. Learn to listen to what coach is saying. Keep head up to see where the wolf is.
I did this one time as an experiment for our town league, I coached it with my two teenage sons. It was "different". things you will deal with: - separation trauma, yes Mom is right there, but the kid will want to go get a hug, let em! Let parents come out with the kids. - panic when someone else gets in the way "he stole my ball". Games we played: - red light/green light, except with the ball. Dribbing as the "green" light is on. Trappign when the red light is on. - Not sure what to call it, but have them dribble toward you, you blow the whistle and yell out a body part, they have to stop the ball and put that body part onto the ball. Mix it up and keep it fun: range from foot, knee, nose, ear, butt Let them scrimmage, they will NOT pass, it will be mob ball at its finest and you will probably find 1 or 2 who score lots of goals and 1 or 2 who pick flowers. If "practice" is an hour, its probably to long. No matter what mood you are in and no matter what happens, you MUST be laughing, smiling and having a good time.
I played with my kids too at 3 and 4, and had them playing on teams while school aged (their choice not mine). The OP was talking 3 year olds (U4). I can't imagine trying to lead a gaggle of 3 year olds in any kind of organized game. True the games described here are very simple, but its the 3 y.o.'s attention span and need for direct attention that is daunting to me. (And the reason formal classroom education begins at 5 or 6). I have watched coaches working with kindergarten aged kids and thought, with admiration, that I could never handle a dozen 5 year olds. I simply don't have the patience or skills to handle a large group of pre-schoolers.
And that is the secret of working with these kids. Don't try to have them do things TOGETHER try to have them doing things CONCURRENTLY. That is why lines etc never work. Every kid running around with a ball trying to knock a cone down or stop with their butt or dribble through a set of cones. In childrearing circles it is called "parallel play" They are not trying to work with each other they are in their own little world doing their own thing. To parents it may look like mayhem. It is not. It is ORGANIZED mayhem or Mayhem WITH A PURPOSE. We train all of our u-littles on a big field split in to little ones with parent coaches. It is interesting to watch the coaches who want lines and organization spend 30 minutes having their frustration level rise to the bursting point while those who are happy to get the kids moving and touching the ball have happy, active, learning players and smiles on everyones faces- coaches included
Everyone who says U4 teams are a dumb idea really do not know anything, so don't even entertain their comments. I'm sure that I will hear about that comment, but seriously, either they don't like the little ones or they do not know how to coach them. Okay, I am going to give you a kinda of lengthy discussion on this, hopefully it helps. So bear with me. There is NO reason why U4's should not have a team. You're goal as a U4 coach is simple, make them want to play the game. It's just that simple. Here are four rules that will make your practices the best they can be. 1) EVERY CHILD HAS A BALL This is the most fundamental part. All of these U4 naysayers run practices where they make the kids stand in a line while one scores. Dumb. Each kid should have a ball and each kid should be constantly moving, running, kicking, etc. Idle feet make idle minds. 2) NO CHILDREN STAND STILL This goes back to the top, but you will not be able to make the kids stand still. If you are explaining a drill, make sure the kids are watching (tell them to put their listening ears on, or do what I do always say '1,2,3 all eyes on me). I'll explain this more later. 3) ENLIST THE PARENTS HELP This is huge. Any time its U4, I tell parents that they know their children, and if they need to come out with them, I always encourage it, sometimes make it mandatory. At no time should a U4 parent drop off a kid and leave. You are a coach, not a peacemaker. 4) BE ENTHUSIASTIC I run a soccer academy and I tell the trainers that with young groups, I don't care if you were a former high school standout, you have a A level coaching license. My best U4-U6 trainers may not be the best soccer players, but they can captivate kids attention. You need to be Enthusiastic, active, yelling, encouraging, constantly moving etc. Practice Length Practices should ONLY be 30 minutes. 