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Week 1: Dribbling and Turning

Warm-up – Hospital Tag All players have a ball and dribble around the square. When the coach shouts ‘Hospital’, the children can try and tag each other using their hands. When they have been tagged they have to hold that part of the body. When they have been tagged twice and both hands have been used, the next tag means they must go to ‘hospital’ for treatment, treatment is in fact 4 juggles! Have players stretch in between rounds.

Coaching and organization

  • Be aware that some players will tag to aggressively
  • The coach should encourage the players to dribble with there heads up looking for defenders.
  • Players to be encouraged to take as many touches of the ball as possible
  • Coach should encourage the use of both feet.
  • Game should be played at a good speed with the emphasis being on a fun introductory warm-up for both players and the coach.
Super Skill – V-shape move Players dribble around in side the square, every three touches they perform the ‘V’ shaped move (change direction) and then change feet and perform the move with the opposite foot. After a while encourage them to dribble towards each other (or targets placed within the square) and then perform the move under the pressure that the other player presents.
  • Targets can be players, cones etc.
  • Players to approach the defender until he/she attempts to win the ball
  • As the defender reaches for the ball play it with the inside of the strongest foot under the body
  • Quickly shift body weight and play the ball past the defender with the inside of the opposite foot
  • Accelerate away from the defender
Super Skill 2 – Name game Simply, the players are given the opportunity to make up there own move (will probably be the Maradona, Cryuff etc) however, the player that performs the best move is rewarded with the naming of the move. The winning players move will be the 2nd ‘super skill’ of the day. The players will then be asked to try the ‘Savioe’ over the course of the next two minutes
Game – Pirates of the Caribbean ‘Knockout’ Players dribble around inside the square. On the coaches command the ‘pirates’ enter the square and attempt to kick players balls outside of the square. Once the ball is kick out, you become a pirate. Last person inside the square with the ball is the winner.
  • Players that perform the sessions ‘super skills’ earn an extra life.
  • Encourage players to take risks and attack ‘pirates’ from various angles as often as possible.
  • It’s important that we not only show the technique involved with the move, but also the ‘tactical’ situation that they could use the super skill.
  • Encourage players to use there own ‘super skills’.
Numbers game

Players dribble around inside the square and when the coach calls a number they get into groups of that number.

  • Players to perform the two ‘super skill’ moves taught previously in the session after every 5 touches, changing feet and direction.
  • Finish the game with the groups of the size that you need for your next practice. Groups of four etc.
Game (4 v 4) Players to be placed in random teams as decided by the numbers game. Each team is to give themselves a team name that must be associated with a soccer ‘hero’ of their choice. Teams will then play three, six minute games against each other with the winning team awarded the ‘team of the day prize’…Collecting the cones!

Coaches to provide minimal coaching during the games. Coaching points will be based on the ‘super skills’ of the day. It’s important that we stop the session not only to show the improvement but also to highlight a successful move. As coaches its important that we also highlight the success as well as the faults.