PeeWee
Basic Moves
PeeWee coaching is a lot of fun! Their enthusiasm knows no bounds, they will turn up for practice in the most severe weather conditions imaginable and they smile all the time!!
CHARACTERISTICS
Developmentally, however, they are very different from children who are just two or three years older. For example:
Most of your players will cry immediately when they get hurt. Some cry even when they are not hurt. No matter how loud you shout, or how much they "practice" it, they can not or will not pass the ball. Somebody will come off the field in need of a toilet. Somebody will stay on the field when they should be going to the toilet!
These players fall down, by themselves or in groups. No one is pushing them down, they just stumble over grass or dirt. Most will jump up and start running right away.
The only player to hold a position is the goalkeeper (if you play with one.) Don't even consider teaching positional play. Twenty seconds after the start of a game, every player will be within 5 yards of the ball. Several players will slap at the ball with their hands, or pick it up. Several parents will yell at them not to do that. In groups, the players may push each other or even tackle like football.
A model rocket that is launched from a nearby field will get 99% of the player's attention. By all means, stop whatever you are doing and watch for a couple of minutes. During a season, you will end up tying at least 40 to 50 shoelaces. They will do something that is very funny. Make sure that you laugh.
DRILLS:
Follow-the-Leader – this is the most common coaching method for the following drills:
Dribbling
Inside Foot
- right foot
- left foot
Ball Control
Stop
Push
Pull
Passing
Static partner passing
Passing while dribbling/running down the field (challenging for PeeWees).
Throw-ins
Teach the players to stand still on the touchline, cross their feet, and throw the ball over the head.
Corner Kicks
Let each player try this. If the coach stands at the penalty spot, tell the player to kick as hard as possible to hit the coach. By the middle of the season, put a player in the penalty spot and the players start to learn to kick to their own player. (REMEMBER – PeeWee fields do not have the penalty spot marked. The spot is halfway between the goal box and penalty box, directly in the middle & in front of the goal).
Shooting/Scoring
Set ball in front of goal
Roll ball forward and shoot
Goalkeeping
Drop your ball and scoop up.
Walk and drop your ball then scoop up.
With partner, roll back & forth and scoop up.
No Hands
No Hands is the single most difficult task to teach PeeWee players. Let them watch older players when you can.
Play an entire practice without touching the ball, even use your feet to roll the balls into the ball bag. Everyone must hold their hands behind their back during a practice, including the coaches.
PeeWee
Simple Drills/Games
Dribbling:
- Follow the leader. Each player follows the coach from the center of the field to in front of the goal.
- Follow the leader through the cones. Set up a row of cones about 4 feet apart and dribble around and through the cones.
GAME: Form 2 team with 2 rows of cones. Each player dribbles the ball through the cones then gives the ball to his parent waiting at the opposite end. The parent dribbles through cones and gives ball to the next player. First team done, wins.
GAME: Do what the coach does. The coach would dribble around the field by hopping on 2 feet, then 1 foot, and then another foot. The coach could even flap his arms, skip, whistle while dribbling and players must do the same.
Ball Control:
GAME: Red light, green light & more.
- Set out 4 cones to form a large square. Have all the players inside the square with their ball. When you say GO, they dribble around not bumping into each other. Yell STOP and see if they put the ball of the foot on top of the ball. Add right turn, left turn, back as you learn to use the outside foot or do pullbacks.
Passing:
Set 2 cones up with a parent and their child. The cones should be
about 3-4 feet apart. The player must use the inside of their foot to pass the
ball through the cones to their parent
- use right foot then left foot
Starting at midfield with parent on left of coach and player on right,
have them pass the ball to each other as they run toward the goal.
Receiving:
Use the passing cones described above to have the player stop the ball when it is passed to them.
Shooting/Scoring:
Everyone’s favorite. Place the ball at different spots in front of the goal and let the players shoot. First few minutes without a goalkeeper then put everyone in to scoop up the ball.
Before the first game, put the players on the field in a 5v5 setup with the Coach on his or her own side of the field. Have extra players be the other team. Practice substituting and knowing what goal is your goal. Coaches, teach the phrase “turn around” said only by the Coach so a player knows to change directions. This will help prevent scoring in the wrong goal.