Practice Plan For Soccer
Since I work with elementary school aged students, the practice will be 45-50 minutes in duration. We will practice dribbling, passing, shooting, and finish with short scrimmages.
We will begin with dribbling, it being an essential skill in soccer, 10-12 minutes. Two rows of players line up facing each other, spaced about 15 feet apart. Using the inside ball of the foot area, dribbling is somewhat slow and deliberate in the beginning. Using short controllable kicks at first, speed increases as control of the ball improves. We teach the skill, then practice the skill, then evaluate the skill, then practice the skill some more.
Next is passing, 10-12 minutes. Partners are chosen, by the players or the coach. As they run together, about 5 feet apart, the players dribble, then pass the ball back and forth to each other. The outside of the foot is also used to pass the ball. They will quickly notice that hard kicks are not required to effectively pass the ball. The distance is increased as control of the ball improves. The skill is taught, then practiced, then evaluated, then practiced some more.
A drink break follows, 3-5 minutes.
We will then practice shooting the ball, 10 minutes. The players line up across from their partner, about 5 feet apart at first. Emphasis will be placed on ball control, not kicking the ball for distance. The inside edge of the foot is used, just behind the big toe, or the ball of the foot. As improved control of the ball allows greater accuracy, the players can begin to increase the distance between them. Again, we teach the skill, practice it, evaluate, then practice some more.
Finally, we will engage in small team scrimmages. As 2 small teams meet (3 players each), the other players will observe, taking note for areas for improvement. After 5 minutes, the players become the observers, and vice-versa. After everyone has played and observed, feedback is offered for 2-3 minutes.
As with most teams, some players will have more experience than others. By beginning with the basics, the entire team is able to establish commonality, and then work together to achieve the same goals.
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Comments
I liked how you incorporated observing. Observing can be a really good tool for learning. I know at a high school level, watching others styles and learning from them is very beneficial. However, I had never thought of incorporating an observing portion with elementary aged children. I am sure it is really helpful aspect of teaching skills, to watch peers doing the activity let alone the coach demonstrating.