First (non-rained-out) Practice

Our first team practice went very well. We had really good attendance -- especially considering that it was Valentines Day! Not to mention the cold weather. I sincerely appreciate all the parents who were able to bring their soccer players to the practice. For those few who weren't there, it's not a problem. We still have 3 more practices before our first game, on Thursday, Feb. 28 (see schedule).

Practice 1 Review

At the first practice, I handed out the league rules and basic team info and introduced myself to the parents and the players. I also asked the kids a few questions to find out a little about their experience and why they like the idea of being on a soccer team. There were some really good answers. Some of the kids talked about learning teamwork and learning to accept the way things are (seemed to either mean accepting game losses or maybe accepting personal limitations).

Practice Activity: "Hit the Coach"

Then, we had a lot of fun playing "Hit the Coach," in which the players try to hit a moving target (me) by dribbling and kicking their soccer balls. After every five hits, they get to choose an animal noise that the target (me) has to imitate. Pretty embarrassing stuff, but it's fun for the kids.

Then, we took a drink break. Then a boring, but useful drill. Standard dribble forward, pass, dribble, pass, shoot drill. I figure I can get away with one boring drill after each fun activity. This one includes several important skills, and the players will get better at it as the season progresses.

Finally, we used the rest of the time for a scrimmage. Scrimmage time is invaluable for these young players. If I could only do one thing at practices, it would be to simply let the kids play. All the coaching experts say young players learn soccer best by playing the game itself. They would be playing the game in parks and alleys and streets constantly if they lived in Brazil or Holland or Argentina or Germany or England. Unlike a lot of other sports (football, baseball, basketball, cricket...) there are few rules and most of the learning is more about skills and getting a feel for when to keep the ball, when to pass, when to shoot, etc.

Pinnies (Scrimmage Vests)

Since we have so much time until the first real game, I want to let the kids have their own miniature games at the practices. At future practices, I might bring "scrimmage vests" (or "pinnies") so one side can wear them during scrimmages. It gets hard to keep the teams straight during scrimmages, since the teams will be different every time. I think I can get pinnies at Sports Authority relatively cheaply. If so, there's no need to chip in, because I'll want to keep them for use in future seasons also.

3-2-2 Formation and Positions

Next Practice 

I might introduce the concept of soccer field positions, such as defender/fullback, midfielder, forward/striker, etc. (see image to the left).  Most of the Wahoos players seemed to already be familiar with these, but I want to make sure we all have the same understanding -- and we do have some new players who are just learning.