Theme: Introduction to basic relationships
Physical Literacy: Collision Avoidance, Object Manipulation – Feet

pdf of Session #10: U5-U8 Player Development Sessions #10

Freak Out Dribble Tag Game (10 min)
Purpose: To practice dodging (feinting) while dribbling a soccer ball.

– Every player has a ball and stands in an area roughly 1/2 of the soccer field in size (or any corner of the field that you can call your own).
– The coach and/or other adult(s), are ‘IT’.
– This is the same as normal tag but everybody is also dribbling a soccer ball at the same time (except for ‘it’ people).
– When player gets tagged, he/she must stop on the spot, put their foot on top of the ball and freak out for a couple of seconds (that is, movement with lots of shaking but limit the amount of screaming done – players love it when the coach demonstrates how to ‘freak out’).
– Once the player has ‘freaked out’ he/she returns to dribbling.

Advanced Dribbling – Colours Game (10 min)

For Vision & Awareness
– As the players dribble / skip with the ball, within a defined area, the coach will hold up a coloured object (i.e. pinnie or cone).
– When the players see this coloured object they must dribble quickly to the corner that has a matching colour.
i.e. put a different colour in each corner and the coach has each of those colours.
– Coaches can use objects (can of beans, hats, etc) as long as they have one to hold and one to put in the corner or in a designated space.
– Encourages players to dribble with their eyes up.
– ONCE the players get to the corner the coach says ‘dribbling again’ and the players are back into the area dribbling until the next colour/object is held up.

Explode (10 min)
Purpose: To practice listening, dribbling and working together with other players.

– Every player begins without a ball and performs the exercise, then the coach can ask players to get a ball they can dribble as close as possible around the coach(es).
– They should attempt to be ‘skipping’ with the ball (touching every step).
– When the coach yells “KABOOM” then all of the players turn and run away as fast as possible or dribble their soccer balls until they get to the boundary of the area.

Variation: You may want to try this with them joggling around you to start before introducing the soccer ball.

Scrimmage (30 min)