Information on Coaching First-Grade Soccer

Coaching the youngest soccer players requires a lot of patience and an understanding that players in first grade don't have the physical or mental capacity to play the game the same way as older players. At the same time, there are ways coaches can provide players with the foundation they will need to play soccer at higher levels as they age.

  1. Small-Sided Games

    • Watching a team of first-graders play soccer is like watching a moving stampede. A pack of players moves around the field with the ball, kicking it and chasing after it. Children at this age are focused on the self, and the concepts of passing and creating space don't yet come naturally. Playing small-sided games in training and in weekend matches allows the game to begin to teach itself, and coaches can give players basic positioning instructions and pointers along the way.

    Ball Work

    • First-grade players need to be encouraged to dribble. This is often counterintuitive to their parents' thought process on the sidelines, but it is at the youngest ages that players begin to build relationships with the ball. Dribbling exercises in training and allowing players to dribble with all surfaces of their feet (inside, outside, laces, sole) will build good habits.

    Encourage Free Play

    • Let the kids play, and let them play all the time. Not only should first-grade soccer coaches be encouraging their players to simply play keep-away games and the like at practice, they should encourage kids and parents to get out and play the game in backyards and parks as often as possible. The more kids play, the better they will develop naturally.

    Basic Rules

    • Don't expect kids at this age to begin to understand the larger concepts of the game, like the offside rule. But by explaining some of the basics to them, such as the fact that they aren't allowed to touch the ball with their hands, they can't simply push or kick someone to get the ball, and the field has boundaries the ball shouldn't cross, they will be better prepared to receive further instructions on the rules down the road.

    Keep It Fun

    • If nothing else, kids at this age should be enjoying playing the game. Results at the first-grade level don't matter. You want to teach the kids to play hard and compete, but not at the expense of the fun of the game. First-grade players and coaches should be concentrating on getting out and playing, having a good time, and building a lifelong love of soccer.