Coaching
Curriculum
U6
– U12
LaGrange
Soccer Club
May 2009
LaGrange
Soccer Club Mission
Our mission is to provide all
players within the program an opportunity to develop to the best of
their potential. While soccer is a competitive sport, the program’s
primary focus is to teach the game and foster an enjoyment of the sport
so that players will be well versed in the skills, tactics and strategies
of the game, while at the same time maintaining a high level of sportsmanship.
How does a curriculum help
our program?
By creating and providing a curriculum for coaches to follow, we are developing coaching consistency and developmental progression. The curriculum will assist coaches to ensure that our players are being provided with the best soccer environment possible. The curriculum is divided into 4 different specific age groups:
U6, U8, U10 and U12.
There are 3 L’s in soccer
that should be avoided with any age group a coach works with:
NO LINES.
NO LAPS.
NO LECTURES.
And remember, exercise should
never be used as punishment.
This document is a starting
point - we intend to add, update and improve its content and usefulness
based on feedback and guidance from you - our coaching staff.
Please do not hesitate to contact
me to discuss and suggest additions and improvements.
Kieran Mcllvenny
Director of Coaching
LaGrange Soccer Club
May 2009
U6 Age
Group
Important characteristics of
this age group are:
Large muscle groups are more developed that small muscle groups.
Hand and eye coordination are still developing.
Difference between boys and girls is minimal.
Players are restless and need to be kept active.
Players have 2 speeds, fast and stopped.
They like to fall down.
They are focused on themselves and don’t understand the team aspect.(It’s me against everyone else).
Frequent water breaks are important.
Limited attention span, directions should be concise and to the point.
Players like to be encouraged and congratulated on their efforts and they look for adult approval.
They will not understand a clipboard. Better to demonstrate.
There activities should be fun and interesting and every player should have a ball.
Corrections should be made
in a positive manner without inference that an error has occurred.
Skill Priorities For The
U6 Player.
Ball Control.
Lots of touches on the ball, “baby” touches, using different parts of the feet, both right and left. Toe touching should be discouraged.
There are a multitude of games
you can play at practices to encourage dribbling and ball control, that
are both fun and instructional.
Shark Attack Red Light, Green Light
Monsters Loose Doctor, Doctor
Lions and Tourists 1 v 1
Simon Says Square Dance
Tidy Your Room Capture the Balls
Tag
U8 Age
Group
Important characteristics of
this age group are:
Players enjoy working in pairs.
Are able to see another’s perspective.
Have a limited ability to tackle more that one task at one time.
Players still dribble with head down.
They don’t understand what it means to “spread out”.
Players need social acceptance.
Wearing a scrimmage or uniform is exciting.
Positive communication from coaches is needed.
They want to have fun.
Players want to be active, with limited down time.
There is a wider range of abilities than at U6.
By attempting fundamental technical skills, they are training their bodies to remember certain movements.
Casual, offhand remarks can
be taken the wrong way.
Skill Priorities For The
U8 Player.
Ball Control.
Tackling.
Shielding.
1st Touch.
Finishing.
Passing and Receiving.
Games should be soccer related.
Most of the games for the U6 age group can still be used in addition
to:
Free Dribble. Keepaway
Knockout. Shadow Dribble
Shield-Steal. Pacman
Ping Pong 2 v 1, 2 v 2, etc.
Soccer Tag.
U10 Age
Group
Important characteristics of
this age group are:
Varied growth spurts, with girls sometimes taller than boys as well as being more mature.
Reaction time has improved as well as coordination.
Larger attention span than earlier age groups.
Players enjoy competition.
There is still a need for positive recognition.
Expect teasing and horseplay.
There is a greater diversity in skills.
The athletically superior players tend to dominate the games but in the long run it is the better skilled players who will become better players.
Peer pressure emerges and there is a fear of embarrassment.
Players should still play all positions.
They start to recognize basic tactical concepts.
Crucial age for technical development.
Players are able to work within
larger groups ( 3 or 4 is optimum).
Skill Priorities For The
U10 Player:
Ball Control.
Passing and Receiving
Finishing.
Goalkeeping.
Basic Attacking Concepts.
Basic Defending Concepts.
1st touch.
Some of the games for the younger
groups are still appropriate for the U10.
Though the players are more
competitive, they still like to have fun( applies to any age group).
They like to score goals! Games with lots of point scoring are great
for this age group.
2v2, 3 v 2, 3 v 3 etc.
Knee Drop
Pinnie Drop
4 Goals
Line To Line
Juggling
Games involving partners or
small groups.
U12 Age
Group
Important characteristics of
this age group are:
Onset of Puberty brings significant psychological and physical changes.
Peer pressure is more prevalent than before.
Players start to question referee or coach decisions.
Emphasis on sportsmanship and fair play is never more important.
More noticeable differences in skill, size, speed, strength and motivation.
Players may start gravitating to one position(comfort zone). They are still too young to do this. Coaches should try to discourage this as, in the long run, it hampers all round development.
Small sided training games are best to introduce basic tactical elements of the game.
Dynamic warm-ups should now be a standard part of the practice or match.
Egos are sensitive.
Coaches should encourage feedback from players as they are now capable to do so.
Practices should be challenging and fun.
Skill Priorities For The
U12 Player.
Speed Dribbling.
Receiving Balls In The Air As Well As On The Ground.
Basic Introduction To Heading.
Longer Passing.
Finishing.
Communication.
Wall Passes And Combination Play.
Specific Roles Of Players( 1st Defender, 1st Attacker, etc).
Goalkeeping.
Small sided games are still the best teaching environment, but field size can be increased at times to mimic matches.
Shadow play can be useful tool
for teaching.
Transition games.
5 v 5, 7 v 5 etc.
1 v 1 is always an important
tactical and technical teaching game.
How Should Time Be Best Divided
For A Practice?
A good guideline for best utilizing how time is managed is that two thirds of the time should be allocated to a good soccer related warmup and the technical/tactical training skill(s) to be taught. The remaining third should be the scrimmage portion of the practice where the players get a chance to put into play what they have learned. Please remember that this is only a guideline. Some coaches like to do a warmup and get straight into a scrimmage to try to improve on certain aspects of the game that was perhaps lacking in the last match played. This is more of the Dutch style of practice planning, where the four “main moments in soccer” are taught.
1. Possession of the ball by the opponent.
2. Transition to possession by own team.
3. Possession of the ball.
4. Transition to possession
by the opponent.
The Dutch style involves multiple variations of small sided games to teach the four main moments.
A number of coaches like to
end their practices with a cool down. The older the players, the more
important this is. The cool down can be in the form of some light stretches
or a fun game, with or without the ball. A dynamic finishing game
would be considered a great way to end a practice, so that the players
leave the field on a good note.
Below are a number of good
websites that offer a variety of good practices and also describe in
more detail a number of the fun game related practices listed in each
age group.