U5 Guide PDF
U5 Season Guide
In the fall season, which is usually the first season for many players, U5 players will need extra time to work on building their basic soccer skills. This first season is when you introduce concepts like control but phrase it in a fun way for young players. Coaches commonly start by referring to control as “squish a bug on top of your ball.” Players laugh and really try to squish that bug! The coach has just taught the players to stop a moving ball in a simple and fun way.
As the spring season opens, coaches will find that players will need a refresher, but if the same concepts are used, then players will start remembering them and the skills can be built upon. Now instead of “squish a bug”, the coach can just say, "control the ball", and the team should know to step on top of it to stop it.
U5 is focused on players developing their individual ball movement skills, but towards the end of a season they should be trying to pass.
Week 1
Body parts: The activity starts by players dribbling around the area. The coach shouts a part of the body that the player uses to stop the ball. For example, right foot, left foot, knee, etc.
Colored cones: Place different colored cones or discs in 4 corners. Call out the color the players should run to. Pick up the pace of calling the colors. Progress to having two teams and they race to the cones. The first team to have all the players touch their ball to the cone wins.
Kick-offs: at the end of practice make two teams and do mock kick-offs. Show defenders they need to stay back 10 feet and attackers should all be spread out on the line. Try to show the player taking the kick-off that they want to kick it out in front of one of their players so they can try to get to it before the other team.
Week 2
Red light green light: With the coach's back to the players, the coach yells GREEN LIGHT and the players try to dribble to the coach. When the coach yells RED LIGHT, the coaches wait a moment and then turn to face the players. Anyone who is not stopped must go back to the farthest person from the coach.
Knocking over cones/avoiding cones: Have cones randomly in the field and on go players try to knock over as many as they can. Progress to having them avoid cones going across the field. Finally, to make it more engaging, the coach can drop cones in front of players as they dribble across the field.
Races around cones: Set up a cone for every player halfway out on the field. They race to see who can dribble out and around, back to the end-line the fastest. Progress to having teams and have them relay race.
Week 3
Can you do this: The activity starts by players dribbling around the area. The coach also has a ball
Protect the goal: Using the goal, have one player with a pinnie as the defender. Players take turns 1 Vs 1 trying to score on the defender. Show the defender to not stand on the goal and wait, but to go out and attack the ball to get it away from their goal. Progress to two offense trying to score on one defender. The next group comes down when the ball is kicked out of bounds by the defender.
Cops and robbers: On the coach’s command, the ‘Robbers’ attempt to dribble past the defenders ‘Cops’, in attempt to take the jewels. To take the jewels the players must knock down the cone with the ball. Once they have knocked down the cone, they must pick up the cone and take it back to their starting point while dribbling the ball. If the Robbers lose the ball to the Cops, they must start back over at the original starting point. Extra balls can be used in place of cones.
Week 4
Don't Crash the Car: Player’s dribble around and avoid other players. Coach can hold up colored discs to indicate going faster, stopping, or dribbling (or yell it out). Have two different colored squares in different corners. One is the garage, and one is the auto body shop. If cars wreck, they need to go to one or the other for repairs.
Variant: Players are cars driving (dribbling) across the field from one side to the other. Set up cones as obstacles in the field so the kids need to dribble around them as well as avoid other cars (players). Coach can hold up colored discs (or yell it out) to indicate going faster, stopping, or dribbling. Set up the Autobody Shop/Garage in the corner of the field toward where the kids start. If cars wreck (hit a cone or another player), they need to go there for repairs. The winner is the first across the field. The cones prevent getting the whole way across the field with one big kick.
Freeze Tag: Players stay in a designated area. 2 teams. Players should aim at each other's ball. If a player hits another player's ball or feet on a shot or pass with their ball, that player is frozen. Last two players standing (or best kickers) have unfreezing powers for Round 2.
Week 5
Tiny kicks, big kicks: Group players up in pairs. They make 2 small pass about 5 feet apart to each other, then back up to about 10 feet apart to make a bigger pass back and forth. They continue moving closer and farther apart as they see the difference needed in the power of their kick depending on how far away from their teammate they are.
Super Mario Variant: Make one side the Mario Side. The other can be the Luigi side or the Princess Side. Each side takes turns throwing fireballs (soccer balls) back and forth. After a few rounds, have the kids shoot their fireballs at Bowser (the Coach) all at once, then Bowser fires the soccer balls back.
Keep away (Paw Patrol version)[SHARKS & MINNOWS]: This is called King of the Ring on the BWSA website. Set up a designated area. Players take turns being mayor Humdinger and the Paw Patrol keep his "hat" (the ball) away from him. Progress to one Humdinger and one of his kitties try to help him.
Week 6
Soccer gauntlet: One defender in the middle and the other players try to make it from one side of the field to the other. Add more players in the middle to make it harder. Players are not allowed outside the lines. Try adding a goal on each side they can score a goal in as they go back and forth.
It tag: Have a designated area. One player is it and tries to kick another player’s ball with theirs to tag them so they become IT. All other players try to avoid getting tagged.
Week 7
Attack the line: Two teams lined up about 10-15 yards apart with either cones behind them or a goal. 1 less ball than the number of players. All the balls in the middle in a group or in a line. On your "go" signal, teams race to the middle, and try to use the "drag back" move to win all the balls to their goal. Remind them that some of them can go for balls and some can try to steal from the other team. They continue trying to win until all balls are in the goal or touching their cone. Line them up and do it again, taking away a ball each time until only two remain.
Capture the flag: Have a field set up with a cone at each end as a goal. Put a pinnie in the cone. Break the players up into two teams. Using their ball, they try to capture the flag by knocking over the other team’s cone to retrieve the flag (pinnie). They must play defense and offense at the same time. Only a ball can knock over a cone. Don’t let players stand on the cone. They must go attack the other team or try to stop them in the open field.
Passing before shooting: Small games where they must pass before shooting on net. Try to have them make 1 pass before shooting.
Week 8
Keep away passing and receiving: Play odd numbers. 2 blue players act as defenders, while the rest of the players (reds) in the circle will pass around to keep the ball away from these defenders. A red switches role with a blue if a blue steals a pass or the red passes it out.
Passing before shooting: Small games where they must pass before shooting on net. Try to have them make at least 1 pass before shooting.