Clayton Parks and Recreation

Youth Soccer Coaching Manual

Table of Contents

League Philosophy_______________________________ 3 Coaches Code of Conduct ________________________ 4 Coaches Expectation ____________________________ 5 Goals ________________________________________ 6 Practice Plan __________________________________ 7 Basic Positions ________________________________ 10 Dribbling Drills _______________________________ 11

Passing Drills _________________________________ 12 Shooting Drills ________________________________ 14 Heading _____________________________________ 16 Goalkeeping Drills _____________________________ 17 Additional Resources ___________________________ 18 Practice Plan __________________________________ 19

Youth Sports League Philosophy Clayton Parks and Recreation

The City of Clayton strongly believes in the benefits of participation in organized sports. Participation in sports has proven to build self-esteem, promote teamwork, develop the body as well as the mind, and is an integral part of the maturation process. I. To have FUN!!! A. Every child should have an enjoyable and positive experience. B. According to the American Youth & Sports participation survey: 1. The number one reason children participate in sports is to have fun. 2. The number two reason why children stop playing sports is I stopped having fun. Recreational League A. The Clayton Parks and Recreation youth sports league is not a competitive league. B. The Clayton Parks and Recreation youth sports league allows every child a chance to play no matter what abilities the child posses. C. Standings are not kept and scores are de-emphasized. D. The Clayton Parks and Recreation youth sports league tries to provide as evenly skilled teams as possible. Every Child receives equal playing time. A. Our goal is for children to learn to play the game, which they can not do without participation. B. Every child should receive an equal amount of attention during practices. Open Registration A. Our programs are open to anyone who wants to play. B. Clayton Parks and Recreation will accommodate every child that signs up before the deadline. C. Every child who enrolls before the determined deadline is guaranteed a place in the league. Community Involvement A. The Clayton youth sports program is dependent on volunteers. 1. Our leagues can not run successfully without the time and effort of our volunteer coaches, officials, and parental support. 2. Volunteer coaches will be trained and encouraged to make the extra effort to: a. understand childrens needs b. give positive help rather than negative criticism c. be positive role models to the children d. teach the respective sport to the best of their ability e. follow the philosophy and standards as outlined by the Clayton Youth Sports League B. The Clayton Parks and Recreation youth sports league encourage our participants parents or guardians to become positively involved with their childs respective league. Good Sportsmanship A. Athletic contests naturally involve competition 1. The Clayton Youth Sports League desires to create an atmosphere in which the game is played with constructive orientation, rather than a win at all costs attitude. 2. Respect towards teammates, coaches, and referees must be instilled in all participants. 3. No matter what the outcome of the game, everyone gains a positive experience if they are treated respectfully and congratulated for giving their best effort.

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Youth Sports Coaches Code of Conduct City of Clayton

An opportunity to make a difference I will be responsible for all the kids on my team. I will do my best to insure that all the kids have fun playing sports. I will treat all kids with respect and avoid negative criticism. I will teach all kids the skills of the game, the values of teamwork and the meaning of good sportsmanship. I will lead by example and always demonstrate good sportsmanship during games. I will see that "all kids play" regardless of skill level. I will provide only encouragement and positive direction to players during games. I will know the rules and always play by the rules. I will respect the officials and their authority during games. I will communicate with the parents on my team and inform them of all team rules, practices and games. I will respect all facilities and equipment made available for my team to practice and play games. I will never use profanity, abusive language or threatening behavior towards any player, parent, coach or official.

Coaches Expectation
Youth Soccer coaches need to have an enthusiastic involvement for the kids to enjoy as well as learn the game of soccer. Be involved, but not too involved! Always remember to be a role model for your players no matter what happens. Here is our expectation. 1. Adhere to and support the youth sports rules and philosophies. 2. Communicate practice, game times and team information to parents. 3. Keep Athletics & Facilities Supervisor informed of all positive or negative information regarding the fields, officials, participants, or general public. 4. Organize practices. 5. Provide a supportive atmosphere for achieving team goals. 6. Keep winning in perspective, and help your players and parents to do the same. 7. Help your team/players set challenging but realistic performance goals rather than focusing on only winning the game. 8. Grant equal playing time to all children. 9. Although kids may get hurt playing sports, we do all we can to prevent injuries. Weve modified each sport to make it safer and more enjoyable to play. Coaches make sure the equipment and facilities are safe, and they teach the sport as weve prescribed so that the skills taught are appropriate for athletes developmental levels. And coaches constantly supervise their players and stop any unsafe activities. 10. Fair play is about playing by the rules-and more. Its about coaches and players showing respect for all participants and referees. 11. Sports are naturally fun for most kids. Sometimes when adults become involved in childrens
sporting activities they over-organize and dominate the activities to the point that it destroys kids enjoyment of them. If we take the fun out of sports for young athletes, we are in danger of having the young athletes take themselves out of sports.

