What do I need to be a volunteer coach? · No balls to start. The fox when let loose catches the...

What do I need to be a volunteer coach?

not much…

• Patience

• Time

• A willingness to learn

• And more patience

Last Revised: 09/10/2009

Coaching Philosophy pg. 4

Warm Ups pg. 4

Activities / Games

Kick The Cone pg. 5

Fox and Rabbits pg. 6

Robot Coach pg. 7

Red Light, Green Light pg. 8

Soccer Bowling pg. 9

The Numbers Game pg. 10

Progressive Dribbling pg. 11

The Ladder Game pg. 12

Small Sided Switch pg. 13

Shooting By Number pg. 14

Go Get It pg. 15


We’re not just coaches…

Coaching players can be such a rewarding experience

from their failures to their successes. Watching the

players grow and learn from the moment they walk onto

your pitch to when they leave and move on can be an

exciting fulfilling path.


We’re also mentors and teachers and through the beau-

tiful game of soccer we can teach the players lessons

that they can take with them and use for the rest of their

lives. Soccer is a series of problems to be solved, chal-

lenges to met and limits to be pushed.


But guides on a journey to the player’s self discovery.

We can help them fined inner strength and self confi-

dence. Help them to feel successful and that they can

accomplish what they set out to do.

As coaches we want to keep our players safe. Create en-

vironments in which they can play, learn and succeed.

We want our players to start to learn and think for

themselves and become creative in their play. We want

to develop their skills and knowledge of the game.

Mostly we want them to have fun and fall in love with

soccer so they keep coming back for years to come.

Tucker Roveto

A cold muscle is stiff and rigid. Sudden twisting,

turning and stretching can place greater tension

on muscles and connective tissue than they can

handle..

For younger ones stretching isn’t so much about the actual

stretching as it is forming the habit of stretching before

training or a match.

New studies have shown that a light warm-up combined

with movement stretching is more conducive to game

readiness.

A session warm-up can consist of:

A very light jog in a large area

Jogging and adding in short cuts to the left and right

6 jogging steps forward, 3 jogging steps backward

Light jogging with short sprints

Jogging and then reaching down to touch the grass, alternating hands

Skipping followed by skipping leaps

With a partner, back to back pass a ball from one side to the other

Still with a partner, over their head and underneath

This is a great opportunity to be creative and challenge your players

with balancing tasks, coordination movements and partnered move-

ments. Have fun with it and so will they!!!


5

• Number of Players: Any

• Object: Knock over the cones, then put them back up using only

your feet

• Equipment: 6 inch cones, as many as needed

What does this do?

It helps with coordination and gets the

players used to using their feet.

Also teaches players to use the

inside of their feet.

Increasing Intensity

To get the players to try a little harder

you could go around ask each player

how many they knocked down and

then put back up.

Then challenge them to try and beat

their last number. You may want to

add more cones!

Instructions: Have the players knock over as

many cones as they can. Once all cones are

knocked down have them put them back up

right. Players should be instructed to use the

instep of the foot. Use both feet!!!


6


• Object: One assigned fox who is out to catch the rabbits, players

must avoid the fox and stay within a contained space

• Equipment: practice pinnies, and balls

What does this activity do?

It helps with coordination and gets

players to look up while playing.

They must be aware of the fox!

Guided Questioning

This is a perfect game to ask the

players how can they avoid the fox?

Answer: “By keeping our heads up and

looking out for the fox.”

Instructions: Setup a coned off area. As-

sign one player as the “Fox”, the rest of

rabbits. Rabbits must place the practice

pinnies like tails. No balls to start. The fox

when let loose catches the rabbits by pull-

ing out their tails until all rabbits are

caught. The final player without being

caught can be the fox next round. After a

round or two the rabbits can then use a

ball and dribbles away from the fox. They

must keep the ball at their feet at all times.

THE

FOX

RABBIT

TAIL


7


• Object: kick the ball at the coach who is a robot and getting

damaged and slower with every hit

• Equipment: each player has a ball

Instructions: This is fun game for the

kids and creates great interaction be-

tween the players and coaches. Each

player has a ball at their feet. All they

need to do is simply hit the coach with

the ball as he or she

moves around like a ro-

bot. With each hit the

robots move slower

and slower until they a

broken.

Green

light!

Guided Questioning

This game is more or less just a fun game. It does

help increase kicking accuracy. If many of the

players are missing you could then ask “How

could you get the robots faster?”

Answer: “With better aimed shots.”

Discuss further how to make a better aimed kick.


8


• Object: To get to the other side by following the rules


Increasing Difficulty

Instead of calling out the colors you can

use hand signals. Hold up one finger for

Green, 2 for yellow and 3 for red. This

will force the kids to get their heads up!

Guided Questioning

How do you keep from getting

sent back to the beginning?

Answer: “By keeping the ball close.”

Also you can ask about different sur-

faces to play the ball with.

Instructions: This is just

like the childhood game

of Red Light, Green Light ex-

cept with a soccer ball!

From one end of the field a

coach calls out a color. Green Light—they

should dribble quickly but in control. Yellow

Light—dribble slow, small touches. Red

Light—players have to stop the ball quickly. If

they do not then they are sent to the starting

line with their balls

Green

light!


9


This is an exciting game that gets the kids

moving quickly! It incorporates drib-

bling, shooting and passing skills. As

well as having a conditioning element.

• Number of Players: works best with teams of 3

• Object: be the first to knock three balls off their

cones to win

• Equipment: 8 balls, 18 cones (can set more

Instructions: This is a race to see which team

can knock all three balls off their cones first.

Players should line up behind the cone gates.

