What is Clinic Soccer?

Clinic soccer is about having fun and learning soccer.  It is NOT about winning games.  It about having all kids on a team score a goal, make a great pass, or block a shot.  It is about families out on a field with a ball enjoying soccer and having fun.  And if all goes well, they also get better at soccer.

 

The Coach’s Job

The coach’s job is to teach the players soccer – both individually and as a team.  It is to give the kids an outside activity, to be a roll model, and to inspire the players to continue to do well with soccer.  It is also the coach’s job to be a roll model for the parents.  A team and the parents will behave as the coach behaves.

 

Practices

 

Practice Objectives

1. In every practice you should teach at least 1 player skill and 1 team skill
2. Learn your player’s skills and weaknesses, and tailor the drills to improve their weaknesses.
3. Ask the players what they learned at the end of practice.

What Players Like

1. Relate the Drill to a Cartoon or a Story (Think like a player).
2. Timing Drills with Competition
1. Start off walking
2. Move to a slow jog
3. Do Full Speed
4. Time the Drill

What the Players Hate

1. Boring, Single Line Drills
2. Standing Around
3. Listening to Speeches

What works best

1. Make the first drill one that tires the players out.  This makes it easier for the skill based drills and instruction.
2. Alternate skill drills with active drills
3. End the practice with a Game.  Many of the players look at this as a reward and it usually ends the practice on a good note.
4. If you have a player who is outstanding at a position, tailor the rules to make the player work harder.  Remember, you are the coach so within reason, you can change the rules.
5. Use a whistle at practice.  This gets the players use to “playing to the whistle.”  However, use it with a purpose.  If you continually blow the whistle, the kids will tune it out.
6. Give the players a homework assignment that is related to the skill that you taught that week.
7. Review the homework skill at the next practice (Usually after the first game, once they are a little tired).
8. When doing team drills that have the players shoot on goal, always make sure that all players involved move to the goal until ball is scored.

Discipline

1. Never yell or scream at the players.  Treat them with respect and they will respect you.  This philosophy of mutual respect will also positively influence the parents.
2. Make the players do laps with a soccer ball if they act up; however, do not rely on laps for discipline.  Use as a last resort.  Generally, if the players are acting up, it is because you have lost their interest.  Consider changing drills.  Make sure that the parents understand the consequences as well as the players.
3. Get the parents involved if the players continue to misbehave.

Other Notes

1. Have the parents stay at practice and get them involved in anyway you can.
2. Don’t let the parents drop off the players and leave, unless you are comfortable with it.  Make sure there is another parent that can also be responsible for the child so you are not left with the child at the end of practice.

 

 

3. Communication on the field is key.  Make sure that you do a lot of drills that emphasize the players calling names of who they are passing.
4. At the beginning of the season, set up a schedule with the parents for a Soccer Mom for each game.  Soccer Moms are responsible for snacks & trash on game days.  Make sure that the Soccer Mom brings a trash bag.  Ultimately, you are the one responsible for trash.  Also, get a Head Soccer Mom to help coordinate phone calls, and odd and end stuff.  (Soccer Moms don’t have to be women).  Soccer Mom’s also act as a buffer for you if you are running late for practice.
5. Set up a Goalie Dad schedule.  Goalie Dads are responsible for getting the goals setup and put away.  (Goalie Dads don’t need to be men).  Ultimately, you are the one responsible for the goals.

 

Good Lead-Off Games

Name:              Yoshi Soccer

Age Groups:      U5, U6

No of Players:   4+

Notes:               Played best with Parental Involvement

Object:              Players must get their soccer ball from one end of field to other, without getting it stolen by parent.

Skills:                Players learn the field, and dribbling

How To Play:     This drill is great for players who do not understand the field.  The players are Yoshi dinosaurs (from Nintendo Mario Game).  They are required to get their ball from one end of the field to the other without having the ball stolen by Bowser – large dragon (2 coaches).  Bowsers chase the players around the field growling.  All other parent take on the job of keeping the players in the playing field by standing along the sidelines and pushing their ball back into position.

Variation:          A variation is to have the players get the ball down the field by passing in teams of 2.

 

Name:              Pokemon Soccer

Age Groups:      All

No of Players:   4+

Notes:               1 Parent Required

Object:              Players on team 1 must get their soccer ball from one goalie box to the other with it being stolen.  Players on team 2 must steel the ball and kick it through a goal on the sideline.

