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2nd to 6th grade Practice Ideas&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Alexander Soccer Club 
General

<ol>
	<li>All preschool and kindergarten and 1st can be used at 2rd to 6th grade age groups.&nbsp; Tweak to fit your team.</li>
	<li>Practices should generally last an hour for 2nd /3rd grade an hour and 4th to 6th grade last an hour and 15 minutes, 1 hour and 30 minutes max</li>
	<li>Take water breaks as needed.&nbsp; Best break times are transitions between activities.</li>
	<li>Every player has a ball that they are responsible for throughout practice.</li>
	<li>Try to minimize standing in lines and having kids waiting to do things.</li>
	<li>It works well to have the coach(es) and/or players demonstrate and participate in activities.</li>
	<li>Try to build practice around a general focus &ndash; dribbling, passing, shooting, etc.&nbsp; Tell players what the focus is for the day and the things they need to foc0us on.</li>
	<li>Build practice off of A,B,C,D&nbsp; method &ndash; note lots of B and C activities apply to both
	<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha;">
		<li>Warm-up and some skills building</li>
		<li>Skill building (ex:&nbsp; trapping, dribbling to goals, cones, hit the coach with the ball, etc)</li>
		<li>Game-like scenarios (ex: 1v1, scrimmage, gate dribbling as a competition)</li>
		<li>Scrimmage or small sided games</li>
		<li>When appropriate and time allows, finish practice with a game.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
Dribbling in confined space (A, B)

<ol>
	<li>Setup a box with a boundary (20ft x 20ft). Place many gates (two cones a few feet apart) inside the box.</li>
	<li>Each player dribbles inside the box in all directions.&nbsp; Direct players to use both feet, right only, left only, pull back and turn on command, switch often.&nbsp; Call for the players to stop the ball with a specific body part and continue on.</li>
	<li>Go for 1-2 minutes, give 30 second rest.&nbsp; Repeat no more than 5 times.</li>
	<li>Players learn to keep tight control, change direction, and be aware of surroundings.</li>
</ol>
Gate dribbling (A, B)

<ol>
	<li>Setup a box with a boundary (20ft x 20ft). Place many gates (two cones a few feet apart) inside the box.</li>
	<li>Each player dribbles through the gates in all directions. Players try to dribble through as many gates as possible. Use the same types of dribbling as mentioned above.</li>
	<li>Go for 1-2 minutes, give 30 second rest while giving tips/suggestions/focus points.&nbsp; Repeat no more than 5 times.</li>
	<li>To finish, have players count how many they go through in 30-60 seconds. Repeat, have them try to get more.</li>
</ol>
Trapping (B)

<ol>
	<li>Divide team into half.&nbsp; Groups go ~20 yards from coaches and face them.&nbsp; Separate groups by ~15yds.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Coaches have all the balls. Coaches serve balls by kicking or throwing.&nbsp; Mix up the distribution low and high.</li>
	<li>Players trap the ball and dribble it back near the coach and pass it into a Pugg goal, then return to the line.</li>
	<li>Focus points &ndash; Get body behind the ball.&nbsp; Move to ball, do not wait for it. Players cushion the ball with foot, chest, thigh, etc to get control and keep it close.&nbsp; Quickly get under control and dribble.</li>
</ol>
Sharks and Minnows (B, C)

<ol>
	<li>Setup a box with cones every several feet (20ft x 20ft or 25ft x 25ft).</li>
	<li>One or two players, &quot;sharks&quot;, try to take the ball away from the others &quot;minnows&quot; as they dribble around the box.</li>
	<li>The minnows are &quot;out&quot; when they dribble out of the box or a shark kicks the ball out of the box.</li>
	<li>You can also have the minnows &ldquo;swim&rdquo; from one side of the box to the other while the sharks try take the ball.</li>
	<li>When a player loses the ball he/she becomes a shark.</li>
	<li>Minnows learn to protect the ball with their body position, how to change direction to avoid sharks, how to change speeds to avoid sharks. &nbsp;Sharks learn to take the ball away from the minnows, how to use the box to their advantage and how to defend as a team.</li>
</ol>
Monkey in the middle (B, C)

<ol>
	<li>Put the players in a circle (use center circle or set up ~30 feet in diameter)</li>
	<li>Have one player be the monkey and try to steal the ball.&nbsp; Players on outside pass the ball to maintain possession.</li>
	<li>You can add more monkeys as needed, no more than 3.</li>
	<li>Monkeys can be in the middle for so many minutes or until he/she steals the ball.</li>
</ol>
Triangle Passing (B, C)

