Characteristics of U6 Soccer Players

Characteristics of U6 Soccer Players
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Pre-K, Kindergarten, I st Grade
psychomotor Development - Cognitive Development - Psychosocial Development
Psychomotor
D
eveloPment
o Movement Education APProach
o Body segments grow at different rates
r
o Differences between boys & girls are minimal
lbs.
o Weight range approximant.30-50
o Eeight range approximanl 35-37".
o Motor development starts with the head and moves downwrrd to the feet
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and from the center of the body outn'ard.
Easy fatigue, rapid recovery. EIR around 90 bpm.
Increased use of all bodY Parts.
Need to explore qualities of rolling and bouncing ball.
Notable Quotes - Michael Ellis, American Educational Psychologist. !'iewed play as
arousal seeking. This is caused by a need to initiate inieraction with the environment
which elevates arousal and level of interest.
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Emphasis on fundamental movement skills
Locomotor: n'alking running,leaping, jumping and hopping.
Nonlocomotor: bending, sfretching, twisting, pulling and pushing.
Basic Manipulative: throwing, catching, striking kicking.
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Cognitive Development
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Preoperational stage (Piaget)
Play consists of a high degree of imagination and pretend activities.
Beginning use of symbols to represent objects in their environment.
Tend to only one task at a time in problem-solving situations.
Process small bits of information at a time. Long sequential instructions are
not processed.
Immature understanding of time and space relationships.
Rules must be simple.
Short aftention span
Most individualiy oriented (me' my, mine)
Constanfly in motion
NO SENSE OF PACE
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Psychosocial
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D
evelopment
Development of self-concept, body alvareness, self-image through movement.
Egocentric, see world only from their perspective. Demonstrated through
parallel play.
Need generous praise. Play rvithout pressure.
Influential person in their tife is moit likely their mother or significant
parenL
May verbalize team, but does not understand group or collective play.
Ps1'chologically easily bruised
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Little or no concern for team activities
Do believe in Santa Claus, but will not discuss with peers
Typical U6 Training Session
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Should not exceed 60 miuutes
Every child shoulil have a ball
Warm-up includes movement education problems & soccernastics (approx.
20 min.)
Games Activities, mostly of a body a$'areness t5'pe along with some ma;ze
games (approx.20 min.)
Finish rvith 3r,3 grme to small goals, NO GK's (approx.20 inh.)
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Author: F. Trovato
Alaska State DOC
2003
rSnEEEn-
Players Stand near a cone
1. Zen Master
Warm-Up
Periodic Stretching and
Calming Moments
Give players a funny team
mantra to quietly recite at
calming moments
Topic: lndividual activities,
National Youth Ceftificate Course
-
relaxation activities, balancing
and coordination activities
Lesson Plan
cone seryes as point of
Aoe
Grorrn
g
Stretching,
Relaxation,
reference.
Activities Without Ball
1 foot balance, other foot balance,l foot hop, other
foot hop, 2 foot hop, bear crawl, crab crawl
Coordination
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Fun
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Field Size:
Cones should be 10
.'
yards apart.
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Introduce ball
Figure 8's around legs with hands, Round the Waist,
Ball Tap on Forehead, Thigh Catch, Throw Catch,
Head Catch, Ball Taps, Body Part Dribble, Ask Player
Balance,
g.
Coach is the Master. Coach demonstrates skill and on
command players peform skill repeatedly (10 sec.)
and then move to new cone. Repeat.
Ertra laughs after
team mantra
,t
Water Breakl
to Pick
Combine Two Activities
-
Random select two activities
Stretching, Relaxation, Balance,
Coordination, Enjoy, Fun
Groups ofTwo, one Master, one Student
2.
Zen Master
Follow the Master,
Grasshopper
Body Control, Balance
Replication Practice
l16
Master leads Student around and
through the cones. When Masters
reaches an open cone, they choose and
perform a soccer skill (the activities we
did in the Zen Master Warm-up or new
ones) that must be replicated by the
Student. Master chants Team or
Individual Mantra (players can make up
their own new individual chant)
Periodic Stretching and Calming
Moments - Team Mantra
20 sec. then sdtch Master and Student.
Repeat.
Activities stat without ball and then with
ball after a few rounds.
Encourage creativity of new soccer skills
and new chants.
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b<tra laughs for new individual chants
Field Size:
Cones should be 10 yards apart.
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'-t a
National Youth Certificate Course
Lesson Plan
3.
