OK, so if you have read Tip #1 regarding equipment and Tip #2 regarding the Warm Up, your players should be organized, in the right gear and warmed up ready to go.

Now if you are coaching club players, high school, college etc, you will then go into the “meat” of the practice and work on technical and/or tactical (functional) sessions.

For this report, I am assuming you are coaching recreational youth soccer.

So, in order to keep your players motivated and interested it it important to help them learn soccer skills by keeping them busy and letting them have fun.

AVOID SOCCER DRILLS AT ALL COSTS!

AVOID USING FLAGS (I have been involved in the game as a player and coach for over 35 years and I have never seen a flag on the soccer field…I have never had to dribble around a flag in the middle of a game!)

Some soccer coaches use so many flags and cones, you can actually see them from the Space Shuttle!

I was introduced to “Non Directive Coaching” back in 1994 when I was employed at the Preston North End Soccer School back in England. Preston North End FC play in the English Championship League (one league below the Premier League.) They were one of the founder members of the first professional soccer league in the world back in 1888.

Basically, “Non Directive Coaching” describes soccer sessions that do not have kids stood in lines or stood around the coach while he/she explains something.

Instead, it involves having the players involved in a group game that usually involves some kind of “Catch and Evade” activity with most if not all the players having their own ball.

For example, one of my favorites is “Shark Attack.” This involves having all of the players with a ball, dribbling in a specific area (yes you can use cones to mark out the area!). In the middle of the area is a “Desert Island” (go ahead, use your cones!)

The “Shark” (usually the coach at the beginning) patrols around the outside of the desert island, while the “Fish” (the players with their own ball) “Swim” in the sea. (dribble with the ball.)

Suddenly the “Shark” yells, “Shark Attack!” and then chases after the players. The players have to dribble away from the shark and dribble onto the desert island to be safe. If the shark manages to kick the ball away from a player, that player then immediatley becomes a shark and can chase after the remaining fish.

Quick tip here, the fish must dribble their ball to the island and stop it with their foot and put their foot on it to be safe. This avoids them just kicking the ball and chasing after it.

The game continues until their is just one fish left and all the sharks chase after it. Finally they catch ths fish and the game is over.

I usually repeat this game 3 or 4 times and in the last game I am one of the fish. At them end I am usually the last fish and all the sharks chase me, that is usually a lot of fun for the kids and also a way for me to demonstrate dribbling skills to them…it is also one heck of a workout!

There are hundreds of such games, names like “Crab Soccer,” “Monster Trucks,” “Space Invaders etc.”

If you would like some help finding more games, just leave a comment.

So, I suggest a couple of these kind of games in the middle of the practice. The players will have lots and lots of touches on the ball as they try to “Evade” and they will also work on their defending skills as they try to “Catch.” They will get a good workout and they will have LOTS OF FUN.

I am sure many of you will have your own favorite games, please feel free to leave a comment with their description for us all to share.

Let’s Talk Soccer!