INTRO

Hi Coaches,

My name is Simon Perkins and I am the technical director helping John Hollow develop coaches and players in the greater Helena area. John and I wanted to offer this website as a media resource that introduces a number of age appropriate coaching videos from www.insidesoccer.com. Insidesoccer is an online library of hundreds of video clips approximately 2-5 minutes in length that show top professional coaches from the best clubs around the world (i.e. Chelsea, Inter Milan, Valencia, Boca Juniors, Sporting Lisbon, Ajax, etc.) working with their youth teams and practicing numerous exercises and conditioned games. Basically, you get a chance to watch the best of the best demonstrate practices that you can coach with your own teams. Not only do the videos offer great drills, exercises and games, but they also offer examples of great coaching strategies for the game of soccer.

Although there are numerous tactics and concepts within the sport, we want U8 and U10 players to mostly focus on learning and practicing proper individual technique, whether it be dribbling, passing, defending, shooting, etc. This way each player develops a solid technical foundation to build upon if they choose to pursue the game at a higher, more advance level. When learning proper technique, it is important for players to receive one-on-one attention from their coaches. However, please note how the coaches in the videos often put the players in good situations where they can explore the game and learn for themselves. In other words, coaches need to be very much involved when teaching technical concepts, but at the same time they must be careful not to over coach. Often, great youth coaches will achieve this balance by alternating between exercises and conditioned games.

On this site, you will find examples of both exercises and games organized in the following categories (found on the right side of the webpage): Ball Control/Dribbling, 1v1, Passing, and Shooting. Please don’t be afraid to repeat a specific game or exercise, especially if your players really enjoy it. Often, players will get more out of an exercise the second, third, or even fourth time (you can always add on variations or more challenging restrictions). However, while viewing these videos, please keep in mind that these kids are some of the best players in the world for their age (many will go on to sign some sort of professional contract), so you need to adjust your expectations and your approach accordingly. Have fun exploring these videos and please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or ideas. My email is simonrperkins@gmail.com.

Thanks and enjoy,

Simon

(PLEASE NOTE: insidesoccer has become so popular recently that they now charge a subscription fee to use their website. To take advantage of all their helpful coaching resources, you can buy the "Bootroom Subscription," or if you want to save some money choose the "Coach Subscription" (only $7.95 a month and gives you access to all of the coaching videos). To browse subscription options, please visit https://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/subscription.

DRIBBLING/BALL CONTROL

Dribbling Using Different Surfaces of the Foot -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=518&pro=1 -- This is an exercise that helps young players explore the different surfaces of the foot to use when dribbling. Have them go at their own pace so that they get the technique correct. As explained in the video, the laces are used for dribbling at a fast pace, the bottom of the foot is used more for dribbling in tight places, and the inside of the foot is a general, all-purpose dribbling technique used all over the field. Don’t space out the dribblers too much (you don’t want too many people standing around) and make sure you switch out the players acting as cones frequently.

Dribbling Practice -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=456&pro=1 -- This is another exercise that allows the players to practice proper dribbling technique with multiple surfaces of the foot. Make sure the players understand that when they are trying to dribble in a straight line at a fast pace, they should have their toe pointed down and should be touching the ball with their laces. With the other dribbling techniques, encourage your players to really focus on their touches and control of the ball.

Follow the Leader -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=484 -- This is a simple exercise that gives young players the opportunity to get many touches and encourages them to keep their head up while always remaining in control of the ball. Don’t allow the partners without the ball to go too fast, however they do want to challenge their teammates.

Ball Familiarity -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=376 -- This is an enjoyable game for players to get in many touches and become comfortable on the ball. The players need to dribble with their heads up so that they don’t collide with one another. When you call out a body part, make sure the players are controlling the ball by stopping it quickly with their foot before touching it with the specific part of the body. Once the players get comfortable with the exercise, try calling out a body part and asking your players to quickly stop the ball with their foot, touch the ball with the specific part of the body, and then get up and continue dribbling, trying to execute the entire process as fast as they can. To advance the exercise, incorporate several dribbling moves (see the “1v1” section), alternating between calling out body parts and a specific move, as demonstrated in the video.

Dribbling Line Game -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=485 -- This is a fun game that promotes quick footwork, dribbling with your head up, and constant ball control. With young players, it is always ideal to work in beneficial games between technical exercises. These games should be enjoyable and also encourage the practice of soccer concepts.

King of the Ring -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=235 -- Many of us know this game and have used it before to coach young players. It is best if this game is played after a technical dribbling exercise where the players explore and practice using different surfaces of the foot (see “1v1” section). It is also probably a good idea to have previously introduced the idea of shielding (keeping your body between the ball and the opposing player), as players must utilize this skill to be effective in the game.

