Coaching a U8 Practice

“No laps, No lines, No lectures!”

KEEP IT SIMPLE

  • Keeping it simple is the key! - in order to run as smoothly as possible, it’s great to be organized. I know that can be tricky in a volunteer role.

    Arrive as early as you can (30mins) to set up and be organized - maybe 45mins for the first couple of sessions, if possible.

    ✅You should always know what your session goal is and what exercises you want to do. Don’t worry - we have this covered in our SESSION PLANS

    ✅Prepare to fail - it might all go wrong! What happens if your session doesn’t go to plan? Revert to a simple, fun game or just scrimmage and encourage!

  • Make sure you communicate all of the necessary information with parents for practice schedules

    ✅Be clear with communication and ask the same in return - get yourself and the team familiar with simple terms for

    ✅Set up a team message group on your phone, or use a dedicated sports team app like TeamSnap or Spond (FREE!) - this will help you and the team know:

    ✅ Dates/location/times of practices & games?

    ✅How many are coming to the session/game so you can plan accordingly

    ADVERSE WEATHER/SICKNESS

    ✅Does the club have a protocol for adverse weather & does the team know it?

    ✅Do you need to reschedule? What time/location

    ✅ Are you sick? Going to be late? Let the team know in good time.

  • ✅BALLS (with a bag!)

    ✅A PUMP

    ✅CONES

    ✅PINNIES

    ✅GOALS

    ✅FIRST AID

    You can ask parents to bring a ball for their child. SIZE 3 BALLS are used in the U8 age-group.

    You can find recommended equipment to buy here

  • Greet every player with a high-5 or a fist-bump and ask them:

    ✅How was their day?

    ✅Did they learn anything fun at school?

    ✅What fun things have they been doing this week?

    Acknowledge all of them and make them feel like you’re happy to see them!

  • FREE PLAY

    Before they arrive and you’ve said ‘hi’, set up 2 goals and give them a ball and get them playing!

    Let them make their own rules up, you can set out a rough field with cones, but just let them play for 10 minutes.

    It will help them decompress after a long day at school, meet up with friends or make new ones, get comfortable with the ball and warm up - and to have fun. If you want to join in and have a laugh with them, that’s fine too.

Below is a rough guide to the different levels of challenge that should be taken into account throughout a session. So if your session is 1hr or 1h30m, break to the session up accordingly. You want to see FUN & DEVELOPMENT throughout.

Play-Practice-Play is the US U6-12 Grassroots developed philosophy designed around a player-centered approach to coaching. Taking a player-centered approach places the needs and motivations of the player at the forefront of a coach’s approach to coaching his or her players.

Session times vary in different clubs, but sessions shouldn’t be much more than an hour at this age. 1h15m max. If the session is 1hr and you don’t think you can fit in 2 main parts, don’t worry - just do one! Keep it simple! If you’ve started an exercise and the kids aren’t really getting it or aren’t engaged, change it or give them a quick break. If you have a 1h15-30min session, then 2 main parts would work.

intenstiychartnsc.png

5 Elements of a session

US Soccer’s coaching methodology includes 5 elements in a practice session that will give you the most success for development. Each of the sessions within New Soccer Coach are set up to give you the tools for success in these areas but it’s up to you as a coach to ensure they’re adhered to:

  • ⚽SESSION GOAL - a clear goal to the session; i.e. improve passing, opposed dribbling or developing scoring opportunities

    ⚽SETUP - everything is set up and ready for the session - correct field size, players are in the right positions to start, you, as a coach, are in a good position to obverse the session in full and you’re playing within a safe environment

    ⚽DESCRIPTION - all the players understand the rules, the goal, and what they need to achieve.

  • ⚽There is always context to the actual game of soccer within each exercise. This usually means that it looks like the game of soccer but if not exactly, the exercise has components that can translate directly to the game in a technical, tactical, physical, and mental context.

    OUTCOME- The training environment provides players with an enjoyable, game-like experience

  • ⚽ There are plenty of opportunities for the players to practice the exercise. The more players are on the ball the more they will learn. More time on the ball means more player-centered learning.

    ⚽ Set yourself & players up for success. If you need repetition, do you have enough balls ready to go? Get the players to fetch balls and get back into position quickly to get more game time!

  • A session should provide challenge enough for success and failure in order to develop resilience and for the player to feel a sense of accomplishment to drive them to get better.

    ⚽If it’s too difficult - Make the field larger, take away a defender, make the goals bigger!

    ⚽Need more challenge? - Make the area smaller, add a defender, ask them to use their non-dominant foot or do it quicker!

  • Use moments to give SPECIFIC feedback and provide actions and observations for development.

    It’s best to allow the game to be the teacher - let them play and work things out - but it’s always good to add concise and effective instruction at times too. Don’t do it for the sake of it, or too much. Just when you see a great opportunity for the players to learn.

    ⚽Coach in the flow - give encouragement or a word or two while the game is happening ‘great

    ⚽Natural stoppages in play - The ball goes out of play - while the play is resetting, take the moment to give players feedback or a coaching point.

    ⚽FREEZE! - You feel you need to stop the play to make a point? Do it! Make sure it’s short and sharp and maybe ask an open question ‘what could you do differently next time you have space?’

    Coaching should be linked to the goal of the session - i.e. if the session goal is to improve dribbling, spend most of the coachable moments focusing on coaching dribbling.

    OUTCOME - Players experience success and use mistakes as meaningful learning opportunities.

  • Players should have a water break in between each part of the session.

    The main parts should be broken up into repetitions of 2-3 mins between short breaks where you can give concise encouragement and instruction or get the players to reset, and back into position.

    Get into the habit of asking the players to tidy up cones and goals, giving you time to get the next thing set up and give them some responsibility!

  • Expect to make lots of mistakes. We all make mistakes, your session won’t be perfect. Don’t expect it to be. Just remember - as long as the kids are having fun and learning, you’re doing it right.

    🤯 IT’S NOT WORKING!!!

    Don’t worry, don’t panic. Sometimes you realize the challenge is too much or the kids are particularly restless today.

    ✅ TAKE A STEP BACK, TAKE A BREATH and GO BACK TO A FUN EXERCISE OR GAME THEY LOVE or just PLAY the GAME OF SOCCER ⚽

    They are here to have FUN.

    Within the session plans, there are guides to field, area, and zone sizes. These guides help players get the best out of the skill and to help develop that particular skill. As a rule, you can make the area larger or smaller to change the difficulty.

    For example; the players are developing well with their dribbling drill and some are finding it a little too easy - bring one side of the cones in a step or two while they’re playing or at a break in play.

    If you are well prepared, there’s more chance of success.

  • The goal is always:

    FUN

    DEVELOPMENT

    POSITIVITY


    You want to keep them in the game give them a great experience to come back the next week.

    Encourage the players and make sure they’re having fun.

    We are not trying to turn these young players into Messi, Mbappe or Ronaldo, but with positive coaching and encouragement, we can help them be the happiest, best versions of themselves they can be.