How to Coach in Youth Soccer Practices
For players to have the best experience possible, coaches being prepared is important. For practices, plan ahead to know what you want to work on.
Having a full-season plan is an excellent tool. Platforms like The Soccer Handbook provide coaches access to a full season of plans and teach you how to coach youth soccer. These plans are designed by age group to get the most from every practice from week 1 to the end of the season.
We Recommend Youth Soccer Practices Have These 3 Elements
1. Skill Work
This includes activities such as dribble and passing. Players can work individually, as a pair, or in small groups.
The focus in skill work should be repetition, so maximizing the number of touches or repetitions for each player in the focus. Avoid activities with players waiting in long lines for turns.
Try to incorporate challenges into the skill work. These challenges could be activities such as relays or having players keep personal bests. Players will be more engaged and continue working hard at the drill by having a relay or challenge as a part of the skill work.
2. Teamwork
This phase of practice is where coaches want to teach players things like positions and working in small groups.
These exercises focus on areas of the game, like attacking and defending. Exercises can still be made competitive so players are kept engaged in what is worked on.
3. Game Play
All youth soccer practices should include an opportunity for players to scrimmage.
During this part of practice, players should be encouraged to put into action what was worked on in the skill work and teamwork portions of practice.
Place players into two teams and let them play. One team can attack the game goal while the other attacks mini goals. Don’t have mini-goals? You can create some using two cones, water bottles, shoes, etc.
Coaching a session in this progression (Skill work / Teamwork / Game play) is a great way for coaches to stay organized each practice night. Players will also enjoy this practice progression as they understand at the end of practice they will get to do their favorite thing: playing!
Want training plans developed by professional coaches?
Youth Soccer Development: Tailoring Your Coaching to Every Age Group
- U6-U8: At this age level, players have games playing 4v4 (4 field players and no goalies). This may change from area to area, but the US Soccer recommendation is to play 4v4. The emphasis of this age group is individual development. Exercises should have a 1:1 player and ball ratio as much as possible. Build their confidence as young soccer players with the ball at their feet.
- U9-10: For U9-10, players will play games 7v7 (6 field players and 1 goalie). At this age range the emphasis on individual development is still high. Players will work on their technical abilities with a ball often. Now the introduction of teammates and passing the ball to those teammates becomes more important. In this age group, players begin to learn positions. Players should play multiple positions to best learn the game.
- U11-12: In continuation of player growth and development, U11-U12 teams play games 9v9 (8 field players and 1 goalie). At this age group, players’ understanding of positions and how to work together is the focus. Players still need technical development of their skills, but more emphasis is put on technical skills like passing and working as a team. Players should still be playing multiple positions to learn the game best.
- U13+: This is the start of 11v11 soccer (10 field players and 1 goalie). At this stage of development, there is now a blend of working on all facets of the game: Individual technical development skills such as dribbling and passing, team development working on positions, and learning how to play as a team. Players may now begin to play more consistently at 1 position. However, if players want to rotate positions, that is undoubtedly still fine.
The Game Summary
Speaking from my experience, I played soccer at various levels, from grassroots soccer to collegiate, and have been a coach since my playing days ended. I do not remember the scores of all the games I played in. I do not remember all of the exercises my coaches did.
What I remember most is how my coach made me feel. If you know you can create a positive and enjoyable environment for young athletes, then you can and will be a great coach!