Stuck in the Mud -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=241 -- This is another fun game to practice ball control. Rotate the tagging players appropriately.

Chasing Game -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=596 -- Before playing this game, your team should be comfortable with the different ways to change direction and turn while dribbling (see “1v1” section). This is a fun game of chase where one player is trying to tag the other player. Ideally, coaches want to match players of equal skill with one another. Make sure to rotate the players who are “it.”

1v1

Dribbling Moves – It is important for young players to get comfortable and confident on the ball. Part of this confidence stems from building a repertoire of moves to use in the flow of play. Obviously, if certain moves are practiced correctly at an early stage in a player’s development, they become second nature and will benefit the player when he or she is playing at an older, more competitive level where the emphasis is on anticipation and quick decision making. There are a number of moves out there in the soccer world, and encourage your players to experiment in this regard, but here six videos that demonstrate the proper technique of several attacking and turning moves. During practice, encourage your players to rise above the tendency of just going through the motions. They should have fun with selling the fake and should always practice incorporating a burst of speed at the end of the move to gain separation from the potential defender.
Scissor Dribble -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=602
Matthews Dribble -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=624
Inside/Outside -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=604
Inside Hook Turn -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=336
Outside Hook Turn -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=337
Drag Back Turn -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=279 -- After dragging the ball back, I prefer players to use the outside of the same foot to push the ball into space in the opposite direction. I believe this technique helps players execute the move faster and create quick separation from a defender.

Colored Cones -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=260 -- This is an exercise where players can practice dribbling, turning, and 1v1 moves. If you don’t have multi-colored cones, you can use pinnies or even other soccer balls. With the different colored cones, the players must keep their heads up and be aware of their specific responsibilities. Encourage every player to focus on proper technique while performing their moves.


1v1 to Two Goals -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=488 -- Once your players become comfortable dribbling the ball and have experimented with different moves, you can run an exercise like this where they get to explore the techniques they have learned. Be careful not to over-coach because you want your younger players to be creative, try new things, and learn from their failures. Using a situation with two goals allows you to develop the concept of using moves to fake one intention and execute another.

1v1 Endzone -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=418&pro=1 -- This is another option for practicing 1v1 attacking and defending. Notice how the angled approach by the defender creates an opportunity to introduce the importance of the attacker’s first touch. Encourage your players to use their first touch to their advantage. A productive first touch gives the attacker a huge leg up and promotes the all important soccer concept of knowing what you want to do with the ball before you receive it. Also, note the quick restarts, allowing the players plenty of repetitions and touches.

Numbers Game -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=525&pro=1 -- This is a common game used in practice to promote one-on-one attacking and defending. It can be a great follow-up game after practicing proper technique. When I run this with younger teams, I change players much more frequently than the coach in the video (I hate having young players stand around for too long). But I do love the fact that the coaches always have balls ready in order to enable fast restarts and not disrupt the flow of the game. You can advance this game by calling two or three numbers so that the 1v1 now becomes a 2v2 or 3v3.

Mini World Cup -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=268 -- Most of us know the popular practice game “World Cup,” but the problem with the traditional form of this game is that is usually resembles a chaotic form of half court basketball and often falls short in addressing important soccer concepts. This new version of World Cup incorporates a directional element as well as demands other tactical and technical ideas. Note how when a team gets scored on, the player on the field is replaced by his or her teammate. If that team is scored on again, then they are eliminated and the game continues with three teams. If need be, you can add a third player to each team, although this adds to the total number of players standing around. Have a number of balls ready for quick restarts so as not to disrupt the flow or tempo of the game.

PASSING

Passing & Receiving -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=438&pro=1 -- Here is a simple, straightforward exercise that allows players to practice passing and receiving the ball. When passing in this exercise, the players should use the inside of their foot and try to be as accurate as possible. Players should also be encouraged to focus on the weight of their pass (they don't want the pass to be too hard or too soft for obvious reasons). When receiving, the player wants to get in the habit of not simply stopping the ball at their feet, but rather setting themselves up for what they want to do next, in this case a pass. Their first touch should be out in front of them and if possible slightly angled in the direction of the foot they want to pass with.

Following Your Pass -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=349 -- In this exercise, players work on their passing technique and rotate around the square by following their pass after playing the ball. Again, encourage your players to focus on the weight and accuracy of their pass. When they receive the ball, their first touch should be in the direction they want to pass the ball. This is an important concept to introduce to players early on in their development. While possessing the ball at older and more advanced levels of the game, players are discouraged from reacting and making decisions on the ball. Coaches would rather have a player who anticipates and knows what they want to do with the ball before receiving it. Therefore, a players first touch when receiving the ball should be productive and set up their next action. Halfway through the video, the coach advances the exercise by having the players check away from the cone and create space for the pass. This not only serves to lead away a potential defender, but it also helps the receiving player adapt proper body positioning when receiving the ball, allowing them to see the entire field in order to be productive with their next pass. At appropriate times, reverse the direction of the passes in order to make the players practice with both feet.

