Coaching an All-Star team

Kchap · Oct 30, 2004

First timer. I just started coaching this year. Our team finished in first place,so I get to coach the all star team. Great,except I don't know how to coach by "the book". I 'll be coaching players (1 week of practice til the tourney btw) who have played for years and don't want to look like an idiot in front of their discerning parents and other coaches when I don't know how to run a 1 week all star practice. I know since we are just through with the season,everybody knows the fundamentals. No use in running drills? Any help would be greatly appreciated. My practices start this Monday Thanks!!!

CoachCoach · Oct 30, 2004

I had to coach the All-star team this past year and you'll be glad to know this isn't as much of a problem as you may think.

Like you said, all-star teams don't really need many drills. You should have a few drills and then play a scrimmage for most of the practice. If you don't have much of a background, then keep it simple and you'll look like your just taking it easy. One thing, don't worry about thinking you don't need to focus on basics because it is the end of the season. Most would agree, practicing the basics is never wrong. I coach an older-age boys team and we spend lots of time with the basics at all times of the season. It keeps everyone sharp.

Some "keeping it simple" Drills:
1.) Getting to know names drill. Use 4 balls for this. Get all the players on the circle around the kick-off spot. Next, put 4 players in the center of the circle and have them say their name. Start with all 4 balls in the center. Have those players pass to anyone on the circle. The key to this drill -- When the ball is received by someone on the circle, he yells his own name. Then he passes the ball back to the center. The center players will keep passing it back to players on the circle. Keep this going for a while and have other players switch into the middle every couple minutes.

After a little while, to make it more interesting and to reinforce the names, change the game so that they have to say the other person's name when the ball is passed between two players. The kids will like this drill.

2.) Passing: Keep it simple by having two players pass the ball between each other maybe 10 yards apart. Then, same thing but they can only kick with there "non-dominant foot."

Another idea would be for a group of 5 players to get in a circle and try to juggle the ball.

Another easy drill is to get into groups of 7. Five players form a circle and the other two get in the middle. So you'd say, "we are going to play a game of (5 v 2)." This is a game of keep away. The two in the middle try to steal the pass. Once this is done the player who made the bad pass goes in the middle and the player who has been in the center the longest (not who stole the ball) joins the outer circle.

Yet another easy drill: Get into groups of 2. One player will toss the ball to the other to head back to him (make the player jump in the air). Do this ten times and switch.

Next would be to do the same thing but the focus would be to trap the ball with your thigh (or chest) and let the ball fall to the ground and then pass back to the player who tossed it. Do this ten times and switch.

Another would be to just kick the ball back in the air with the inside of your foot to the person who tossed it to you. (maybe more advanced)

3.) Just a plain old shooting drill is fine. Everyone lines up in one line about 25 yards out, with one player (or the coach) standing at the 18 yard line who will receive the pass and dish it off for a shot for a player running on to it.

I hope this is enough for a few practices. If you have any questions, just ask. Good luck.

tscboys · Oct 30, 2004

first of all let the "All star team" know that ur in charge..play lots of 2 touch possesion...if u have a full field play 2 touch scrimmages, if only half a field play half court..do some shooting...if they act stuck up and are a bunch of ball hogs...run em..

napalm_dave · Oct 31, 2004

Kchap said:

First timer. I just started coaching this year. Our team finished in first place,so I get to coach the all star team. Great,except I don't know how to coach by "the book". I 'll be coaching players (1 week of practice til the tourney btw) who have played for years and don't want to look like an idiot in front of their discerning parents and other coaches when I don't know how to run a 1 week all star practice. I know since we are just through with the season,everybody knows the fundamentals. No use in running drills? Any help would be greatly appreciated. My practices start this Monday Thanks!!!
Click to expand...

What age-group are we talking about?

Kchap · Oct 31, 2004

10-11 year olds.

