How to Teach Soccer Skills to 7-Year-Olds

Whether you are a parent or just enjoy coaching youth sports, you can teach 7-year olds the proper soccer techniques. You just need the ability to communicate with kids, patience and a knowledge of basic soccer skills and safety methods. Teaching youth soccer can be an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Things You'll Need

  • Soccer balls
  • Whistle
  • Shin pads
  • Goalies gloves
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Instructions

  1. Role of the Youth Coach

    • 1
      Soccer should be enjoyable for kids.

      Provide an enjoyable experience. This is the most important thing for kids at this age because if you don't make soccer fun, the kids will find something else.

    • 2
      Provide a safe exerience playing soccer.

      Ensure a safe experience by making sure the playing area (soccer field, yard or park) is in playable condition with no safety hazards. Also, ensure the players are properly equipped with shin pads, protective cups and so on, and have proper clothing. In addition to having fun, the kids need to feel "safe" when participating in soccer.

    • 3
      Use the IDEA concept to teach soccer skills.

      Instruct the kids using the IDEA concept, which means introduce the skill, demonstrate the skill, explain the skill and attend to players practicing the skill (in other words, watch, critique and correct).

    • 4
      Young kids often prefer offense to defense.

      Teach the basic soccer skills and techniques. Start by teaching and demonstrating offensive skills and techniques. In soccer, offensive skills are easier to teach and generally kids like offense better than defense.

    Basic Offensive Skills

    • 5

      Teach the skill of passing the ball. Passing the ball is one of the most basic and crucial elements in soccer. Start with teaching the proper technique of making short, crisp passes.

    • 6
      Dribbling is an important part of soccer.

      Demonstrate the art of dribbling a soccer ball. Dribbling is the most important individual skill in soccer and probably the hardest to master.

    • 7

      Show how to "trap" the ball with your feet and also with your chest. You trap the ball in order to control the ball, and it allows you to pass and dribble the ball more effectively.