Passing Through Gates -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=262 -- If you think your team is advanced enough to play this possession game, then you should try it because it is a great opportunity for your players to practice quick passing and productive movement. However, most young teams might not be ready for this type of conditioned game, but there is a very good alternative. Just like in the video, set up a number of cone goals inside a playing area. Divide the team up into pairs and each pair should have one ball.
Give the players thirty or forty-five seconds where each pair sees how many times they can pass successfully through a coned goal (they can’t pass through the same goal twice). Each goal counts as a point and each pair should see how many points they can score in the allotted time frame (all pairs are going at the same time so that they are forced to play with their heads up and not bump into one another). Have them go a second and third time and see if they can beat their previous scores. Explain to your players that they can score more goals in the set amount of time by communicating and anticipating. When a teammate receives a pass through the cone, if he or she and their teammate communicate and know where they want to go next, the receiving player can use his or her first touch productively to set up the next scoring opportunity, and thus speeds up the entire process.

2v2 With Three Goals -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=252 -- In this conditioned game, teams of two square off against one another in a small grid with three goals on each end. This game allows players to practice and explore 1v1 attacking and defending, but also promotes good passing and support between teammates. With three goals, often the best scoring opportunity comes from finding your teammate with a good pass to create a quick scoring chance. Note how the coach has a number of balls ready for quick restarts when the ball goes out of play. This limits standing around time.

Possession In Each Half -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=573&pro=1 -- This is a very good conditioned game that introduces your players to the idea of passing to possess the ball. However, when working with young players, it is important to give the team on offense a huge advantage in order to make the exercise work. I would suggest setting up a larger playing area and having five or six players one each team, with the team not in possession sending only one defender. Let the team on offense try to possess the ball for a little while, then switch possession to the other team and reverse roles. In this video, you are watching one of the world’s best U17 teams, so make sure you adjust your expectations accordingly and try to develop the game so that your players find themselves in a good position to be successful.

SHOOTING

Heading, Dribbling & Shooting -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=287 -- This exercise gives players several ball control techniques to practice before finishing with a shot on goal (every kid’s favorite). With the header, make sure each player is executing the fundamentals listed at the end of the video (the earlier a player becomes comfortable using his or her head, the more productive they will be heading the ball at an older age—plus learning the proper technique of a header helps prevent injury). On the last pass, the players are exposed to a give-and-go wall pass. Help them understand the importance and the advantage of making a run and looking to receive the ball immediately after passing it (we want to discourage the habit of standing and “watching” or “admiring” one's pass).

Shooting Practice -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=243 -- This exercise allows players to get a lot of repetitions and practice shooting on goal. The player in the first line performs a move (see “1v1”) before shooting, and then turn to give a wall pass to the player in the second line. I like setting up a cone as a “defender” for the players in the first line to perform their move around. Make sure each line is the appropriate distance away from goal depending on your players’ ability (you don’t want them too close, but you also don’t want them too far). Keeping the tempo of this exercise high gives players repeated opportunities to practice and become more comfortable with their shooting. Make sure the players switch lines each time. You can advance this exercise by adding a third line to create a 1v1 opportunity, as demonstrated in this video: http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=244.

1v1 Dribbling & Shooting -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=375 -- (Note: It is important for the players to have some previous exposure to one-on-one moves so they have a foundation to build off of--see "1v1" section). With this exercise, explain to the players that the idea is to gain separation from the defenders and create a small window to shoot on goal. If attacking players pass up this type of scoring opportunity by taking too many additional touches, it gives the defender (or other supporting defenders in a real game situation) time to recover and the attackers often lose their chance to get a shot on goal. The idea of creating a window for a quick shot (and not taking too many unnecessary touches) will be essential for any of your players when they get to a more competitive level of soccer.

Shooting at Speed -- http://www.insidesoccer.com/is-web/movie?id=453&pro=1 -- This is a fun game to play with younger players and allows them to practice shooting and also gives them the chance to enjoy trying to make a save. Depending on the age of your team, you might want to start each line closer to the goal. Ideally, you want players of equal skill going against one another, so as a coach, it might be smart to match up opposing players accordingly. The attacking players want to dribble at pace and get a shot off as quickly as possible. Tell the shooting players that once they reach the cone, they must shoot behind it (this makes them practice shooting and prevents them from dribbling the ball into the goal). Encourage the attacking players to dribble a yard or two up-field of the cone so that their final touch can be toward goal before shooting (this prevents them from trying to shoot across their body, which can interfere with power and accuracy).

