Soccer Activities (drills and games) should always have a purpose…even if that purpose is just to make sure the players have fun.  Generally speaking, coaching activities should involve a series of progressions that challenge the players to perform the skills faster, under pressure, and ultimately in game specific situations.  Below are some ideas worth keeping in mind when deciding on activities, along with some practical examples for applying these ideas:

Starting your activity:

Look to get your players moving as soon as possible.  Make you working area simple (I suggest using a few cones as possible), make the instruction as simple as possible, and get the players playing.  Once the players are moving you can adjust the playing area if it needs to be bigger/smaller, or stop the players and introduce additional instructions.  Now look for opportunities to coach.

Example: Work on dribbling skills by having players dribble and move in an appropriate area.  Focus on keeping the ball close, avoiding other players (keeping your head up), changing pace, covering as much of the area as possible, and using different surfaces of the feet.

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With the fall season fast approaching, it is important to begin planning your upcoming soccer practices.  The following pointers are by no means comprehensive but should help you in the season ahead.  More training games, videos, drills and ideas cal also be researched out.

Be safe

The safety of you and your players is always the number one factor in your preparation.  Plan ahead by knowing the weather, and be sure to have all your players contact details (and a way to call for help) in case of emergency.  Once on site, make sure that the area is safe (free of glass, metal, holes, etc) and that any goals are anchored securely.  In the even of bad weather (thunder/lightening), always err on the side of caution and take the children to safety.

Be prepared/organized

As mentioned above, be sure to have accurate paperwork for all of your players.  Once on field have a lesson plan that is age appropriate, and makes good developmental sense.  In addition, have appropriate equipment for the practice (balls, cones, pinnies, etc) and check that it is in safe working order.  Being prepared will mean you are less likely to get flustered during practice.

The following clip is a drill we use at Complete Soccer Coach to teach players to head the ball while having some fun!

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