Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): Land Park U8 Activites

Hungry Hippos (15 mins)

Organization:

- 10 x 20 yard area.

- 4 2x2 squares in each corner.

- Players divided into 4 teams

- Once team in each corner

Instructions:

On coaches command, one player from each team races out to retreive a soccer ball and return it to their corner-the next player can go when the first player gets the ball into their square.

Players should put the ball in their goal before returning to the end of their line

Play until all the soccer balls are returned, most balls wins!

Coaching Points/Guided questions:

1) Quickly out to the middle to retrieve a ball

2) Accelerate towards corner/goal, big touches

3) Close control near

Q1) How can you get back to your goal faster (why type of dribbling)?

Q2) What is the best way to get the ball out of the square inthe middle? Bottom of the foot? side of the foot?

Progressions:

Progression: Specify which foot, surface of the foot players must use

Progression: Players can now steal from other team's goals - play to a certain number of balls instead of time limit

Sharks and Minnnows

Organization:

20 x 20 yd grid - with 2yd end zones

Players line up inside one end zone with a ball (minnows)

Two players hold pinnies and stand inside grid w/o ball (sharks)

Instructions:

• Minnows try to dribble to other side without getting ball touched by the sharks - must stop inside end zone

• If ball is touched/stolen/lost, minnow becomes a shark-

• When a minnow is tagged they must put their ball safetly in

'Davey Jones' Locker"

• Sharks can only move side to side (Progression-allow sharks to move however they want)

Coaching Points/Guided Questions:

1) Dribbling technique-close control or longer touches

2) Eyes up to avoid collisions

Q1) How do we get to other side without being tagged? - avoid/fake out taggers, find space, go fast

Q2) How can we dribble faster? - run fast, longer touches

Q3) How do make sure we can stop ball inside end zone? - slow down/smaller touches

Angry Birds - Main Theme

Organization:

20 x 20 yd area

8 players (4 blues, 4 whites)

Lots of balls

Instructions:

Blue team aims at the balls in the middle. All fire at the same time. They get a point for every ball they knock off its cone. Then other team goes. First team to 3 points win, then rematch.

Coaching Points:

- Be Patient

- Angle of approach

- Head up observe your target

- Supporting foot is next to the ball pointed at target

- Ankle locked with toe pointed up

- Body weight over the ball

- Follow thru towards target with striking foot remaining open throughout

Progressions:

Pass from further back, add more balls, weaker foot.

Transformers (20 mins)

Organization:

Area dependent on number of players but 'Earth' is a bigger circular area then "Cybertron"

1 ball/pinnie per player

Instructions:

The Decepticons (players) have taken control of planet Earth (larger circular area).

Optimus Prime (coach) must attempt to make Earth safe again by ridding the planet of the Decepticons by shooting them with his blaster (striking his ball at the players, hitting their knee or anywhere below).

The Decepticons can transform into any type of vehicle to avoid getting hit by an Autobot blaster; a car to run really fast, or a jet to jump over the ball.

If a Decepticon leaves Earth or is hit by Optimus Prime's blaster they must transform into a flying machine and fly back through space to Cybertron (smaller circular area) where they are transformed into Autobots and collect a blaster for themselves before returning to Earth to help Optimus Prime.

Players start the game with pinnies on to designate themselves as Decepticons, but when they fly to Cybertron they remove them to transform into Autobots.

Before Autobots fly back to Earth they must first charge up their blaster (perform ‘x’ amount of ball mastery techniques).

-Play until the Earth is safe from all Decepticons!

Coaching Points:

1. Try to get as close as possible to a Decepticon before shooting your blaster.

2. Make sure you know where on Earth the Decepticons are by looking up.

3. Try to make sure you aim for a Decepticon and not just shoot your blaster randomly.

Progressions:

1. R - Decepticons can only transform into ground vehicles (cars, trucks etc.) which means they can’t leave the ground (jump, dive) to avoid getting hit by an Autobot blaster.

2. P - An Autobot's blaster will only work if you shoot it properly (using designated part of foot – inside or laces, if players use their toes then their blaster miss-fires and can’t hurt a Decepticon).