From: The Myers Family [myer@sgi.net]
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 11:47 AM
To: board@pleasanthillssoccer.org; Myers, Crystal; Antonelli, Sally
Subject: Sending Again: Second Session with U8's
Pleasant Hills Soccer Association
Winter Session 2, January 13 - 19, 2003
 
 

Dribbling Introduction (Under 8)

Suggested Winter session for week 2 of the Under 8s. The theme of the Winter session is dribbling and shooting as described in the introduction.  As with all the Winter sessions, we will begin with the introductory dribbling skills associated with this session.  This is our second session indoors. Much of the material from week 1 will be repeated here so we can raise our expectation some.  In addition, the new players will feel more comfortable since much of the material is repeated.
 

Warm-up: Introductory Dribbling Session With Musical Soccer Balls

Go over each of the dribbling skills with the players having their own ball.

After a brief introduction, start off with each player having a ball at their feet.  Instruct the players to dribble around the open area with their ball.  Upon the coach's command of "Leave", the players are to "toe touch stop" their balls, yet continue on jogging around the open space, leaving their ball behind. Upon the coach's next command of "Get a Ball", the players are to quickly go after any soccer ball and continue dribbling again as before.

With each  "Leave" command, the coach is to remove one or two balls from the set of standing balls in the playing area. This means there are now fewer balls then players and some players will not be able to get a ball after the "Get a Ball" command.  With each "Get a Ball" command, the coach is to determine which players were not able to get possession of a ball.  Make these players do something silly or funny as punishment.  The players without a ball are instructed to just jog around the open area in the same manner as the players with a ball.

Continue the game as described above, removing additional balls.  The player(s) who is able to get the last remaining ball or two are determine the winners.
 
 

Crab Soccer and Team Crab Soccer

Set up a rectangular area with cones. Pick one or more players to be crabs. A crab is a player on the ground with their back moving, on all fours, with the use of their hands and feet.  The movement of a crab is very awkward and crabs cannot move very quickly.

The crabs begin the game within the rectangular area and the other players begin the game lined up along the short side of the rectangular area with a ball at their feet. The object of the game is for the players to dribble their ball from one side the rectangular to the other side without having their ball knocked out of bounds by the crabs.

Typically the coach begins the movement of the players across the playing area. Whenever a player has lost their ball out of bounds either directly or indirectly from the crabs, that player becomes a crab and joins the other crabs within the rectangular area.  You may have to adjust the space to either get more success with dribbling or to enable the crabs to have more success at getting players.

The last players left with their balls at their feet after a sequence of drillings across the rectangular area are determined the winners and become the starting crabs for the next Crab Soccer game.
 

After several Crab Soccer games, move to Team Crab Soccer.  Here we select two or more teams, depending upon the number of players.  Ask one of the teams to be crabs and position themselves within the playing area.  The remain players of the other team or teams must each get a ball at their feet and also position themselves within the playing area.

Upon coach's command to begin, the crabs are to begin kicking the balls out of bound off the players within the area.  Whenever a player has their ball out of bounds either directly or indirectly from the crabs, that players is eliminated.  The game continues until no players remain in the playing area with a ball or after a fix amount of time.

This is a timed competition and the coach must keep track of how long it takes a team to clear the area of players.  Also notice that this competition may require a certain amount of team work in order to get the balls off the players as the number of players within the rectangular area gets small.

Give each team a chance to be the team of crabs.  The winning team is the one that is able to clear the area of players in the smallest amount of time.

Four Corners Capture

Set up four teams and make four squares in the corner of a rectangular area as in the picture below.
 

        
 
   ________________________________________________
   |                                              |
   | ^       ^                         ^       ^  |
   |   3  3                              4  4     |
   |     3                                4       |
   |      3                                 4     |
   | ^       ^                         ^       ^  |
   |                  o o                         |
   |                     o o o o                  |
   |                        o o  o                   |
   |                     o o o o o                    |
   |                         o o                  |
   |                                              |
   | ^       ^                         ^       ^  |
   |   2   2                             1   1    |
   |                                       1      |
   |   2  2                              1        |
   | ^       ^                         ^       ^  |
   |______________________________________________|


Place enough balls equal to the total number of players into the center of the field to start the game.  Each team is to select a differ square that is their home square.  They are to being the game within their home square.

Upon the coach's command to start, the players are to collect balls into their home area.  The first team to get one more ball than the number of players on the team within their home square under control is the winner.
 

Notice that by the time you reach the final item in the above progression, the players have a large number of the elements of a real soccer game. This game may be found in "The Baffled Parent's Guide TO Great Soccer Drills" by Tom Fleck and Ron Quinn.
 
 

Game: Line Soccer Game

Line soccer is player on a field very similar to a regular soccer field.  Line soccer does not have any goals.  The teams score by working the ball across the end line under control. Any ball kicked over the end line is not a score and the other team gains possession.  Keep the number on a team to about 4. Rotate the teams onto the field or set up separate playing fields if the number of players is large.
 
 

         ___________________________________________
        |                                           |
        |                                           |
        |    Y                                      |
        |                                           |
        |                       Y                   |
        |      X                               Y    |
        |                                           |
        |                                           |
        |    Yo         X                           |
        |                                           |
        |                                           |
        |                                           |
        |                                      X    |
        |                                           |
        |               X          Y                |
        |___________________________________________|
 
 

Warn Down: Homework Dribbling

Review the inside top roll and magic hop and encourage them to practice this at home.