Pleasant Hills Soccer Association
Summer Session, June 22 - 28, 2002

`Thigh Touches From the Air (Under 9's and up)`

Suggested summer session for week 1 of U9's and up. The theme of the summer session is "Its in the Air" and receiving a ball out of the air using the thigh is within this summer theme.

`Warm-up: Free dribbling in space`

Each player should have a ball in their hand. Instruct the players to jog lightly around in space, tossing the ball up in the air, receive the ball off their thigh

Have them receive the ball off their thigh into their hands with a catch

Have them receive the ball off their thigh to the ground where it is trapped with their feet

Have them receive the ball off their thigh as above, but now the thigh touch must be used to change direction

`Activity in Pairs:`

Have the players pair up with one ball between and approximately three or four yards apart in stationary position at first.

Have the players serve the ball up to themselves, touch it off their thigh, followed by a touch to their partner. The touch to their partner may be from a trap or it may be out of the air directly off their thigh touch. Turn this into a time competition to see how many each pair can do with a given fixed period of time.

Next extend this by having the player with the ball serve the ball up to their partner. Their partner must receive the ball off their thigh to a catch with their hands. They, in turn, become the server. Again, have them practice this for a while and them turn it into a group competition as above.

Get away from the stationary positioning by have one player with the ball be the dribbler/server. This player dribbles in free space, and upon command from their partner, picks up the ball, serves the ball to their partner. Their partner must receive the service off their thigh into free space, trap it to the ground, and quickly dribble away. This player is now the dribbler/server.

`Game Related: Serve, Receive, and Catch`

Divide the players into two or more teams with two teams playing at a time with one ball between the two teams. This game is a game of hand ball, the players use their hands to pass the ball between them. Each player is allowed five steps to move in order to pass the ball for a member of his team. The team that is not in possession may use any regular soccer means to attempt to cause the other team to drop the ball to the ground. If the ball drops to the ground, the other team has possession. A point is scored each time a player is able to receive a ball off their thigh followed by a catch without the ball dropping to the ground. 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.

Change this game by putting some directional play to goal into the game. Organize a playing area that is approximately 40 by 30 with 5 v 5. Put two goals on each of the 30 yard sides. The team may score one point as above, or they may score by putting the ball through either of the two goals out of the air without using their hand. That is, a member of the team may serve the ball up to a teammate who, in turn, can get it through the goal out of the air by any normal soccer means possible.

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`Game: Regular two goal game of soccer`

`Warm down: Thigh - Catch`

Have the players line up in a circle around the ball. The coach stands with a ball in the middle of the players. At any given time, the coach moves to a player at random. The coach lightly serve the ball up to the player and says either "Catch" or "Thigh". Upon the command "Catch" the player must receive the ball with a ball touch off their thigh. Upon the command "Thigh" the player must catch the ball with their hands. If the player fails, they must sit down. The last player standing must be able to do the challenge three times in a row without a mistake to be called the winner.