Kchap · Oct 31, 2004

Thanks for all the help,guys. I'll probably have some more questions as the week rolls along. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again KC

NHRef · Nov 1, 2004

If the kids do not know each other you need to get them over the caution they will have about giving the ball to someone they don't know. If you do break out drills or small sided games, make sure to mix the kids up and break up the "friends"

Second, this is a reward for these kids, especially at this age. Keep it FUN.

--Bob

Kchap · Nov 4, 2004

Thanks for all the help. Practice went well Monday night,got rained out Tuesday. Parents are the only thing that bothers me.We've got one more practice (tonight) before the tourney on Sat. The second place team's coach volunteered his help since he'd coached All-Stars for several years before now.He's not trying to take over,just been a big help. Any tips for game day of the tournament?

California Jack · Dec 15, 2004

CoachCoach said:

I had to coach the All-star team this past year and you'll be glad to know this isn't as much of a problem as you may think.

Like you said, all-star teams don't really need many drills. You should have a few drills and then play a scrimmage for most of the practice. If you don't have much of a background, then keep it simple and you'll look like your just taking it easy. One thing, don't worry about thinking you don't need to focus on basics because it is the end of the season. Most would agree, practicing the basics is never wrong. I coach an older-age boys team and we spend lots of time with the basics at all times of the season. It keeps everyone sharp.

Some "keeping it simple" Drills:
1.) Getting to know names drill. Use 4 balls for this. Get all the players on the circle around the kick-off spot. Next, put 4 players in the center of the circle and have them say their name. Start with all 4 balls in the center. Have those players pass to anyone on the circle. The key to this drill -- When the ball is received by someone on the circle, he yells his own name. Then he passes the ball back to the center. The center players will keep passing it back to players on the circle. Keep this going for a while and have other players switch into the middle every couple minutes.

After a little while, to make it more interesting and to reinforce the names, change the game so that they have to say the other person's name when the ball is passed between two players. The kids will like this drill.

2.) Passing: Keep it simple by having two players pass the ball between each other maybe 10 yards apart. Then, same thing but they can only kick with there "non-dominant foot."

Another idea would be for a group of 5 players to get in a circle and try to juggle the ball.

Another easy drill is to get into groups of 7. Five players form a circle and the other two get in the middle. So you'd say, "we are going to play a game of (5 v 2)." This is a game of keep away. The two in the middle try to steal the pass. Once this is done the player who made the bad pass goes in the middle and the player who has been in the center the longest (not who stole the ball) joins the outer circle.

Yet another easy drill: Get into groups of 2. One player will toss the ball to the other to head back to him (make the player jump in the air). Do this ten times and switch.

Next would be to do the same thing but the focus would be to trap the ball with your thigh (or chest) and let the ball fall to the ground and then pass back to the player who tossed it. Do this ten times and switch.

Another would be to just kick the ball back in the air with the inside of your foot to the person who tossed it to you. (maybe more advanced)

3.) Just a plain old shooting drill is fine. Everyone lines up in one line about 25 yards out, with one player (or the coach) standing at the 18 yard line who will receive the pass and dish it off for a shot for a player running on to it.

I hope this is enough for a few practices. If you have any questions, just ask. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this response. I'm sure many have taken a look at it and will benefit from the ideas. I'm coaching a "graduation series" this winter, designed to transition kids from U8 to U10. For the first time, kids are playing with goalies, the offsides rule, and a field big enough that one kid can't run the length of it and score very often. Its my first time coaching "real soccer" as well, so I may benefit from your tips. Thanks.

furyboy999 · Dec 15, 2004

How competetive are we talking? Rec, Travel, Premier?

The main thing about bringing a bunch of kids that might have never played with eahc otehr before, is to let them all get to know how each of them like to play, and get to know thier skills.

My coach's philosophy for games is "I play my best 11 most of the game if not all of it." I suggest this,on anote that it if it is competetive, and that it is an All-Star team playing for teh gold.