Coaching children is not the same as coaching adults. The coach
of adult players is often presented as a very authoritarian type of
person, very much inclined to drive players to produce maximum performance.
One of the personality characteristics of young players is that they
need protection from failure experiences. To understand this means
to adopt an entirely different approach to coaching youngsters as
opposed to adults. It is this last sentence which has been at the
heart of my off-season reflection. The result is my recommendation
to the committee that age groups should train together to facilitate
the process of building skills through a curriculum designed for the
individual rather than the team. That is not to say that team skills
will not be included, but the emphasis will be on each child acquiring
the ball skills which are essential to perform in a team. The following
paragraphs provide an outline of coaching objectives by age group
for roo ball players. In reading them I would like you to consider
two things:-
1) The kind of fun related practices which the players will perform
to achieve each objective.
2) The fact that many practices require an adult to receive the ball
and return it to the player for the next attempt.
Coaching Objectives
Year 1 – Under 7
By the end of the first year the players will be able to :
• Kick the ball accurately within a 1 metre channel by 7 metres
long once in 5 attempts
• Dribble the ball around 3 obstacles using the inside of both
feet at least once in 5 attempts
• Bounce/kick/catch the ball 3 times in succession
Year 2 – Under 8
By the end of the second year the players will be able to:
• Kick the ball accurately within a 0.5 metre channel by 10
metres long 3 times in 10 attempts.
• Dribble the ball around 3 obstacles using a side-step technique
once in 5 attempts
• Bounce/kick the ball 3 times in succession
• Receive a ground pass with the foot and control it in a 1
metre space
• From inside the goal area, head the ball into goal 3 times
in 10 attempts
• Kick the ball from the corner quadrant to land in the goal
area first or second bounce 3 times out of 10
• Keep the ball in the air for 5 successive bounces using any
part of the body excepting the hands and arms.
• Dribble the ball around an obstacle course using a stepover
technique and a shielding technique
• Kick the ball at a skittle from 10 metres and hit it twice
in 10 attempts
• Receive a ground pass and control it in a half metre space
3 times in 10 attempts
• Receive a thigh pass and control it 3 times in 10 attempts
Year 3 – Under 9
By the end of the third year the players will be able to:
• Kick the ball from the corner quadrant to land in the penalty
area once in 5 attempts
• From inside the goal area, throw the ball in the air and
head it into goal once in 10 attempts
• Keep the ball in the air for 3 successive bounces using any
part of the body excepting hands and arms
• Dribble the ball around 3 obstacles using a Cruyff turn technique
• Kick the ball at a skittle from 10 metres and hit it once
in 10 attempts
• Receive a ground pass and control it within a half metre
space once in 5 attempts
• Receive a pass with the thigh and control it once in 5 attempts
Year 4 – Under 10
By the end of the fourth year the players will be able to:
• Kick the ball from the corner quadrant to land in the goal
area first or second bounce 3 times out of 10
• From inside the goal area, head the ball into goal 3 times
in 10 attempts
• Keep the ball in the air for 5 successive bounces using any
part of the body excepting the hands and arms.
• Dribble the ball around an obstacle course using a stepover
technique and a shielding technique
• Kick the ball at a skittle from 10 metres and hit it twice
in 10 attempts
• Receive a ground pass and control it in a half metre space
3 times in 10 attempts
• Receive a thigh pass and control it 3 times in 10 attempts
Do you see how difficult it would be for one coach to give individual
attention to each child? Do you also see that what is needed is
support such as receiving and returning the ball – setting
up skittles and markers – keeping count for little ones and
giving out praise! You don’t have to know anything about soccer
to help your child to build skills and gain confidence. All you
have to do is play ball! Of course, we’ll need to appoint a
team coach. A leader who will be the main organiser for training
and matches but with assistance from as many parents as possible.
Come on Mum, come on Dad - join in and my bet is you’ll enjoy
it.
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