Thurs. May 15, 7:20P, Interlachen Park
In our second practice will be concentrating on the skills of:

Offense
And introducing:
Defense
Rules of the Game
The structure of the practice will be (approx.):
Square Dance - Everyone dribbles within one 15 yd. square.  Keep moving and use all parts of the foot.  Try cut backs, pull backs, and different fakes against imaginary opponents.  Keep your head up to not bump into teammates.  Don't lose the ball.
1. Dribble to open space - try to stay spread out.
2. Move to open space - tap the ball into an open space, quickly follow and continue dribbling.
3. Attack!: All players protect their ball while trying to kick others outside of the square. If a player's ball is kicked out of the square they leave the square and wait for the round to end.

Heading the ball - Coach will demonstrate the skill.  Then players will line up and head back a ball tossed by partner.  Finally, try head juggling. 

3 Zone MitM - Divide rectangle into 3 zones (2 ends and a middle), with equal players in each zone.  The outside zone players try to pass the ball to the other outside zone while the inside zone players try to intercept the ball.  If the inside players get the ball they swtch with the group who had kicked it.  Keep the ball on the ground.
1) No instruction.
2) Can pass within zone as much as needed.
3) One player from the inside zone can invade an outside zone.

Defensive principles:  When the other team has the ball, everyone on our team is playing defense!  You should know where the other team's players are.  If a player in your area has the ball, 1) get in the way, 2) be a pest, and 3) try to take the ball away (but without letting them get past you).

 Zone Passing - Divide the large square into two equal zones with 4 players on each of 2 teams (one with pinnies).  Gold starts with the ball,  all 4 players in one zone plus two of the other players.  Count the number of successful passes.  If the ball goes  out of bounds or Red intercepts, Red gets the ball and passes to their zone.   2 Gold players follow Red to their zone and the game continues.  Swap  for the resting players.

Team D - pressure, support, balance
1) closest player to the ball applies pressues
2) next closest player plays the escape route and passing lane
3) third player slides over so we are pressuring the ball side of the field
Basically, we want to push the ball near the sideline and keep it there.  Forwards and up mids must make sure that the only way the other team can come down the field is on the sidelines.

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

2-on-1 pass and target 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 and try to hit the cone that is set up in the goal..  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) 7 vs. 7 game, 2 goal keepers (or scrimmage with another team)
 
   Team Name: We will vote on our team name.

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!

Next Week's games: Tues. May 20, Fri May 23, 7:20P VMS  

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