Fun Soccer Practice for Kids

WeCoachKids.com explains that the most fun soccer practices for kids incorporate skill-building games instead of drills. Players will play at a higher intensity level and will have more fun developing their skills at the same time. The following skill-building games are excellent drills that you can include to create a fun soccer practice for kids.

  1. General Guidelines for Fun Soccer Practices

    • To make a soccer practice fun, every player should be touching the ball as much as possible. Play skill-building games that don’t result in players being knocked out; players should play the entire time. Coaches should avoid punishing the losers of skill-building games and awarding the winners of skill-building games. For skill-building games to be effective they must replicate true game skills. Games should be easy to explain and easy to set up. Stick to a few games that your team loves instead of trying to teach them too many different games.

    Hit The Coach Drill

    • The “Hit The Coach” drill develops dribbling and shooting techniques, according to WeCoachKids.com. Each player will have a ball for this drill. Set up an area with cones. The older the children, the larger the area should be. When the coach blows his whistle, players must start dribbling around the area. The coach should be running around the entire area. When a player hits the coach five times the coach must make an animal noise of the player’s choosing. This drill is an excellent way to start practice because you can do it with only a few players as the other players begin to arrive.

    Freeze Tag Drill

    • Free Tag is a fun soccer drill from WeCoachKids.com that’s excellent for warming up, defense, dribbling and passing. First set up a grid with cones. Every player but one should be given a soccer ball. The lone player that does not have a ball is “it” and must try to freeze the other players by touching their ball. The player that does not have a ball does not need to kick the other balls away, just touch them. If the player without a ball touches a ball, the player that was dribbling that ball must hold the ball above their head and open their legs. If another player passes their ball through the frozen player’s legs then that player becomes unfrozen and may begin dribbling again. Play until all players are frozen or the player in the middle becomes too tired to continue.

    Red Light, Green Light

    • Red Light, Green Light is another fun soccer drill from WeCoachKids.com that helps develop change of speed and dribbling control. All players should be given a ball and will start on the sideline. When the coach yells green light, players must start dribbling towards the coach. The coach should have their back turned to the players after yelling green light. The coach should then yell red light and turn around. Players must have one foot on their ball before the coach turns around or they are out.