<ol>
	<li>Set the sets of three kids up in triangles. The kids pass to each other.</li>
	<li><img align="right" alt="Triangles create opportunities" height="147" hspace="9" src="file:///C:/Users/Brian/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg" width="156" />Triangles are the simplest form players can take in the game to maintain possession.&nbsp; In games, players should look to move to support each other and form triangles.</li>
	<li>You can add a 4th player as a defender. Rotate the defender every few minutes, or if the defender steals the ball he/she switches with the last person to pass the ball.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp; 
Square Passing (B, C)
<ol>
	<li>Set the sets of three kids up in squares (10 feet per side). One corner is left open.&nbsp; The players form a triangle.</li>
	<li>The ball should be at the corner of the square OPPOSITE the open corner.</li>
	<li>Player passes to one of the other two.&nbsp; The player that did not receive the pass moves to the open corner to make a new triangle and be ready for a pass.</li>
	<li>Players focus on moving to form triangles.</li>
</ol>
Dribbling/shooting small goals (C)

<ol>
	<li>To set-up place two sets of cones to define a ~15ft by ~30ft space. Set up two of these spaces and coach from space in between them.</li>
	<li>Break team into 4 groups, one group at end of each rectangle.&nbsp; Designate one group in each space as offense, one as defense.&nbsp; To start, defense or coach serves the ball (kick, throw, etc) to the offense.</li>
	<li>You can have multiple players on the field playing at the same time.</li>
	<li>Begin with 1 offense v 1defense, variations include 2v1, and 2v2 (2v2 needs slightly large box), add Pugg goals at rectangle ends to introduce shooting</li>
	<li>Scoring &ndash; Without goals, dribbling across the end line.&nbsp; With goals, goals scored.</li>
	<li>Activity is complete when ball goes out of bounds or goal is scored.</li>
	<li>Offense focus points
	<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha;">
		<li>1v1 - make quick decisions, put defense on heels, shoot when clear</li>
		<li>2v1 &ndash; keep spaced, make quick decision to pass or dribble (or shoot)</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Defense focus points &ndash;
	<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha;">
		<li>1v1 or 2v1 - Get to offense quick, don&rsquo;t let them get comfortable. Use the box sidelines as an extra defender. Position body to force the offense the way you want them to go. JOCKEY POSITION.&nbsp; When you win the ball, transition to offense quickly.</li>
		<li>2v2 &ndash; Defend as a team. One addresses ball, the other covers the passing lane.&nbsp; Be prepared to switch.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
Shooting (shoot and save) (C or game)

<ol>
	<li>Place the balls on one side of the goal.&nbsp; One coach will serve ball towards the penalty spot.</li>
	<li>Players are lined up in middle of field approximately 20 yards from goal.</li>
	<li>One player starts in goal.</li>
	<li>Serve a ball to first player in line and that player shoots the ball first time (no trapping).
	<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha;">
		<li>If the shot goes in, the player automatically stays in the game.</li>
		<li>If the shot misses and the shooter saves the next shot, the player remains in the game.</li>
		<li>If the shot misses and the next person scores, the first player is out.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>After shot, the player becomes goalie.&nbsp; After playing goalie, the player is either out or goes to back of the line.</li>
</ol>
Scrimmage/Small sided games &ndash; 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 (C or D)

<ol>
	<li>Set up small goals or use Pugg Goals.</li>
	<li>Set up a small field (~15yd x ~25yd).</li>
	<li>Play to a set number of goals or time period.</li>
	<li>Variation &ndash; play a full field scrimmage with another team practicing at same time.</li>
</ol>
World Cup (game)

<ol>
	<li>Divide team evenly into groups (minimum of 2 or 3).&nbsp; Coach is goalie.&nbsp; Field of play is the penalty box.</li>
	<li>Every team is out for themselves.&nbsp; First team to score a goal advances to next round and sits out until 2nd team scores.&nbsp; Final round is top two teams, first to score wins World Cup.</li>
	<li>Game play
	<ol style="list-style-type:lower-alpha;">
		<li>Coach starts ball randomly (kick, throw, etc) in the box</li>
		<li>Teams try to score a goal.</li>
		<li>When ball goes out of bounds, coach restarts ball from goal.</li>
		<li>Add second ball if goals are not getting scored.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Some books to consider. These were Kindle books, but may be available in paperback.
	<ul style="list-style-type:circle;">
		<li>&ldquo;20 Youth Soccer Practices&rdquo; by Scott Carlson</li>
		<li>&ldquo;The Soccer Academy: 140 Overload Games and Finishing Practices&rdquo; by Michael Beale</li>
		<li>&ldquo;Youth Soccer Drills &amp; Practices: 20 pre-planned training sessions plus drill bible&rdquo;</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>US Youth Soccer website also has a free online resource called the US Soccer Player Development Guidelines. You can find countless ideas through Google and Youtube. You can also contact the soccer club for additional ideas.</li>
</ul>
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