The world's most unqualified futbol coach

First, at this age if you like kids and like to have fun, then you are qualified to coach. I've been coaching my son's U5/U6 team for about a year (I played soccer up to high school but never coached before). As far as the way I run my practice, the most important skill you need to focus on at this level is dribbling. Shooting, passing, etc ... will come later but right now the most important thing is to get the kids moving with the ball. As such, I emphasize practice activities (I hate the word drill) where every kid has a ball (red light/green light, ball tag, etc...). All of my practices follow the same basic outline (keep your practices under an hour):

1. An Exciting Game: Something like Tag or Ouch (kids try to kick me with the ball as I jog around the field - overreact to being hit) just to get them fired up. I generally do this before practice as the kids are filtering onto the field.

2. Warm-up: We play games like Simon Says, follow the leader, ball retrieve (toss the ball and they bring it back to me - first in silly ways and later in soccer ways), etc ... Here I'm just trying to improve general motor ability (i.e. balance, coordination and flexibility). There is a HUGE difference in physical skills between the kids and it really shows up here.

3. Individual Games: Games like Anatomy Dribbling, Red Light/Green Light or an Obstacle Course (you can look these up online, they are pretty standard). Here I'm trying to get the kids moving with the ball in a non-drill, noncompetitive manner.

4. Group Games: Games like Hospital Tag, Crab Soccer (I'm the crab and try to steal the ball from them), Farmer & Foxes. Here, I'm again just trying to get the kids used to moving with the ball although now with a little more competition.

5. Scrimmage: I was lucky to know another coach who shared my coaching philosophy and we would scrimmage him every practice. You'll run across many different coaching styles, my least favorite being the "drill instructor". My first season the team using our practice field before us had one of those. He was always using his whistle, had the kids running laps/wind sprints, stopping the practice to single out players doing things wrong. The guy even had a board he used to diagram plays. These kids were 5 years old and looked miserable. Towards the end of that season his parents revolted (there was a very public shouting match) and I never saw that guy again.

When I first found out that I was coaching soccer I bought a book on the topic. The first chapter was dedicated to pointing out that kids at this age can differ in their level of physical, mental, and social development by as much as (plus or minus) 3 years and this definitely applies to my team. Each kid on my team has there own personality and skill set and each presents a different challenge. One likes to sit during practice and complain about the heat (that's my son BTW), another tries to run off all the time and has trouble understanding the concept of boundaries, one likes to kick the ball away from other kids, another hates it when the ball gets kicked away from them. Anyway, use that info anyway you wish, just remember that you are there to serve the kids, not the parents. As soon as I figured that out it was smooth sailing.

 

Well, I did have some stuff that I was going to put forward, but it would merely be a repeat of all that was typed out before.

My best advice would be to say, Good luck! You are definitely doing the kids a service that they will remember.

 

Are you going to call the local paper demanding coverage because the kids are working hard?

 

I wondered when that one was coming.

 

I try. I'm surprised it took that long.

 

Wait till the ref is looking away, then get your best player to headbutt the other side's best player in the solar plexus!

 

Not even close. Here's your man.

 

Dixie, pulls your parents aside during the first practice. Remind them these kids are U6 which means your job is to teach them fundamentals and, more importantly, have fun. Tell them winning matches is third, if not fourth, on your list of priorities. If they don't like that, tell them to take their child elsewhere.

 

U-6 is probably 6-a-side, with no goalies (if it's AYSO).

Teach them to SPREAD THE FIELD. Every player's parent wil be telling their child to chase the ball so until age 10 or so soccer is a clusterfuck, but getting players to understand the concept of space is the best lesson you can teach a new player. SPREAD OUT.

Show them how to do a proper throw-in. Teach them that goalkicks at that level go outside, not right down the middle of the field. Do some very easy headers, so they learn not to be afraid of the ball.

Teach them to kick with the instep, not the toe.

Make sure everybody gets the same amount of playing time. If one kid scores an inordinate amount of goals, time for him/her to play defense.

Then get the hel out of the way. Bring oranges and water for halftime, teach the parents to form the post-game tunnel, and by all means drink heavily.

 

A high school team had its t-shirts made with this slogan, which applies at all levels:

"Ball moves, players move."

 

Teach them the art of the goal celebration for later in their life. They could make a killing in the Women's World Cup.

 

I heard as trainer once describe soccer as a game of triangles. I have always thought that was true.

You have the person with the ball, and usually there are two viable options for them to move the ball. If these three people form a nice triangle with at least 60 degree angles and 10-yard sides, then your team will look a lot better. Once the ball has been moved, a new triangle is then created. When players are without the ball, they should be trying to locate their other "triangle" players so they can quickly touch once the ball has come their way.

Of course, that is years down the road.