CCSA U9/U10 Training Session #1
Introduce yourself to the kids and go over a few key points that you expect from them. During the first Activity stop and stretch every few minutes. Have them hold each stretch for a count of 15. You will want to stop and stretch a few times during the 1st activity all year. Take water breaks between activities.
Diagram/Coaching Points
1st Activity (Warm up) Go Fish /X
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Each player stands in a circle around the coach with soccer ball held out in their hands. The coach randomly grabs balls and tosses the ball in all directions for each player to bring back. Choose a method for the players to bring the balls back. Right or left foot, Inside or outside, sole of foot.
Progression: Two players with one ball must bring ball back together. Passing with hands/feet. Using only hands, elbows, tummies, backs, or heads.
Groups of three or Four to a ball. Same.
2nd Activity Numbers Game / C
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Have all the balls in a pile next to the coach. Two teams of equal numbers stand at each end of a 20 x 25 yard field of play. Give each player a number 1,2,3,4… on each team. Coach calls out “3” and number 3 from each team play 1 v 1. When the ball goes out or is scored call a new number.
Progressions: Call multiple numbers from each side so they can play 2 v 2 or 3 v 3.
Coaching Points: Encourage them to act quickly. Remember in a game other defender will be coming.
3rd Activity Barrel Ball /
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Split into two teams. Take a trash can or just the top of one and place it in the center of a 15 x 20 yard grid. Coach stands on sideline with a supply of balls one team on each side in a line.
The coach kicks a ball out into the grid and calls out “one” or “two”. That number is the number of players from each team that enter the grid and try to hit the barrel. Play until a goal or ball goes out of the grid. Players must touch ball one time before shooting. Coach should vary how ball goes in. Give a chance to weaker players by starting ball more on their side.
4th Activity Knock Out / Coaching Points: Encourage players to look around while dribbling and shield their ball.
Make a circle big enough for everyone to dribble around. When everyone is dribbling coach yells “Knock Out”. Players try to knock other player’s balls out of the circle while protecting theirs. Have a line of cones set up for the players to dribble before they can return to the circle.
Quickly explain the basic rules (goal kick, corner kick, kick off, throw in and free kicks).
Try to save 20 minutes to scrimmage at the end of practice. No subs. Play 6 to 8 minutes and have a water break. Mix up the teams, if necessary, and play again.
CCSA U9/U10 Training Session #2
After the 1st Activity sit your players down and explain the mechanics of passing the ball. Remember the five keys to passing: 1) inside of foot 2) lock ankle 3) heal down/toe up 4) follow through toward target. 5) plant foot (non kicking foot) points at target.
Diagram/Coaching Points
1st Activity Sharks and Minnows / CM
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Make a 20 X 25 yard grid. Choose one or two players to be Sharks. These players will wait in the center of the river (the grid). The rest of the player (minnows) will stand at one end of the river with their soccer balls. When the coach yells cross the river, the minnows will try to dribble from one side of the grid to the other. If the shark kicks anyone’s ball out of the river they become a shark for the next round. Have the players dribble back and forth, one round at a time, until everyone is a shark. Start over; making sure that everyone gets a chance to start off as a shark.
2nd Activity Passing (read top of page) / X X X
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Have players in groups of 3 with 2 balls per group. Have two of the players facing each other 20 to 25 yards apart each with a soccer ball. The third player stands between them with no ball. On the coaches command the player in the middle runs to either side to receive a pass and pass it back to that player with 2 touches. He then turns and checks to the other player to receive and play that pass back. Play for about 1 minute and rotate player in the middle.
2nd Round: Have player in the middle receive with one foot and pass with the other. 3rd round: Player in the middle can pass back with one touch.
3rd Activity Pac Man/Woman / Coaching Point: This is a passing drill not a shooting drill. Players should be using the inside of the foot, not the toe. Players who continue to kick ball up high must sit out.
Players are in a confined area, running around without balls. One player (Pac Man) has a ball. . On the coaches command the Pac Man/Woman tries to pass their ball so that it hits one of the players below the knees. When a player is hit they go to the coach to get a ball and become another Pac Man. Continue until everyone has a ball.
4th Activity Passing Gates / X
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Make 5 gates in a large area. Each gate is two cones about 3 yards apart. Have the players pair up with a ball. Players have one minute to see how many times they can pass the ball to each other through a gate. They can’t go through the same gate twice in a row. Play several rounds.
Coaching Points: This game is to help change the point of attack. Stop the game when everyone bunches around one gate and point out how open the other gates are.
Part 2: Split player into 2 teams. To score a point a player must past the ball through a gate and have a team mate receive it on the other side. Play games to five points.
Try to save 20 minutes to scrimmage at the end of practice. No subs. Play 6 to 8 minutes and have a water break. Mix up the teams, if necessary, and play again.