Season Goals by Paul Hoelscher CHS Soccer Coach:

Designing your goals: Get started by thinking for yourself 1) Be specific to age and ability Where are their needs? Your goal should be progressive as kids get older Start simple and build Examples: 2nd Grade = pass, settle 3rd Grade = passing vs. shooting 6th Grade = combination play pass, settle, vision, (keep away) 8th Grade = movement with the ball passing to space, getting players open, etc. (advanced keep away) 2) Conditioning is a waste of time (your and theirs) Nothing before 9th grade should be isolated fitness Build cardio into your goals, practice objective Examples: 2nd grade = jog between stations 4th grade = spring between goals 6th grade = 10 min. game = no standing 8th grade = 20 min. game = no standing 3) Winning means nothing Dont make a goal of X wins and loses Focus should be on process, not final product Goals come easy early w/o skill development at the early states of soccer Possession shows far more ability than scoring Examples: 2nd grade = everyone settle one pass 4th grade = everyone settle and pass 6th grade = pass to score 8th grade = 4 passes before scoring 4) Focus on the development of basic, soccer specific skills To be a good high school player kids need to be able to 1) possess the soccer ball 2) attack 1 v 1, defend 1 v 1 3) see the field (vision) 4) know and understand field position 5) Sohow do I get there? 1 or 2 goals per each season Try to connect practices with goals Try to connect goals for each season to the next, previous goals Not enough just to play; play with a purpose Buthow do I develop skills? Demo: sample practice today Demo: with players on Thursday Not by accident or just from familiarity, but through planning
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Practice Plan:
Plan, plan, plan: then plan some more (by Paul Hoelscher, CHS Soccer Coach) 1) Each practice should be scripted Tips: Account for more time than you need Consider field space, age ability, equipment needed What to do with X kid? 2) Take your goal and subdivide into # of practices Examples: settling and passing the ball I have 5 practices before the season and 10 in the season In each of those 5 pre-season practices, I will -teach proper technique for each goal (settle, pass) -design 1 drill for each goal 3) Practices scripts or plans should connect/build on each previous Keep a binder on your practices, attendance Script several practices at a time, then review / adjust There are a number of practice plans and they all contain the following elements This plan should include: Provide objectives that should be accomplished during the practice. This can include both subjective and non-subjective goals. Outline the goals and requirements of the four basic activities and the amount of time you would like to devote to each. Our sample agenda includes recommended times and should vary with your teams skill development and maturity. Prepare a list of the equipment required. This helps ensure you only take what you need and makes sure you get what you need if you should be in a hurry. (You know, that pushy boss that wants a 5pm meeting.). The Practice Plan form gives you an area to take notes as to what aspects of the practice went well, what didnt, or maybe ideas you had to make the skill development simpler for the players. You can also take notes about the players responses during your Team Talk regarding the next practice. Keep these forms for a reminder next year.

