Saturday 8/21, 9:00A, Valley Middle School Field #3
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.):
20 min. warm up and individual skills
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.
Juggling - bounce the ball off your knee as many times in a row as you can.
Relay Race - three lines (or as many as are needed), each with one ball. Four cones are in a line in front of each team.

GO - the first child in line dribbles the ball, weaving around the cones, 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.
 
First Touch drill - two lines, no one has a ball.  The first two players from each line come forward and stand about 15 feet apart from each other.  The coach will be about 15 feet away with the ball, facing one of the players.  Coach will pass the ball to one of the players and begin advancing (slowly)  on the player.  The player must receive the ball, stay in place and control the ball for 5 seconds, then pass it to the other player.  Then both players go to the end of the opposite line.

10 min. rules

what not to do; free kicks; off sides; touchlines; out of bounds; throw-ins; goal kick; corner kick

20 min.  passing, receiving, and running drills

the Name Game - two long lines, facing each other.  Each player on one of the lines has a ball.
Go - the two players across from each other will introduce themselves.  The player with the ball will call out the other players name, then pass the ball to her.  The second player will receive the pass and then call out the first players name and pass to her.  After a while will will rotate one of the lines and continue.   After another while we will switch to throw-ins.

2-on-0 pass and shoot, no GK - two lines, with a bunch of balls by one of the lines.
Go - the first child in each line starts moving toward the goal, one dribbling the ball.  Three passes, and then shoot.  Both players go to the end of the opposite line.

2-on-1 pass and shoot, no GK - two lines, with a bunch of balls by one of the lines.
Go - the first child in each line starts moving toward the goal, one dribbling the ball.  Three passes, and then shoot.  This time there will be 1 defensive player (or the coach) who will try to intercept the pass and kick it past the attacking players. Both players go to the end of the opposite line.

15 min. (or whatever works) 5 vs. 5 game, no goal keeper, no score (or scrimmage 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>