Q's For any Soccer Coaches

[jf2381]

Hello All,

I was "volunteered" to coach my son's soccer team (12 2nd nd third graders). I do not have the experience to be head coach but 3 coachs dropped out at last minute.
To help with prectice drills I ordered the 7 dvds from SoccerU.com, so I hope I can teach them something as I am learning the sport.

I have some questions regarding training equipment.
Do you know of a place that I can buy many cones?
About how many cones should I buy?
Where to get scrimmage Jerseys?
What else do I need? (I have about 6 soccer balls I'm buying a few more).

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jose

 

[wonderballz]

I know Sports Authority sells like 6 cones at a time, but you could always just grab cones where they are doing street construction...

Not sure about how many, but for football drills, we never used more than 6 or 8 cones at a time. Skip through the dvd to check how many cones they use. That would give you a good starting point.

 

[fcamargo6thave]

hey jeff i coached a soccer team before. The first question to ask would be is what is the skill level of the kids. I would but about 20 cones, and this cones would be used for drills, check this http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/ will help u out alot. make sure they warm up good, stretch, drink alot of fluids, buy the website i gave u should help alot

 

[TimberTDI]

Jeff,

I have a National "D" license and plan on sitting for the "C".

My first question is why isn't the club providing you with everything you need? They really should be holding your hand and giving you all the help you need. You should not have to buy anything extra.

http://www.ussoccer.com/Coaches/Resources.aspx
Click on the link U.S. Soccer "E" Certificate Candidate Manual. Print it out or take it to Staples and have them print it (114 pages) Do this and you can return all the DVDs you ordered.

At this age level the only drills you want to be running are foot skills based. Contrary to what anyone else tells you please forget about teaching or encouraging any passing. You want all the kids to become comfortable dribbling the ball, let them be ball hogs. Allow them to take on defenders even if it's three of them. Encourage them to use the foot skills (scissors, step overs, pullbacks, escapes etc) they will be learning to beat the defenders. You do not want the kids to kick the ball away every time they get it.

As you will see in the manual, you want to setup drills where all the kids are practicing at once. You don't want to setup two lines of six and have 10 kids waiting on two to finish the line drill. You want to have all twelve practicing at once. This way the practice time is spent efficiently and no one is bored.

A typical practice should run like this:

• 5-10 min warmup as kids are arriving to practice put them right out in a designated area to start dribbling to warming up (penalty box area, center circle or inside a confined area you setup with cones)
• 15 min-In this practice your going to teach the kids how to do a proper right, left and double scissor moves. Have them all line up with a ball facing you, demonstrate the techniques and have them keep doing the moves repeatedly nonstop. Have them working to where the blood is pumping. Correct and praise as needed.
• Quick water break
• 15 min- Now you want them to try the move under pressure. So have them pair off. Line up about 20' apart. One will play defense and one offense. Where the child has to get past the defender only by using a move. Have them switch postions half way through. Again all six groups are going at once and as the coach walk around and correct anyone doing it wrong and praise anyone doing it right.
• water break
• Last 15 mins- 6v6 scrimmage for the last part of the practice. Award extra points for the team that does the most moves.

Steven

 

[TimberTDI]

but you could always just grab cones where they are doing street construction...

Please don't this, as it is considered robbery and would hate to see anyone get arrested for stealing construction cones.

 

[wonderballz]

Please don't this, as it is considered robbery and would hate to see anyone get arrested for stealing construction cones.

It was a joke. I guess it didn't come through. Could you see a bunch of 9 year olds running around cones that are as big as they are?

 

[jf2381]

Thanks for the response guys. but I must ask, who is this Jeff guy? lol
Steven - Thanks for the link and tips. I will call the manager today and ask the questions about the supplies. My wife grabbed 30 cones for me. She found them at party box 2 for a buck.

LOL at wonderballz.

 

[rkaragozler]

also every age group has a different ball size

 

[jf2381]

also every age group has a different ball size

We are using a size 4 ball.

 

[jf2381]

A little update..

We lost the first game but not by much (1 goal). It was partly my fault because I screwed up the rotation and the other team was able to raly after I switch what was working. Who would have known that my decisions could shape the end result of the game. :splitspin
I don't feel to bad because this was with one practice under the belt and half the kids got there late.
Everyone was on time for the second practice and I feel I got a better grasp of which position each child excels in.

Ragardless, the kids are learning and having a blast at practice. They particularly enjoy scoring goals on me.

The information that you guys provided has been invaluable. Thank you.

 

[THEDLO]

congrats! not on the losing but the learning part of the losing lmao. ull gettem next time

 

[rkaragozler]

my daughter started playing when she was 6, now 16 still playing, its not about winning it's knowing the sport and having fun. this is not FIFA, make all the games as fun as you can,and alternate as much as you can, You and the kids will appreciate that. Have fun!!

 

[beerfish]

half the kids got there late.

I see wind sprints in their future!