16 October 2005
World Cup
Divide team into pairs, (if there is an extra player, have him or her be goalie). Each pair picks a World Cup Team name (i.e. Brazil, or USA). Play is on 1/2 field. Coach serves the ball onto the field. Teams try to get control of the ball and work it towards the goal, shoot and score. Other teams try to steal the ball from them, then shoot and score. Make the teams shout out their team name before they shoot, or goal doesn't count. You can either have elimination rounds or which ever team has the most points at the end of a set period of time is the winner.
23 October 2005
Ball Mastery skill: Each player is instructed to pull the ball towards them with the sole of his soccer shoe and then push (very lightly) with the laces of the same foot. This encourages good ankle flexibility and touch. As players progress they can pull with the sole and push with either the outside or inside of the foot. Players are to alternate feet and gradually move forward. Distance is arbitrary and can be adjusted for age. This is a very simple drill but absolutely an essential one to master and to maintain.
19 March 2006
Ball Training: Set up a 20 X 20 yard grid with cones, or other objects, marking the corners and sides. Divide players into two teams. Designate each team with pennies if possible or give them names. On coaches command, all players must dribble inside the grid. They may not touch, or bump into another player, and their ball must stay inside the grid. Exercise 1: At coaches signal, players must stop the ball with the sole of their foot. At the next signa, the players must move to a new ball and resume dribbling. Exercise 2: The coach calls out a team name (or color), and that team freezes in place. The other team must dribble around them.
26 March 2006
Blackjack - two teams from 4 to 7 players (depending on the skill level of your team and number of players). Establish a grid 20 yds X 20 yds for young players or 50 yds X 50 yds for older players. Each time a team completes a one touch pass, they get 1 point. First team to reach 21 wins. Third team on sideline helps keep score. They play the winners. Coaching points: teammates without the ball need to move to open spaces and call for the ball. player with the ball needs to think quickly, establish spatial awareness, and pass accurately.
2 April 2006
Soccer Tennis - To play Soccer Tennis, set up a grid the size of a tennis court. Have two players on each half. If possible, have some obstacles at half court (pug goals, etc) that will serve as a net. Team one volleys the ball to the other side. If the ball bounces in the opposite service box the opposing player has two touches to receive the ball and play it back without the ball touching the ground on her side a second time. If it touches the ground a second time it's a point for the server. If the receiver of the serve gets the ball back across the net, the server can either let it bounce one time or play it straight out of the air back across the net. The rest of the rules are just like tennis except that the players have two touches to play the ball instead of just one. You can keep score just like tennis, like table tennis or like volleyball.
23 April 2006
Trapping Drill: Bull's Eye
This is a drill from American Soccer veteran star Cobi Jones:
Team players up in pairs and make one square for each team about four feet across. One of the players stands in the square and traps balls tossed to him by his partner who is standing 10 yds away. Trapped ball must stay in the circle. Encourage the partner to vary the height of his passes so that the receiver can practice trapping the ball with different parts of their body.
30 April 2006
Shooting Training
Place two goals, 36 yds apart. Then place two cones or poles 18 yds (halfway) in line with the posts of the goals (for younger players make the field 20 yds long, placing the cones 10 yds from each goal). Divide players in two teams and have a keeper in each goal. Have each team stand on the right side of their respective goals, with each player having a ball.
Sequence: Players dribble toward their opponents goal directly toward the cone or pole in front of their starting position. When they get to the cone, have them push the ball to the right then shoot on goal (preferably towards the far post). Have them retrieve their ball and join the opposite line.
Variations: Dribble to the cone or pole that is opposite (diagonal) of your starting position, then turn to the outside (left around the pole) and shoot.