Warm Up: This is especially important in developing long-term physical fitness awareness for your players and greatly reduces the risk of injury to your players. If your team is like most, the kids will wander onto the practice field. Do low impact games with them while waiting for everyone to show. When the warm-up officially begins, first demonstrate the exercise and then begin the exercise. Be sure to explain the exercise in words the players can understand. Sometimes you will have to teach them new words for this to work. Be sure that you participate with them, because the players will learn quickest by example. And if you can, get the parents to participate as well!
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Pre Practice Team Talk : Have a brief Team Talk with them and let them know what you want to accomplish today and what you expect of them today. Keep it simple and in words they can understand. Skill Development : Begin skill development drills and exercises. Spend the first 10 minutes improving skills taught in previous practices. You will need to focus on the less-talented players at this time to help them improve at a quicker pace. Consider providing these players a mentor, another player that can show them good execution of the skill. This mentoring approach also keeps more players busy and engaged providing more fun and participation. After the review, begin introducing a new skill game or regimen. You should strive to introduce one new skill, or a variation or refinement of a skill at every practice session. This may require a brief Team Talk with the players to provide a foundation of words or expectations. First explain the skill, then with other assistants, if necessary, demonstrate the skill using proper technique. Then turn the players loose to try it themselves. Once they begin the skill development exercise, try to keep further instruction and refinement to a minimum, and spend your time one-on-one with the players. Having other volunteers and coaches manage the team allows you to spend some quality time with each player while they are striving to learn. If you have an exceptional player or two, place them in a mentoring position with another players. Water Break: If you are in warm or summer conditions, take a 3 to 5 minute water break. Have the players gather in the Team Talk location and use this as a brief cool-down. You can have an assistant or player serve the water and you can use this opportunity to reinforce the skill(s) just practiced. Here's some more info about keeping you players properly hydrated. Play: Play a modified game or small-sided game / scrimmage. This will increase the likelihood that the skills you have just introduced or have previously introduced have real-world (read game-time) implications. Here are a few tips to ensure a successful (read fun and educational) scrimmage: Be sure to have the players rotate positions so that each player can understand the requirements of the position, and possibly develop an appreciation of other players that play that position. Have a couple of players be assistant coaches and officials. This encourages these players to understand the rules and really teaches a sense of fair play. Play for a pre-determined amount of time, not until a scrimmage team reaches a certain score. Focus on only one or two rules or skills at a time. Trying to teach too many skills / rules at a time can be overwhelming for most players.

Post Practice Team Talk : This provides time for the players to cool-down and reflect on their recent accomplishments. It also provides a time for you to repeat todays instructions and to communicate with your players. A sample agenda on the closing Team Talk could include the following: Ask the players to tell the team what they learned today. Try to refrain from using "Yes" or "No" questions. Dont force a player to make provide an answer to your questions. He may be too tired or mentally drained to answer your question. If they give you an inattentive answer, simply acknowledge their answer with a nod, smile or "thats interesting" and move on to the next player. Talk to the team about a particular rule or situation that may have happened in practice or the last game. For instance, in soccer, "Johnny pushed Jason down while going to the goal. What foul would be called? What would the penalty be?" Or in baseball, "Johnny was called out at second in our scrimmage. Can anybody explain why? " (Running outside of the baseline, tagged out, or force out). Ask the players what they would like to do in the next practice. This will give you a good pulse on what part of the game is the most fun, and will let you use this in between "less fun" activities. If your team is old enough or if you choose to use the "mentoring" practice, assign some players to be officials, assistants or mentors for the next practice. This creates enthusiasm for practice for these players, and is especially useful with less enthusiastic players. If youre going to give the players homework, now would be the time to do so. Give them very specific instructions on skills and rules they should practice and learn. For younger children you should provide this information as note cards or flash cards. Then see how many of them completed last weeks homework. Test them with simple questions. Summarize your discussion and repeat the important teachings of the day. With younger kids a small reward can help keep the players attention. (Bubble gum, etc) Make a game out of wrapping up the practice. Have the players pack up the equipment, balls, retrieve the bases or cones, etc

A practice plan form can be found at the end of this manual.