Skills:                Dribbling, 1 v 1

How To Play:     Players on team 1 are on Team Ash.  They must get their Pokeball (soccer ball) from one goal box to the other without getting it stolen by team 2 (Team Rocket).  Team Rocket must steel Team’s Ash’s Pokeball and shoot it into a goal that resides along the sideline.  If the ball is stolen and scored by Team Rocket, then Team Ash switches to Team Rocket.  The player who is left on Team Ash is the winner.

Variation:          Players on Team Ash may be broken into teams of 2, and must pass to get the ball to the safe zone (goalie box).

 

Name:              Defending the Castle

Age Groups:      U7, U8

No of Players:   4+

Notes:               Field is set up with a ball balanced on a cone in the center of the goal box.  This is a great game to determine who are naturally suited for offense vs. defense positions.

Object:              Players score points by shooting on the cone ball and knocking it off of the cone.

Skills:                This is

How To Play:     Ball tosses two balls into the air.  Players attach the balls and attempt to shoot on cones.  Attacking players are not allowed to go into the goalie box.  Defending players may use their hands in the goalie box (U8 only).

 

Drills

 

·     Centering

• Cones on the outside

·     Tap Drill

• Start with one knee trying to tap the ball up and down.  Catching it in between taps.  Then try double tapping, then triple tapping, etc.  Next switch knees.  Finally move to feet in a similar manner.

·     Passing & Shooting

• Leading the shooter

·     Throw-Ins

• Pass ball over goal post.

·     Corner Kicks

·     Goalie Kicks

·     Spreading Out to Use the Field

• Airplanes

·     Trapping

• Partner Drill (Passing and trapping)
• Bouncing ball to player:  Player traps the ball with part of body, settles the ball, and then shoots to goal.

·     Coordination

• Balancing Stork: Tap ball alternating each foot.

·     Open Field Running Drill

• Front player starts 5 yards in front of the other.  Front player starts to run, back player starts as soon as the front player moves.  Back player tries to catch the front player before he gets to a designated distance (about 20 yards).
• Next step is to add a soccer ball to the player in the front, and repeat the drill.  The objective is to work on open field running with the soccer ball.

·     Dribbling

• 1 V 1:  Players start at edge of goalie box.  Player with ball must pass to other side of goalie box.

 

More Games

·     Freeze Tag

• Great game for teaching the players to spread out on the field.

·     Red Light, Green Light

• Players dribble down field with ball when the coach yells green light.  When the coach yells red light, the players must stop with foot on top of ball.  Teaches control.

·     Jaws

• Players can go all around the soccer field with their soccer ball.  1 player is Jaws.  His job is to steal the player’s ball and kick out of the field.  If he succeeds then the player is out.  Last players standing wins.  Can play this with teams that must pass.

·     Where am I going?

• 4 corners labeled 1-4.  Coach yells a corner for the players to dribble.  All players have a ball

·     Where are we going?

• Each player has a ball and start in a line.  As players dribble down the field coach tells which direction to go.

·     Half-Field Soccer (4 v 3)

• Offense and defense start on a half field with a goalie in place.  The offense has 2 small goals set up at the outside section of midfield.  Offense gets 1 point for scoring.  Defense gets 2 points for scoring.

 

·     Monkey in the Middle

• 2 Players on the outside, 1 player in the middle trying to steal the ball, while outside players pass across the middle.  If middle players steal a pass, then he moves to the outside.  Player who made bad passes moves to middle.

·     Martian Invaders

• All balls in the middle (balls > players).  Players start at the corner.  Players must run in and dribble a ball to their corner.  Players must come into get an extra ball to the corner without having someone steal their ball.  Game ends when all balls are under control.

·     Soccer Relay

• 2 teams start at opposite corners of a box with a ball.  Players dribble around the box and try to lap the other team.  Great for open field dribbling.

·     Hot Potato

• Players line up around the circle.  2 balls start at opposite sides of the circle.  Balls are passed in same direction around the circle.  Players must call next players name before passing.  Ball cannot catch one another.  Switch direction every so often.

 

General Field Layout At St. Jane (Muth Field)

 

 

U8 Teams use the large fields labeled with letters (A, B, C, D)

U5 – U7 Teams use the small fields labeled with letters and numbers (A1, A2, B1, B2,…)

Note: In the Spring, Field D is typically not being used due to Riviera Beach Baseball.