Freeze Games
- Red Light - Green Light
s
Age: U6
Stretching, Relaxation, Balance,
Red Light Green Light
Coordination, EnjoY, Fun
Players move across area on
command of Green Light. Coach
announces Red Light and PlaYers
must stop. Any players caught
moving or with ball far awaY
from them must restart 10 stePs
back toward starting line. When
all players reach end line game is
Extra Laughs for funny frozen forms
complete. Repeat.
Field Size:
- Freeze Tag +s sec. games
Coach is "It." Players move in
olt"
Red Light - Green Light
20 x 40 yards
area. When
touches a
player, player must freeze in that
position. Teammates can
unfreeze player by standing next
to frozen player and stand on
one foot balanced for count of 4'
- Freeze Tag w/ ball
Freeze Tag
ffi"f
25 x 25 yards
H',,8f'#Water Break!
Players have ball. When PlaYer
frozen, teammates must
nutmeg frozen player to
is
.t
unfreeze.
4.
jtra
3v3 without
keepers
Coach serues balls in. If
ball goes out of play,
have players leave it and
coach restarts PlaY with a
new ball. Throw-ins can
be added. Games to two
or three and reshuff'le
players on teams if teams
are lopsided. Celebrate
Goals with Team Mantra!
Stretching, Relaxation, Balance,
Coordination, EnjoY, Fun
Field Size:
20 x 30 yards
BIG RNISH - Thank You and
congratulations to all!
o
Author: Tom Goodman
Free Movement
with the Ball.
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Coach then asks players to move freely
Free Movement
with the Ball at their with the ball at their feet.
Feet.
,S/iEEEN-
X.
Movement education;
repetition in ball touches;
balance; eye-foot
coordination; change of
speed; change of direction;
decision making.
X.
X.
X.
.X
x.
l5 yds.
Gooff Stop and Go
All PlaYers
dribble their ball in the grid. When
coach says, "STOP!" Players must stop
coordination Movement
l,$ VIWU-- Ase: U6
Lesson Plan
Every player has a ball in a 15 x 20 yd
grid. Coach asks all players to move
freely with their ball around the grid.
ToPic:
&
National Youth Certificate Course
Same set up as above.
.X
their ball and freeze in a goofu position.
X.
X.
X.
X.
15 yds.
X.
Author: Tom Goodman
Topic:
National Youth Certificate Course
Lesson Plan
coordination Movement
Age: U6
Body Part Dribbling
Same set up as above. All players
dribble their ball in the grid. When the
coach yells out a body part, the players
must stop the ball with that body part.
Same as above.
Hit the Ball
Players line up shoulder to shoulder on
one end of the grid. Place 2 balls in the
middle of the grid. One at a time
players kick their ball and try to hit one
of the balls in the middle.
Rest from previous
activities. The challenge
(Relaxation
Activity)
X. X. X.
of
hitting atarget.
X. X. X.
The minnows, the players with a ball,
line up shoulder to shoulder on one end
of the grid. Two players are designated
as sharks and are positioned inside of
the grid without soccer balls. On the
coach's command, the minnows must
dribble their ball through the grid and
get to the other side without getting
their ball stolen or kicked away by the
sharks. If a player loses their ball while
crossing the grid, he/she becomes a
shark.
FLN...Dribbling under
M. M. M. M.
S
pressure; decision making;
change ofspeed; change of
direction; defending. This
is an inclusive game...the
players are either dribbling
a ball or trying to get one
back.
Author: Tom Goodman
National Youth Ceftificate Course
TOpiC:
Lesson Plan
End Line Soccer
Age: U6
FI-IN. . .Directional play.
Dribbling under pressure;
kicking; receiving; decision
making; change of speed;
change of direction;
defending.
grid. Divide the
players into two teams. Play 3v3 with
no goalkeepers on the field. A team
Set up a 15 yd x 20 yd
scores by dribbling the ball or kicking
the ball over their designated end line.
Balls are served in one at a time by the
coach who is positioned outside the
field at midfield.
3v3 Soccer Match
Set up a20 ydx25 yd field with goals
at each end. Divide the players into two
teams. Play 3v3 with no goalkeepers on
the field. Balls are served in one at a
time by the coach who is positioned
outside the field at midfield.
Coordination Movement
oX
o
XO
X
FUN. . .Directional play.
Dribbling under pressure;
kicking; receiving;
shooting; decision making;
change ofspeed; change of
direction; defending.
Author: Tom Goodman
National Youth Ceftificate Course
Lesson Plan
Cool Down
Juggling
Every player starts with a ball in his or
her hands. They drop the ball on their
thigh and catch it. They progress to
dropping the ball on one thigh and
juggling it to the other thigh, then catch
it. Eventually, they can try "thighthigh- foot-catch", etc.
TOpiC:
Coordination Movement
U6
FtlN...challenging;
balance; coordination.