Coaching U5 Rec League

[U5_coach]

I'm coaching my daughter's U5 rec league that gets started in a few weeks and am searching for some advice. I've played soccer most of my life but at 30, have yet to coach. I'm excited about the opportunity and want to show my passion for the game to the kids.

However, these kids are young. Old 3s, 4s and young 5s. I'm not sure what expectations to have of the kids and how to conduct a "good" practice. Or what a "good" practice even means.

Has anyone out there had experience with this age group? What drills could you accomplish? How did you keep the kids engaged and interested? I will try to teach the basic rules, simple motor skills and ball control but want to know how to do it with confidence and control during practice. I would like to balance my expectations with their desire to learn without asking too much.

Thanks for your advice!

[NHRef]

We ran an "experimental" U4 group and we won't do it again.

My two sons and I coached it and here's a few things the kids liked:

- take the ball away from the coach
- red light - green light (same game we all played as kids, just use a ball while moving forward on green light and make them trap it on red light).
- follow the leader, you're the leader, with a ball, dribble around the parents etc.
- kids go forward on a whistle, dribbling, blow whistle, yell out a body part, they have to put that on the ball. Good soccer: foot, fun for kids: nose, elbow, butt, ear etc. In all cases they have to stop the ball.

What we found. Attention spans were around 3 seconds, about 1/2 the kids would want to just sit with Mom. Do LOTS AND LOTS of water breaks, 10 minutes is about right, after that a water break gets them to go say hi to mom.

End with a free for all scrimmage. Small field, line it with parents who keep the ball in play.

Make sure you are ready to laugh.

[Ray Luca]

[QUOTE=U5_coach]"I've played soccer most of my life but at 30, have yet to coach. I'm excited about the opportunity and want to show my passion for the game to the kids."

Excellent, never to young to show them your love of the game it is contagious to both the kids and the parents.

"However, these kids are young. Old 3s, 4s and young 5s. I'm not sure what expectations to have of the kids and how to conduct a "good" practice. Or what a "good" practice even means."

Good practice is when they have fun and learn the game at the same time. I did my youngest son at 5 he is now 23 yrs old :-)

Start practices as soon as you get the names and numbers of the players. Practice once a week for an hour that is as long as their attention span is good for. That is why start practices as far in advance of the season as possible. Practice early 8am before others come to the field. So the only people there is your guys easier to hold their attention.

It is all about touching the ball at that age. Work on dribbling because everything about are game comes off the dribble. Try to get them to dribble not walk with the ball run with the ball to something like you for example. You move but no quick changes of direction but move. Then call out to them where am I dribble to me. The ball and you should be in their line of sight.

Start early way before the season starts. Put no pressure on the parents to attend. Just say you will be at the field every saturday at 8 AM and they are welcome to join you. If they say they are going on vacation ok have a good time. When you come back we will be there saturday 8 AM.

Important to show the kids and parents good time so they will take their kids to the field.

There are kids who dig it and other kids who rather dig up the field. After a few times trying to get those diggers to play. You join those diggers and dig with them for a while.

Once they start dribbling let them shoot on a big goal you defend and let them score. Then teach them the goal scoring celebration I mean it.

"What drills could you accomplish?"

Have everyone with a ball in a big circle and they dribble in the circle. They will bank into each other. Then say dribble where your team mate came from and you will see less people hitting into each other. When you leave a space they dribble into that space and bump into each other less. That is how you create space for others to use. Don't try to explain it.

Then you work on controling the ball with different parts of the foot.

If you try to play a game amonst themselves. Incourage any one touching the ball to dribble even your back players. Do not enourge them to kick it rather to get the ball and dribble ther ball. They get close to goal they shoot.

More weeks you practice the better they get.

"How did you keep the kids engaged and interested?"

No waiting in lines to do stuff. Train in groups show parents what you do in one group and use them to do the same in other groups.

[U5_coach]

This is great advice - I really appreciate your post and look forward to the chaos!

Please keep the drills and tips coming. I'm taking notes :)