BASIC POSITIONS:
The number of players who play on the field varies greatly by age and league. The following are the basic positions for each team: One Goalkeeper ("GK") There is always just one Goalkeeper per team. The Goalie's job is to defend his team's goal and he usually stays close to his goal. You can identify the Goalie because he wears a different colored shirt or a vest over his shirt. As long as he is in the "Penalty Box" he can use his hands to pick up the ball, but if he comes out of the Penalty Box he cannot use his hands. Except for "Throw-Ins" and to pick up the ball in "Re-Start" situations, the Goalie is the only player who can legally use his hands. Usually 3 or 4 Defenders who are called Fullbacks ("FB"). Fullbacks play closest to their goal (which is the goal their Goalie defends). Along with the Goalie, they have the primary job of stopping the opponents from scoring. However, to a degree, every player should be a "defender" when the opponent has the ball. One way to teach this is by teaching the concepts of "First Defender" and "Second Defender". Usually 3 or 4 Midfielders ("MF") The Midfielders play between the Fullbacks and the Forwards. They are often in the "Middle Third" of the field. There can be "Offensive Midfielders" who play closer to the Forwards and "Defensive Midfielders" who play closer to the Fullbacks, as below. Usually 1, 2 or 3 Forwards ("F") Forwards play closer to the opponent's goal, which is the goal guarded by the opposing Goalie. The Forwards are the primary scorers, although Midfielders sometimes score and at older ages Fullbacks even occasionally score. There are also 2 special positions that some, but not all, teams use; a "Sweeper" and a "Stopper". A Sweeper will play behind the Fullbacks and a Stopper will play between the Fullbacks and the Midfielders. These positions add additional layers of defenders and give you defensive strength in the Center of the field.

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Dribbling Drills:
Red Light Green Light Drill Purpose: Fundamental foot skills for dribbling. Helps teach young children to keep the ball close and under control. Just like the game we played in our youth, the coach or one of the players is "IT". He or she stands at one end of the field with his or her back to the others and calls out red light, green light one two three and then turns around. The players meanwhile have been dribbling toward him or her and must stop, with their foot on top of the ball, when the player turns around. Anyone moving must go back to the beginning and start over. If a player reaches the person who is "IT" they are the winner.

Procedure:

Marbles Purpose: Procedure:

Possession dribbling Make a 15 x 15 box. Each child is in the box with a soccer ball. On the coachs signal, children try to keep possession of their own ball while trying to kick other balls out of the box. Once a childs ball has left the box, that child is out until the end of the game. The last child in the box wins.

Sharks Purpose: Procedure:

Possession dribbling Make a 15 x 30 box. Every child lines up on one of the end lines with a ball except for one child who is the shark. On the coachs signal, children try to dribble from one end of the box to the other while the shark tries to kick their ball out of the box. If a childs ball is kicked out of the box by a shark, he/she becomes a shark for the next round. The last child with possession of his/her ball wins and becomes the first shark for the next game. Develops dribbling skills with speed and works on the defender getting back in front of the ball on a breakaway. Setup Player A, 20-30 yards in front of the goal. Place Player B, five yards behind Player A. The coach stands even with Player A and passes the ball towards the goal. Player A must collect the ball, sprint towards the goal, and shoot before Player B can catch him. This drill can be done with or without a goalkeeper.

Challenge Drill Purpose:

Procedure:

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Passing Drills:
Line Drill Purpose: Procedure: To work on the fundamentals of passing Line up team into two lines about 7 feet across from each other and 5 feet next to each other. For younger kids, use cones to let them know where to stand. All the balls start on one Side A. The drill starts with every player on Side A passing the ball to the partner across from them on Side B. The person on Side B traps the ball and passes back to partner on Side A and moves down the line (move to the right when children are using their right foot, move left when children are using their left foot). The person at the ends jogs behind his side to the very beginning of the line. Once Side B goes through the line and return to their original partner, switch the balls so that Side B starts with the ball and Side A makes the pass and move. Variations can include right foot only, left foot only, two touch, one touch, trap with thigh, head ball back to partner. Circle Drill Purpose: Procedure: To work on the fundamentals of passing Split team up into two groups. One group (Group A) makes a big circle and start with a soccer ball. The other group (Group B) starts in the middle of the circle without a soccer ball. On coachs signal, players from Group B jogs around the circle and calls for a pass from a player in Group A on the outside of the circle, traps the ball and passes the ball back to the same player. The player in Group B then jogs to a different player in Group A and repeats (Encourage children not to run in a circle but to cut back and forth). After a set amount of time, switch groups so that Group A is in the circle and Group B is on the outside with the soccer ball. Variations can include two touch, one touch, trap with thigh, head back, receive the pass and dribble in the circle and pass back to a different player who does not have a soccer ball.