CCSA U9/U10 Training Session #3
After the first Activity sit the players down for a shooting clinic. Shooting keys; 1) Lock ankle down. 2) Approach the ball from a slight angle. 3) Strike ball with instep or shoe laces 4) follow through towards target. 5) Last thing you see must be the ball.
Diagram/Coaching Points
1st Activity Juggle Warm Up / Coaching Points: After the first round change players around to make partner of equal ability.You can have losers do toe touches or tap dances.
Have the players pair up with a ball. The players juggle for 2 minutes alternating each time the ball hits the ground. The player who juggles the most (one try not total) wins the round. Second round have the ball bounce once, and only once, between kicks.
Other rounds- thighs only, 1st juggle with head. Finish with freestyle and watch the improvement over the first round.
2nd Activity Basic shooting / XXXX
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Make two lines 20 yards from the goal. The coach is about 5 yards away between the players and the goal. Alternating shots each line does a give and go with the coach and shoots on goal.
One line is for left footed shots the other for right. Players change lines after each shot. Have goalie roll ball to the outside and place a cone out wide on each side for them to dribble around on the way back to line, keeping them out of the middle.
3rd Activity Goal Kick 1v1 / YYYY
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Set a ball on each side of the small box in front of the goal, where the goal kicks are taken from. Have player X take a goal kick toward the outside of the field. Place a line of cone in the center of the field to show them where not to kick it. Have your other players (Y) in a line about 15 yards away near the sidelines. Player Y receives the ball and play 1v1 with player X. When the play is over use player Z to do the same thing on the other side. Alternate back and forth.
You can use a goal keeper if you have a full size goal to use.
4th Activity Back to Back Jack / O O
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Make two teams. Place two goals back to back in the center of the field. Each team has one goal that they defend and one that they shoot into. Play one game where goalies can throw it over the top and one where they can’t.
Progression: Can place cone 15 yards from each goal. Players must take ball out to that cone before they can go to goal.
Try to save 20 minutes to scrimmage at the end of practice. No subs. Play 6 to 8 minutes and have a water break. Mix up the teams, if necessary, and play again.
CCSA U9/U10 Training Session #4
Don’t feel that you have to get every activity in each week. If something is going good, no need to rush through it. Make sure you always leave plenty of time to scrimmage. Although the drills are good coaching tools nothing beats playing the game.
Diagram/Coaching Points
1st Activity (Warm Up) Ball Stealing / Coaching Points: Stress shielding. (keeping your body between the ball and the opponent)Players from the same team can work together to steal balls.
Make a 20x20 yard grid. Split the team into two groups and put one team in colored vests. Each player with a vest has a ball and starts in the grid. The other team stands outside the grid with no soccer balls. On the coaches command the team without vest rushes into the grid and tries to steal the opposing teams soccer balls. The objective is to see which team has the most balls at the end of 30 seconds. That team gets a point. First to three wins. Rotate who starts
with the balls.
Progression: Same thing but, remove one of the soccer balls. This will create some passing and 2v1 situations. Next round, remove another ball.
2nd Activity Gates / X
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Make 4 to 5 gates in a large grid. Use 2 cones about 1 yard apart to make each gate. Have the players run through as many gates as possible in 30 sec. (no ball) Split into 2 groups so one can rest while the other is running the gates. Players can not go through the same gate twice. Have the player try to beat their own score each time.
Progression: After about 3 times add soccer balls and continue.
3rd Activity Gates II /
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Using the same set up as above make 2 teams and have them race 1 v 1. The players will start in two lines next to you off the field and you tell them a random number (1 to 5) of gates to go through. First player to get through that number and return gets a point for that team.
Progression: For the last game have each player go through all the gates in relay race style.
4th Activity 1v1 same goal / XXXX
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Have all the players stand in 2 lines behind the goal. The coach stands between the teams with a supply of balls. The coach throws the ball over the goal and the first player in each line plays 1v1. Both players are trying to score in the same goal. If someone scores that team get a point. When the ball goes out a new ball is thrown in and 2 new players play 1v1. Try to set the lines up so players go against equal components.
Progression: Place a second goal at the other end of the field. Throw the ball out and the first player to touch the ball tries to score in the initial goal (where the coach and players are) and the other player tries to take the ball from him and score in the other goal.
Try to save 20 minutes to scrimmage at the end of practice. No subs. Play 6 to 8 minutes and have a water break. Mix up the teams, if necessary, and play again.
CCSA U9/U10 Training Session #5
After the 1ST activity sit your players down for a quick clinic on receiving the soccer ball. There are only 3 key points and they all deal with the same mechanics as passing. 1) Inside of the foot 2) lock ankle 3) heal down toe up.