INTRODUCTION
Youth Soccer Coaching Manual for an Instructional Soccer Program
© CoachingAmericanSoccer.com®
This Instructional Soccer Program is a “child-centered” (“child-oriented” or “child-centric”) program, of the type endorsed by child psychologists, U. S. Youth Soccer, and the United Soccer Coaches organization (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America). It is designed to maximize the opportunity for EVERY child to be successful and to enjoy their first exposure to the sport. As such, this Program does NOT include any provision for competitive games.
The “competitive-game” (“game-centered,” “game-oriented” or “game-centric”) approach has been proven repeatedly, year-after-year, to crush the spirit and interest of a significant percentage of very young children. Organizations that use competitive games as the foundation of their introduction to soccer do not have the interest of all of their participants at heart.
Accordingly, the objectives of this program are to provide very young children with a fun experience, outdoor exercise, developmental growth, and an introduction to the game of soccer and its fundamental skills that tries to minimize putting them into situations that they do not understand or that they are not prepared to handle.
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- Preface
- Youth Soccer Coaching Philosophy
- Program Format
- Session Format
- Instructional Soccer Program Sample Grid Layout
- General Session Rules
- Players’ Equipment
- Notes for Parents and Coaches
- Notes for Coaches
- Instructional Basic Soccer Rules
- Soccer Coaching 3 and 4 Year Olds
- Format of a Practice
- Warm Up Activities
- SOCCER FUN GAMES (NOW OVER 230!)
- Instruction and Drills
- Format of an Instructional Soccer Scrimmage
- Instructional Soccer “Build-a-Practice”
- Sample U5/U6 Instructional Soccer Practice Plans
© Copyright, John C. Harves