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Give and Go Drill Purpose: Procedure: Works on passing, moving without the ball and combination play. Setup three cones. Place four players behind cone A. Set cone B up about 10-15 yards downfield, and lineup two players at cone B. Set up cone C about 20-25 yards downfield from cone A and lineup two players at cone C. The first player in line at cone A passes the ball to the first player inline at cone B and continues up the field, the player at cone B receives the ball, tuns and returns the ball to the player from cone A. This player controls the pass and then makes a long pass to the player at cone C. The player at cone C, then dribbles with the ball to cone A. The player from cone A goes to the end of the line at cone B, the player from cone B goes to the end of the line at cone C and the player from cone C stays in line at cone A. Develops passing accuracy and receiving skills from a moving passer to a moving target. Position two players in a 15 X 15 yard area. Player A will pass to Player B who will dribble into open space and turn and pass back to player A, who has moved to an open area. Teaches possession and passing skills. Moving without the ball and looking for open areas, etc. Set-up a small field (30 X 30) with cones. Play 7 vs 4, where the team of seven tries to keep possession of the ball under pressure from the team of 4. The team of seven can score by passing the ball ten times to each other. The team of 4 can score by dribbling the ball outside of the cones. Teaches players to move to open space to receive the ball Divide players equally into two teams, use color vest for division. Have one teams start with the ball and try to keep the ball away from the other team. Have players focus on movement without the ball and to have field vision

Pass Dribble Pass Drill Purpose:

Procedure:

Positional Game Drill Purpose:

Procedure:

Keep Away Purpose: Procedure:

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3 v 1 in a box Purpose: Three versus 1 (also known as 3 v 1) is frequently done in a confined 10 X 10 area and the objective is for the 3 players to try to keep (possess) the ball away from the 1 defender in the middle of the box. The three players start in corners and someone moves to the open corner on each pass The player in the middle tries to steal the pass from the corner players. There is no passing across the middle of the box, only passing on 90 degree angles.

Procedure:

Shooting Drills:
The most important thing about shooting is to teach the child the correct mechanics of shooting as early as possible. Do Not Let Children Shoot with their Toe. A child should have their foot perpendicular to the ground, striking the ball with the laces of their shoes when they take a shot. It is also very important to have children use both feet to shoot as early as possible. Attackers are more dangerous when they can shoot with both feet. 3 vs 1 Finishing Drill Purpose: Helps develop finishing techniques and instinct when in position to score a goal. Teaches the player to take a shot as quickly as possible. Procedure: In the penalty box, line-up three forwards, against one defender and one goalie. The ball is played from outside of the box (mix up the services from each side of the box and from behind) to one of the forwards. The forwards are limited to two touch passing and one touch scoring and they are limited to three or less passes. Emphasize getting a shot off quickly and having the forwards that don't shoot attack the goal.

3 vs 1 Shooting Drill Purpose: Procedure: Teaches players to see the field and the open teammate. Position players about 30 yards from the goal. Player A lines up on defense and try's to steal the ball and protect the goal. Players 1, 2 and 3 are on offense and try to spread the field and make a series of passes until someone has an open shot. The person with the open shot takes the shot and the other two attack the goal for a possible put-back.

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Shooting Gallery Drill Purpose: Procedure: Helps develop directional shooting, aiming for the corners. Split up children into two teams and have them line up at a cone about 5 yards outside the goal box. Each team will shoot at different goals. In each goal, set up five cones in each corner. On the coachs signal, one player from each team will dribble until they reach the penalty spot at which time they shoot at one of the cones. Once the player retrieves his/her ball and dribbles back to the end of the line the next person in line can dribble and shoot. The first team to knock down all ten cones wins.

Shots in the Box Purpose: Procedure: To create urgency in the box Split up children into groups of four. Have two teams stand inside the goal box. The coach stands at the top of the box with twelve soccer balls. The coach passes the ball into the box. Both teams try to gain possession of the ball and shoot on goal. If a ball goes out of the box or in the goal, the coach plays a new ball right away. Have the other children who are not playing help shag the balls. After the coach plays the twelve balls, switch teams in the box and start a new game. Encourage the children to shoot as soon as they have an opening.

Steal the Bagel Purpose: Procedure:

Shooting and Defense Split up children into two teams and have them stand at the either side of the goal box. Without the other team hearing, give each child a number. The coach stands at the top of the goal box with a number of balls. Coach plays the ball into the box and calls a number. The child from each team with that number runs to the ball and tries to score. The child who does get to the ball, plays defense and tries to steal the ball. If he/she steals the ball, then he/she can try to score on goal. Coaches can have fun calling more than one number, evens, odds, schools, hair color, etc.

