Active Start u4-u5: Session #1
Theme: Introduction to basic body and manipulative control
Physical Literacy: Collision Avoidance, Object Manipulation – Feet
pdf of Practice #1: 1 Active Start EPIC Player Development
Introduction : Attention Span SHORT. Be brief but deliberate.
Purpose: To begin the process of them listening (players and partners) to your voice.
Introduce the practice space.
Define Yard (“This is our Yard”)
- The ‘Yard’ is a reference that players are familiar with as many will have their yard at home and certain rules about leaving their yard, and many may have the reference of the ‘School Yard’ and the rules on the yard.
When we leave our yard at home what do we do, we look both ways then go out. We will play in our yard today but we will leave our yard to get drinks or have a rest.
Warm-up : DEFINE YOUR YARD
Purpose: Learning To Listen for STOP and FREEZE commands. To get players smiling , sweating and to introduce dribbling with different parts of the foot.
Define and Explore the Yard
- “This is your yard. WHEN I SAY GO, go explore your yard with your partner.”
“EXPLAIN ‘STOP’ AND ‘FREEZE’
When your teacher/instructor says ‘STOP’ what do we do….When your teacher/instructor says ‘FREEZE’ what do we do …. DEMONSTRATE”
- “Moving around YARD holding hand of Partner
- Moving through YARD finding spaces
- Forward/Backward (when moving backwards how do prevent yourself from bumping into your Partner)/Sideways/Gallop
- Crawl, Bear, LEVELS”
JUGGLING, PICK-UPS & JUMP UPS
Purpose: Learning to Listen for STOP and FREEZE commands. To introduce juggling and have the ball in the air.
Juggling
– Players can juggle at their appropriate level (juggle with a bounce and catch up to constant juggling with various body parts)
Pick-ups
- Practice various ways to get the ball from the ground and into your hands i.e. scoop, jump-up, flick and catch, juggle
Jump-ups
- Ball between feet, jump up throwing the ball into your hands in front of your body
- Ball between feet, jump up throwing the ball into your hands behind your body – turn and catch
- Ball between feet, jump up throwing the ball into your partner’s hands
CRAB SOCCER
Purpose: To provide a fun game where players can practice dribbling at speed.
- Within their own area, the older partner is in Crab position (all fours with belt-buckle facing the sky).
- The crab attempts to capture the ball using their hands or feet.
- When the ball is captured they can switch roles.
EXPLORING YOUR YARD WITH THE BALL
Purpose: Soccer-specific ball and body awareness
Free Dribble/Gallop Within An Area
- Start with players and Partners galloping without a ball around the Yard
- Next, players and Partners put one foot forward rocking back and forth behind the ball but not touching
- Connect the rocking movement with the Galloping with one foot forward
- Players and Partners can Gallop touching the ball every time their front foot touches the ground
- Gallop around ball to right / to left using little toes to touch the ball / then using big toes
- Gallop the other foot then switching from one foot to the other
When they STOP
- “Stop” = Foot on top of ball (“great balance”)
From Line To Line
Create two lines using different coloured cones or pinnies i.e. Green cones becomes the ‘Green Line’
- Everyone standing on the Green Line with the ball under their foot
- Players and Partners dribble to ‘Orange Line’ and put foot on top of the ball
- Return to the Green Line
- Partners dribble to other Orange Line and back on “GO”
- Players dribble to other Orange Line and back on “GO”
- Partners dribble to other Orange Line and back as fast as possible while players cheer, on “GO”
- Players dribble to other Orange Line and back as fast as possible while Partners cheer, on “GO”
- Everyone dribble to other green line as fast as possible, on “GO”
PARTNER TAG
Purpose: Soccer-specific ball and body awareness
Partner Tag (without then with a ball)
- Select one partner as the tagger to start. Have them perform i.e. ‘5 jumping-jacks’ before chasing. Gives the other partner an opportunity to move away from them.
- The game then becomes a regular tag game. When there is a tag:
1. Partners simply switch roles,
2. The partner who is tagged, i.e. does ‘5 jumping-jacks’ and then begins to chase
IF there are three individuals (i.e. two siblings and parent(s)) then one sits out at corner cone and the other two play, when the tagger tags, then the partner on corner cone (can make this cone a different colour or add a pinnie to that corner) enters and the other goes through their area to the corner cone for recovery.
Variations:
* Play the game first without a soccer ball.
** Vary the way that they are moving. i.e. both walking, running, skipping, galloping, hopping (take off and land on same foot) etc
*** Include a soccer ball and both players must have control of the ball at all times including when they are tagging.
GOALS FOR EVERYONE (8-10 min)
Place small goals around the field. With all players, and partners where needed moving around the field, the players attempt to score on any of the goals.
- They cannot score on the neighbouring goal that they just scored on
- If a player is comfortable going around the field on their own then their Partner can play in a goal and pretend to be a goalkeeper
Wrap Up
Thank players for being great listeners and have them give their Partners a round of applause as helpers.
Ask them what ‘Stop’ and ‘Freeze’ mean and how are they different.
Have them high five 5 people or more before leaving and say ‘Good Practice Today’.