U6 Dribbling -- Coaches Connection Lesson Plan

Click the link below to view the "U6 Dribbling" Coaches Connection lesson plan from usyouthsoccer.org.

http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/docs/coaches/coachesconnection/u6%20dribbling.pdf

U10/U12 Heading -- Coaches Connection Lesson Plan

Click the link below to download the "U10/U12 Heading" Coaches Connection lesson plan from usyouthsoccer.org.

http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/docs/coaches/coachesconnection/u10%20heading%202%20jan2004.doc

NEW -- "Receiving Lofted Balls" Coaches Connection Lesson Plan

U6 Meeting Outline 4/15 -- John Hollow

U6 FIND THE GAME WITHIN

BALL EACH

CREATIVITY, ASK QUESTIONS, ALLOW

INDIVIDUAL FOCUS

1. BALL RETRIEVAL
REMEMBER – CENTRAL TO ARM TO LEG

BRING BALL ANYWAY
BRING W/ HANDS
BRING W/OUT HANDS
FAVORITE FOOT
OTHER FOOT
BOTH FEET

WITH/OUT I CAN DO THIS. CAN YOU?

2. BALANCE
WHAT CAN Y0U DO? COPY

WITH BALL – I CAN DO THIS. CAN YOU?
TAP W/ ALTERNATING FEET

WHAT CAN YOU DO? COPY

3. BODY PART STOP


4. DRIVE AROUND TOWN
WEAVE W/ BOTH FEET.
HOW WE GOING TO STOP

SPEED IN SCHOOL ZONE

SPEED ON FOUR LANE

TURN CORNERS

5. RANDOM CONE DRIBBLE
AROUND
SCORE -- THEN BEAT YOUR SCORE. EFFORT

THEN, RUN OVER CONES.

6. SIMON SAYS – LISTEN

7. DO THIS – DO; DO THAT – DON’T DO

8. RED LIGHT; GREEN LIGHT.

9. MATH SOCCER

END – 1 + 2 = 3, THEN PLAY
10. 3 V 3 SOME INSTRUCTION ON RULES.

U8 Meeting Outline 4/15 -- John Hollow

U – 8, YMCA

PLAY IN PAIRS

CLEAR CONCISE

CATCH DOING RIGHT

1. STAY ON ISLAND DRIBBLING

PARTS OF FEET. SHOW ME

TURNING. SHOW ME.

CAN YOU DO THIS? COACH

STOPPING – HOW

GAME – STOOOOOOOP, PTS IF NOT

GAME – SWITCH,

GAME – ARMS OUT AT STOP,
IF TOUCHING, PTS
DRIBBLE TO SPACE TO KEEP AWAY

2. MATH DRIBBLE

3. PAC MAN

SHIRTS ON 2 W/ BALL

IF HIT NONE SHIRT, BECOME PAC MAN, GET SHIRT.

4. TAG
PAIRS – HOLD HANDS, TAG

WHAT WOULD BE BETTER
PASS
PAIRS – EYES OF ONE CLOSED, TALK


5. HOSPITAL TAG

HOLD PART TAGGED, IF TWO PARTS, COME TO DOC
REMEDY – SOME BALL SKILL, THEN BACK IN

6. FREEZE TAX

IF TAGGER, FREEZE W/ LEGS SPLIT
UNFREEZE BY BALL THROUGH LEGS.

7. SHOOT S0CCER MARBELS

PAIRS, EACH W/ BALL. IF HIT, THEN HIT OTHER

SWITCH PARTNERS OFTEN

THEN, ONE BALL PER PAIR, FOUR TO GROUP. HIT OTHER BALL IN GROUP

8. GOLDEN GATES,
PAIRS PASS THROUGH
SCORE – BEAT SCORE.

9 . KNOCK DOWN THREE

10. THREE CONES 2 V 2
TRY TO HIT CONES

11. 4 V 4
FOUR PARENTS AT GATE GUARDS

F0UR LARGER GATES

4 V 4
12. FINAL GAMES, SOME INSTRUCTION

13. POST GAMES

SOCCERNASTICS W/ BALL

DRAW

STEP ON BALL IN PAIRS

NOW, GO AROUND IN PAIRS.

14. KISS THE CONE
LAG LIKE IN PLAYING POOL

LATER IN SEASON

GET OUT OF HERE

TWO LINES, ONE GREEN, ONE RED

STACK OF BALLS

GOALS

KICK BALL, TWO KIDS TAKE TO EITHER END