Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Mini Kick: Session 5: Animal Kingdom

Fun Game/Introduction

FUN ACTIVITY TO KEEP KIDS ENGAGED AS YOU SET UP IF NEEDED.

Organization:

1.Open space with one line to define the River and the Bank

2.No balls to start

Story/Description:

1.All players start by standing on the Bank facing the coach who is on a boat. All the players are zoo keepers in training and before we go out + see the animals we have to make sure we are ready for the adventure!

2.When the coach calls out ‘In the River’ all players must jump over the line (marked out between the cones) towards the coach into the River

3.When the coach calls out ‘On the Bank’ all the players jump away from the coach back over the line onto the Bank

4.The coach attempts to catch out the players by quick commands that sometimes repeat – ‘In the River, on the Bank, in the River, in the River!’

5.If a player jumps in the wrong direction, they join the coach on the boat

6.The coach plays for a set time to see how many players they can catch out!

Coaching Points:

1.Feet together when jumping

2.Arms out to balance

3.Eyes and ears on the coach

Jungle Run (15 mins)

Organization:

- 25x25 area

Instructions:

Players are Adventurers/Their Favorite Animal looking to journey across the jungle.

The King of the Jungle (Coach) added who tries to catch the animals!

If the Jungle King puts their foot on their soccer ball, you have to start over to cross.

Coaching Points:

- Little touches in little space. Bigger touches in bigger space.

- What can you do if a cone blocks your path?

Hungry Hippos

Organization:

1.20 x 20 yard area circle of cones set up in the center, set up as shown

2.4x Pugg Goals

3.Lots of soccer balls

4.Disc cones

5.Parents required to assist

Story/Description:

1.Did you know that Hippos eat soccer balls?

2.We have four very hungry Hippos waiting to be fed (pugg goals that parents hold)

3.Players are split into groups and assigned a Hippo to feed

4.Players must run into the middle to collect a soccer ball from the pool

5.Dribble this as close as they can to the Hippo and kick the ball into its mouth (parents raise and drop the pugg goal to signify a mouth opening and closing)

6.When all the soccer balls are gone each player must count to see how many soccer balls they have in their Hippo’s mouth

Coaching Points:

1.Get the ball as close as you can before you make your kick into the Hippo’s mouth

2.Head up to make sure you kick the ball when the Hippo has its mouth open

3.No hands when collecting the ball from the pool

Developments:

1.Set a time limit – Players now only have 1 minute to feed their Hippo

2.Ask the parents to open and close the Hippo mouth quickly