45 if you really want to push it. At no time should they be over that, their attention span does not allow them to last that long, and anyway after 30 minutes they should be exhausted. Practice Layout Okay, so here is a sample of one of my U4 practices. Remember, that in my U4 training classes it is only myself and 25 U4 kids. So anyone that says it cannot be done is simply a) not trying hard enough b) or just can't do it. I do it 2 times a week and have been doing so for the last 3 years. (say practice starts at 6:00pm and it's the first day) 6:00pm. Carrot Talk-FEET!!! Once you dump the balls out of the bag, explain to ALL of them that they cannot touch the ball with their hands. I ask them, 'Does a carrot have hands?' they say NO! and I say, Okay, just like a carrot, when we play soccer we don't use our hands. YOU as a coach CANNOT use hands, NEITHER can parents. No hands on my soccer balls in my practices, EVER. My kids will yell at parents if they pick them up. Also, when I blow my whistle, I tell the kids they need to do FEET!! which means they put one foot on the ball and stop, and then do '1,2,3 all eyes on me' Or 'Point to Coach Ryan' so they all are paying attention. 6:05pm Barnyard Soccer This is by far their favorite game. Pick a player and ask them to name their favorite animal. In this case a bear. The object of the game is to kick the ball and have it hit you as you run around the gym, encouraging them to dribble and hit you with the ball. Every time you get hit, you make the noise. Make sure you get hit on purpose with all of the balls running around. Even if there are 20 kids running around they are learning a) to dribble towards a target, b) to dribble in space and with traffic c) to kick toward a target d) to recover the ball and keep going. During this drill they are getting lots of touches on the ball. Reward for hitting you and make sure they do not pick it up with their hands. Do this for 5-10 minutes 6:15pm Goal-a-palooza I now set up 6 pug goals throughout the gym. I ask what if they all know what the goals are, and they point to them. Now, I station 6 parents at each goal and instruct them that when the kids score, they just kick the ball back out to the child. I blow my whistle and it's simple, the kids score goals. Any goal they want, and they keep going. I stop them every 30-45 seconds and let them catch their breath. At this point, I run around while all the kids are kicking, encouraging them to score as many goals as possible, constantly yelling, screaming, hi-fiveing, etc. This teaches them the same skills as above, but they are now focusing on scoring into a goal. 6:20-6:25pm. Shark Tag Now, we reverse everything. I essentially take the entire gym and mark off the four corners with cones. I tell the kids that I am a shark (and maybe an advance kid helps or another parents) and that we LOVE to eat soccer balls. The kids' goal is to run around and not let me get their ball. If they are in the corners they are 'on the island' and the Shark cannot get them. When I chase the kids, I constantly move my hands like a shark and yell 'Yum' or whatever.' Again, I stop it every minute or so. when I get a ball i gently kick it away from the kids so they have to run and get it. 6:30. That's it. Always have them bring their hands in the middle and yell 'soccer' or 'team' or something along those lines. With these young kids it's important they LOVE to come to practice. Yes, you are playing lots of games, making noises, yelling, screaming, running, but if you do not want to do that, do yourself a favor and do not coach U4's and find someone that does. U4's should be running. If you want more drills, just ask and I can give you ton's. Good luck! -Ryan
Ryan, since you are in the business consider the following. Point 1. There are some very successful professional coaches who believe that training youth players as a team before age 14 is not a good idea for reasons unrelated to child development. That is ignoring the additional problems caused by the lack of development in 3 y.o. kids. Point 2. Do you consider the acticivities you listed as training U4's as an organized soccer team? I didn't see any activities that require cooperation, which I assume is intentional since we are talking about 3 y.o.'s. I still say that having organized soccer teams for U4's is a dumb idea, and your training plan seems to indicate agreement with me, even if your marketing plan for parents advertises otherwise.
I agree with all of that. My feelings were not really expressed well in the last post. There is no reason to have organized U4 games, but rather it could simply be ran together with the practices, etc. U4's can play games, but they will not be using any team work.
