Monday 5/17, 7:15P, Hayes Field #2
In our first practice will be concentrating on the skills of:

touch
ball control
dribbling
receiving
passing
The structure of the practice will be (approx.):
15 min. (or whatever works) warm up and basic touch and dribbling drills
Square Dance - kids dribble and move the ball around inside a big square marked with cones

STOP - stop the ball with foot and freeze
GO - dribble
TURN - stop the ball and dribble in the opposite direction
Ball Handling
Ball Roll - with the bottom of the foot

front and back
side to side
in a small circle
Tick Tock - pass the ball from the inside of the left foot to the inside of the right
Hat Dance - lightly touch the ball with the bottom of the left foot, then hop to touch the ball with the bottom of the right foot.
15 min. (or whatever works) passing, receiving, and running drills
Two Squares - split the group between two adjacent squares, each child has a ball

dribble and ball handle
SWITCH - everyone dribbles their ball to the other square without crashing in the middle!
Relay Race - three lines (or as many as are needed), each with one ball. One cone across from each line

GO - the first child in line dribbles the ball to the cone, around it, and back. They leave the ball for the next child in line. Give a high five and the next in line goes. When each child has gone twice, the whole line sits down.

Passing Drill - Each child chooses a partner and stands on opposite sides of 2 cones.  Try to pass the ball back and forth, through the cones.  Try to trap the ball by tapping it lightly with your foot to stop it before passing back to your partner.

15 min. (or whatever works) 5 vs. 5 game, no goal keeper, no score (or scrimmige with another team)

A trick to practice at home... Hold the ball with both hands. Lift your knee, drop the ball and bounce it off your knee, then catch the ball. Try to do that ten times in a row. If you can do that, then try to bounce it twice off of your knee!
 

<bcaplin@uswest.net>