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Heading the Ball:

The beginner should keep two ideas in mind. First, try to strike the ball instead of letting the ball strike you. Second, to get maximum power and distance, put as much body weight behind the ball as possible. Beginners should try to strike the ball with their forehead, which is the most durable part of the head. Also a players eyes automatically follow a ball hit by the forehead. This makes it easier for the beginner to learn to control the ball. To begin, spread your feet slightly, keeping one foot farther back than the other. Bend your knees, bend forward from your hips and hold your arms slightly forward. As the ball approaches, arch your body backwards and let your head tilt back, but bend you knees even more. Then spring up and forward to meet the ball. At contact, snap your head forward, punching at the ball with your forehead. Remember to keep your neck muscles stiff and hit the ball, instead of letting it hit you. Otherwise youll be catching, or cushioning, the ball instead of heading it.

Head Over Drill Purpose: Procedure: Helps improve heading skills with subtle defensive pressure. Position three players in a line. With player 1 and 3 approximately 10 yards apart, and player 2 positioned in the middle of them. Player 1 tosses the ball over player 2 to player 3, who will return the ball by heading it. Repeat several times and then change roles.

Head/Catch Purpose: Procedure:

To get children used to heading the ball in a fun game environment Line up the children in one line. Coach stands 2 3 feet away from the children and tosses the ball. If a coach says, Catch, the child must head the ball. If a coach says, Head the child must catch the ball. If a child does the proper action, he/she remains in the game. If a child does the incorrect action, he/she must sit down and is out of for the rest of the game. The last child remaining wins.

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Goalkeeper Drills:
Inch Worm: The keeper sits on his heels and the coach throws the ball just in his reach where he has to do a short dive for it. Keep going in the same direction, with the keeper getting back on his heels each time, then reverse direction. Keeper Shuffle: Often times, simple drills are the most effective in training goalkeepers. Here is a great drill contributed by eteamz user John Chernin: Place a cone about 2-3 feet in from a post. Beginning at the cone, have the keeper shuffle to the opposite side of the goal, and touch the post. When he/she touches the post, send a shot (in the air, or on the ground) within the cone and the far post. The keeper then must stop the ball. Do this drill quickly for agility and to condition. Sprint and Dive: The Coach stands at the 18 with a ball in hand, the keeper is on the goal line facing out. Upon calling "go," the keeper sprints out and touches the ball. After the keeper touches the ball, throw the ball over his head towards the goal while he is sprinting back trying to stop it from going in. This drill is for teaching how to punch the ball out, while being close to trouble (the goal). Add additional resources (web-site addresses for additional drills)

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Additional Resources:
Websites www.decatursports.com/soccerdrills.htm Soccer Articles, drills, exercises and tips www.finesoccer.com/finesoccer_drills_archive.htm 237 drills www.flashdrills.com/intro2.cfm Sign up for access to 50 free drills www.eteamz.active.com/soccer/instruction/tips/index.cfm Tips and drills. You can sign up to have tips and drills e-mailed to you. www.geocities.com/markpalm94598/Soccer.html Coaching Information, tips and drills www.joesoccer.com Animated soccer drills www.reedswain.com Recommendations for videos and books www.soccerclub.com/training/drills/default.asp 45 drills www.soccerhelp.com Soccer Drills, skills, rules and tips www.soccer-training-info.com Coaching Information, proper technique information www.strongsoccer.com Teaching techniques, free video clips Books for New Coaches Coaching 6,7 and 8 year olds by Tony Waiters and Bobby Howe Coaching 9, 10 and 11 year olds by Tony Waiters Great Soccer Drills: A Baffled Parents Guide by Robert Quinn Books for Coaches with some experience Coaching U8s A complete Coaching Course by Tino Stoop Coaching U10s A complete Coaching Course by Tino Stoop 101 Youth Soccer Drills by Malcolm Cook

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Practice Plan Worksheet Date: ______________________ Practice Emphases: ___________ 1. _________________________ 2. _________________________ Time Practice Number: ______________ Time Started: _________________ Time Ended: _________________ Total Time: __________________ Coaching Emphases

Practice Activity

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