This is the very beginning of our youth soccer program!
Pretty much soccer at this age is about running and kicking
and that is exactly what we give them the opportunity to do.
Getting comfortable running at fast speeds with other kids
close by and learning to change directions quickly. It is
all about having fun. The more fun we make it the more
they learn about the basic skills in soccer. Boys and
girls all play together. Dribbling and shooting at a small
goal are the only technical skills emphasized. The
importance of turning the ball while dribbling to keep it
inbounds and encouraging player to dribble instead of just
kicking are the primary coaching points. Attention spans
here can be quite short so coaches will have several soccer
activities ready to go at each practice. Practices
last 30 minutes and are held just before games so no extra
traveling for families! Games are divided into
quarters each lasting 8 minutes. Coaches are
encouraged to be close to the action encouraging players to run,
have fun, and try to dribble the ball around other players
while still keeping it inbounds. We love to see them
score goals but we do not keep track of scores. Parents
volunteer to coach small groups of players and many parent's
have very limited exposure or understanding of soccer.
At this age is makes no difference as the coaching concepts
are very basic. A coaching clinic for U-7 coaches is
offered just before the first game of the season and covers
everything a coach needs to be successful. All parents
are encouraged to give it a try as it is a great way to
spend time with your kids!
Games are played on the CES playground. Since most kids
believe that soccer is more fun to play in rain than on dry
grass, games will only be cancelled for more extreme
conditions like snow, wind, or heavy rains. An email
will be sent out by noon on all days where weather causes
soccer to be cancelled. If in doubt, check your email. U-7 soccer is very entertaining and as fun to
watch as it is to play. Bring your cameras and take
some photos because when they turn 14 they are going to love
looking back at them! And so will you!
U-9
Program
U-9 soccer is a continuum of the activities
that were introduced at U-7. It is still all about fun
but they are faster, stronger, smarter, more focused, better
coordinated, and like to be challenged more. The field
is larger but they still play 3 against 3 on the field, but
now the goal is much bigger and there is a goal keeper.
Coaching points are pretty much the same as U-7 and should
emphasize dribbling the ball into open spaces away from
traffic and keeping the ball in control and inbounds.
Some of the 8 year olds will begin to see the benefits of
passing and this tactic should be supported particularly as
the season moves along.
Technical skills will be taught that
encourage using both feet equally and using the inside and
outside of the feet with equal success. The ability to
change direction and speed will be pointed out and
supported. Games with the ball will be the primary way
to teach these fundamental skills. As with U-7 the
more fun we make it the more they will learn the important
fundamental skills of soccer. Throw ins and corner
kicks will be used during games so kids (and parents) will
begin to learn more of the rules in soccer.
This is an excellent age for kids to start
playing the game of soccer. Players that started
playing at U-7 will have some advantages but kids can
quickly pick up on the basics. Dribbling the soccer
ball in the yard at home is the single most important skill
that can be developed in players under the age of 10.
It's fun to do with your kids and it is great exercise.
As with U-7, the coaches are responsible for
identifying players that play too rough. Physical
contact is allowed in the game of soccer as long as it is a
shoulder making contact and a player is going after the
ball. Grabbing, shoving, blocking, and tripping are
not allowed as is any physical contact that is initiated
when not trying to get the ball. Kids will get knocked
down during the course of legal soccer play. Some of the
simple techniques of preventing opposing players from stealing the ball
will be introduced at this age.
Program Overview
The soccer program here in Coupeville
emphasizes fun and everybody having an opportunity to learn
a fun game. Despite this simple mission much thought
has been put into designing a progressive training style
that allows each age to be introduced to new concepts and
approaches to the game at a time in their development when
it can be learned and used most efficiently. Much
research around the world has been published that is devoted
specifically to methods of teaching kids the game of soccer.
For example for any teaching method to enjoy success and
keep kids coming back to the game of soccer it needs to be
reported by kids to be both fun and challenging. Not
surprisingly, fun and challenging are defined quite
differently in 7th graders than in 3rd graders. This
is the fundamental challenge that all youth soccer
communities face and here in Coupeville we have a very good
thoughtful plan. Here is a very brief summary:
First graders developmentally are quite self focused so any
activity that allows them to show off their individual
skills are well received. Thus U-7 and to some extent
U-9 are perfect for learning individual ball control,
techniques of foot touches, and more fluid body movements.
Fourth graders are entering the world of social identity so
they love group challenges like relay races and passing the
ball now makes good intuitive sense so they learn it easily
and quickly. Sixth graders have these amazing brains
that love to solve challenging problems. Teaching them
to see the game as a series of small 3 v 3 keep away
challenges allows them to see the game in a whole new
exciting way. What 6th graders do need help with is
refining their technical skills as they are not yet
competence driven and they instinctively rely too much on
physical skills and not enough on technical skills.
Trapping, dribbling, good first touches into open space,
passing, and shooting are examples of skills that need
attention in this age. Finally by eighth grade they
now have all the tools to be successful in the game of
soccer. They just need lots of opportunities to play.
If they want to pursue a more competitive path then
opportunities here on the island are available. If
they want to stay in recreational soccer then we are in the
process of building those opportunities right here in
Coupeville. Soccer is a game played for fun
by millions and millions of people every day all over the
globe. It is a healthy form of exercise and is as fun to
play as an adult as it is a child. By teaching kids
the fundamental skills of soccer in an environment that is
fun and supportive we hope that many of these kids continue
to play soccer as adults and enjoy the tremendous health
benefits of regular physical exercise.
A word about winning. Adults and children
view winning in very different ways. As an adult it is
your responsibility to be aware of these differences so that
you can better understand why kids view fun almost
completely independent from winning. They are not
sophisticated enough to recognize and communicate your
different perspective and point it out to you. Most
sports to an adult are viewed as entertainment. It is
way more fun for your team to win rather than lose. It
is easy to see why very quickly as spectators we equate
winning with fun. Kids choose to come to soccer
practice and participate in games because they like the
challenge of trying to play the game better. They
enjoy the challenge of learning to move the ball around with
just their feet and head. They also report to us that they
like to be out playing with their friends. We as
parent's always ask "did you win?" as if that is what really
matters to kids! The right question is always "did you
have fun?"
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