Pleasant Hills Soccer Association
Summer Session, July 14 - July 20, 2002

`Header: Session 2 of 2 (Under 9's and up)`

Suggested summer session for week 4 of U9's and up. The theme of the summer session is "Its in the Air" and striking the ball with the head is within this summer theme.

`Warm-up and Skills: Andy's Window`

This Andy's Window is slightly different from that in week 2.

Half or two thirds of the players stand in a large circle with a ball in hand. These players will act as servers to the remaining players. Each of the remaining players jog around in the free space within the circle. Instruct the outside circle players to serve the ball up in the air to the receiving players in the circle. For the player within the circle, they must check to or approach any server player. The server player serves the ball up to the player.

Have them receive the ball off their thigh or chest and pass it back to the server out of the air with a front volley..

Have them strike the ball out of the air to the feet of the server. Here we are concentrating on attack headers.

Have them strike the ball out of the air out and away of the server. Here we are concentrating on defensive headers.

Change the server slightly so that half the servers do NOT have any ball. Now the receivers must approach a player with a ball, receive the ball to the ground with a change of direction touch out of the air and pass it to a server without a ball. This server then picks up the ball.

Repeat the above, but now let them be creative and receive the ball out of the air by a body part other than their head, chest, or thigh.

`So`

So X oS

So X X oS

So X oS

So X oS

So

`Individual Skills With Partners`

Have the players get into groups of three. One player will be in the middle while the others will be servers. Each server will have a ball. The player in the middle will alternate between the servers. Each server will feed the ball up to the player in the middle for a header. The player in the middle will head the ball back in the direction of the server.

Have the players first rotate through the middle working on striking the ball downward toward the feet of the servers. On the second time through, have the players drive the ball up and away with a defensive style header.

`Game Related: Serve, Head, and Catch`

Divide the players into two or more teams with two teams playing at a time with one ball between the two teams. In this game, the players attempt to pass the ball in the air to a teammate. The teammate must head the ball to another teammate. The ball may hit the ground after the header. Each sequence of Serve-Head-Catch receives a point.

The team not in possession cannot use their hands to gain possesion of a ball in the air, but may use the usual soccer means. However, if the ball hits the ground after a header, the hands may be use to pick the ball up to gain possession and start a sequence of Serve-Head-Catch of their own.

This game is played in free space. Let them play for a while before swapping a new team in if there are more than two teams.

Extend this game to a game to goal by placing two goals in a 40 by 30 field. Lift the restriction of the Serve-Head-Catch sequence and allow the players to play regular hand ball. Now the ball cannot hit the ground. A team scores by heading the ball into the goal.

`Game: Regular two goal game of soccer`

`Warm down: Groups of Three, One Bounce`

Have the players get into groups of three with one ball between them. They must serve the ball up air to each other with regular soccer touches. The ball is allowed to be received with one bounce off the ground, but each player must touch the ball at least one other time before passing the ball off to one of the other players. If a player fails, that player must sit and the remain two go at it. After a winner is determine, change the teams around so that winners in one group are playing each other. Continue this until an overall winner is determined.