The first player dribbles to the shooting area

and then takes a shot at knocking off a ball.

Whether they miss or hit they must collect the

ball and pass it back to the next person in line.

And the process continues.

The

shooting

area!


10


Helps the players move to an open ball, col-

lect and control the ball.

The ability to score in any goal presents the

player with a choice that he or she must

make as they get to the ball.

Guided Questioning

How can we score

more easily?

Answer: “By going away from

the other team.”

Instructions: Create two teams. Assign a

number to each player (1 thru 6) and the

same the numbers to the opposing team (and

they will forget their numbers the first time

you play this). Set a point total that needs to

be reached to win. The coach will throw a ball

out and call a number. The players with those

numbers will run out, try and win the ball and

then try and score. They can score in any goal.

If the balls goes out of set area the play is over.

• Number of Players: two teams, no more

than 6 per team

• Object: Win the ball and then score as

quickly as possible

• Equipment: ball, cones, pinnies and two

goals


You can eventually call multiple num-

bers and also require at least one pass

before attempting to score. Also cones

could be put in the goal to block off the

center forcing the players to shoot for

the corners.


11


• Object: To get players to dribble in an

open space, get their heads up and

gain confidence with the ball

• Equipment: balls and cones


It helps players gain confidence

with the ball. Plus each player

can move at his or her own

pace.

Guided Questioning

This is also perfect game to ask the

players how can they avoid each other?

Answer: “By keeping our heads up and

looking where we are going.”

Also you want them to think about all the

parts of their foot that a ball can played off of

and then try them. Ask about the different

surfaces.

Inside, out side, on the laces and the bottom

of your foot are all good answers.

Instructions: This activity can be done in

progressive steps, increasing in difficulty.

Start by having players simply dribble

around in a large open space without

bumping into each other for a set period of

time. Have them rest, ask what parts of

the foot they used and what other parts

can be used. Then have them use a named

part. You can have then try any moves

they know while dribbling. You can in-

crease the difficulty by adding short bursts

of movement on the word go or having to

leave your ball and find another as quickly

as possible.


12

Controlling Play

What’s great about this game is that

the coach controls the time and

therefore can control the action

sometimes to favor a player who

might be struggling. If a player

scores who doesn’t always you can

stop play. Time flies!

Little wins can mean a lot!

• Number of Players: Even numbers of players

• Object: Score points by dribbling over the opposing

player’s end line

• Equipment: a ball per set of players and cones

What does this do?

Helps players to learn to take on another player one on one as well as increasing ball

control and dribbling skills. This activity also has a great conditioning element.

Instructions: This is a one on

one dribbling activity. Players

are lined up against another player

with end line goals on either side.

The one rule is that to score the play-

ers must dribble across the line with

the ball in control. Play in intervals of

about 30 seconds. The player with

the most goals moves right, the

player with the least moves left. If

there is a tie try and get the players

to come to an agreement of who

should move right or left. Players of

similar ability will eventually be play-

ing each other.


13

Guided Questioning

This game provides lots of coachable

moments. Ask the players how they

might create better opportunities to score.

Your looking for “by passing more”. Then ask

how do we pass more, how do you make that

happen?

Get the players to think about spacing and

passing on their own will begin to spark their

own creativity in the game play.


This activity simulates game play and is

meant to have quick team changes, fast play

and lots of scoring opportunities.

Instructions: Set up a small field of play

with two goals. Create three teams with

equal number of players. Two teams take the

field while the other rests. A ball is put into

play until one team scores. The winning team

stays on to face the new team on the field.

The ball should be played in quickly by the

coach forcing the oncoming team to engage

quickly. The off team should rest and be

ready to jump back on. No goalies!

• Number of Players: 3 teams, 3-5 players per team

• Object: First team to score gets to stay on the field of play

• Equipment: ball, cones, 3 different colored pinnies and two goals

• NO GOALIES!!!!


Guided Questioning

Ask players what other surfaces can they shoot

with? Instep, laces and the outside of the foot.

Get them to try different shoots.

What are some of the ways to avoid bumping

into other players in the dribbling area?

Looking up, dribbling with the ball close

and small touches are all good responses.


Firstly it gives the players lots of shots. It also gives players practice dribbling in a small area.

Also it forces the players to get their heads up and make decisions.

Instructions: Set up the playing field as

shown below. Two sets of players should be

assigned numbers (1 thru 5). Each player should

have a ball and instructed to start dribbling in the

restricted area. The coach will call a number.

The player with the number must dribble quickly

towards a goal and shoot. If a player is already in

the shooting area the other player must turn and

shoot on the other goal. They the collect the ball

and begin dribbling again in the restricted area.

• Number of Players: 6-12 players

• Object: To practice shooting and dribbling in space

• Equipment: each player with a ball, cones and two goals


You can eventually call multiple numbers to

create more chaos. Also cones could be put

in the goal to block off the center forcing the

players to shoot for the corners. Eventually

goalies could be added.

14 Last Revised: 09/10/2009

15


• Object: Coach throws out the players ball and instructs them

to bring the ball back in various ways


Instructions: This is fun game for the

kids and creates great interaction be-

tween the players and coaches. The

coach determines how the players

should return the ball to them. The

coach then takes the players ball and

throws it away. The player should print

to the ball and return it using the

method described… outside of left foot,

only using the bottom of their foot. This

game allows player to move at their

own pace and skill level.

Green

light!

Guided Questioning

This game is more or less just a fun game. It

helps the players in coordination, movement and

using different parts of the body. Get them in-

volved by asked “What other ways can we bring

the ball back?”. This another game you can get

creative with. You can have the kids throw the

ball up and jump up the catch it.


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