Post by Aarron Macias on Mar 18, 2010 11:39:33 GMT -5
U4 CUBBIES: COACH & ASSISTANT COACH INFORMATION
Welcome coaches and thank you for volunteering your time and energy in an effort to make this first soccer experience a great one for the kiddos! To be certain we all understand the basic format, below is information for the coach, assistant coach, and team parent to observe and follow.
COACH/ASSISTANT COACH RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Please contact all of your players on your roster to check in prior to our first meeting!
· Please try to adhere to the layout of the program.
· During the spring season, the “Practice Phase” is only the FIRST TWO Weeks. Therefore it is very important that you run through a few of the games listed to get the kids acclimated to the soccer environment. The “Game Phase” will be the remaining 4 weeks where the teams will follow their game schedule.
- Try to be as organized as possible and things will run smoothly. Prepare to play 4-5 games during the first meeting. Play each game 2-3 times, as this will help the kids gain confidence and understand the concepts.
- During the sessions, allow your assistant coach and other parents who are willing to assist, help get the kids lined up, and generate enthusiasm or whatever else you may need.
· Goals of the Spring Program: By the end of the spring season, it is the ultimate goal that all kids understand the basics of soccer which include: how to play within the boundaries of the field; direction and shooting on the correct goal; defending the correct goal; how to stop and change direction with the ball, and how to score goals. Additionally, we hope that the kids will understand and feel comfortable to engage in contact with another player without deliberately pushing with the hands or touching the ball with their hands.
TEAM NAME: It is a good idea to make up a team name such as “The Roaring Rhinos” and establish a team mascot. It is also fun to bring a stuffed animal of the mascot to place on the top of your goal. This helps the kiddos remember which goal they need to shoot in.
EQUIPMENT:
· There is no need to purchase any equipment, but please feel free to use your own if you desire. All
equipment will be provided at EACH session. You can pick up the equipment at the Cubbies table and return all equipment when your session ends.
· Equipment includes: cones (disc and tall cones) and pinnies. The fields are lined with goals.
· Each team will have ½ of a field, with one goal.
TIPS ON MANAGING THE KIDDOS:
The kids are learning more than soccer, be a teacher wherever you can.
· Be silly and full of energy! The kids will feed off of your excitement!
· Be POSITIVE and ENCOURAGING to ALL players.
· Kneel to the players’ level when explaining games to them. It’s fun to make up a story before each game
to help the kids get excited
Try not to wear sunglasses and always have the group face away from the sun when talking to them.
Perform a demonstration using your assistant coach
If players are not listening… try using listening techniques such as “if you are listening put your hand on your head, put your hand on your chin, etc.” OR whisper to the kids as opposed to yelling (they are more apt to listen to a “super-secret” rather than a loud voice).
If you have a kid that seems to be unmanageable, such as continuously hitting teammates or horsing around outside of typical child behavior, substitute the child and chat with him or later have him go sit with his parents.
TECHNIQUES AND TERMINOLOGY:
- “Dribble” – encourage players to use both feet, keeping the ball close to them at all times. Have them dribble at different speeds i.e. “cheetah speed” is fast and “turtle speed” is slow.
- “Shoot it” or “Big Shot” - Ball striking / kicking toward the goal. Focus on teaching the players to run fast to the ball and swing hard - in order to kick the ball hard. Ideally, we want the kids to be comfortable striking the ball with their laces, but this is very hard concept at this age!
- “Turn it” – helpful phrase when the kids are dribbling in the wrong direction!
- “Stop it” - Stopping the ball with the sole of their foot or just getting their body behind the ball.
- “Pass” Passing – help the kids get comfortable with sharing the ball, by passing it to a teammate
- “Hands Down” – reminding the kids that when they are trying to take the ball away from a member of the opposite team, that their hand need to be down and no pushing.
CUBBIES GAME RULES: Spring ‘10
- Each game will last approximately 35 minutes. Two, 12-15 minute halves with a running clock and a 5 minute half time. One coach must keep the time on his/her watch.
- The team listed FIRST on the schedule will be the HOME TEAM and wears the RED JERSEY.
- The games are played in a 4vs4 format, with substitutions at your convenience. It is best to substitute one or two kids at a time instead of bigger groups. Also, be sure to start 4 different kids at the beginning of each game.
- NO THROW-INS! When the ball rolls out of bounds, play is resumed by one player PASSING/KICKING the ball in. The ball is placed on the sideline or goal line where one player passes the ball in the field of play to a teammate.
- POSITIONS: It is difficult for kids to grasp the concept of positions, thus please try to have all kids involved in the game as much as possible. DO NOT designate defenders and keep kids in the back.
- NO GOALKEEPERS!
- NO WHISTLES ALLOWED!
- PLAY ALL KIDS EQUALLY, while not forcing any child to participate. NO child is allowed to participate without shin guards.
COACH’S ROLE DURING THE GAME: There are no formal referees; however the head coaches from either team are expected to be active on the field. For example: collect the ball and place it on the line for a kick-in or collect the ball and place it at the midline after a goal is scored.
- Help all kids with their direction using instructional terms such as “turn it.” If the kids are having trouble controlling the ball and the ball is heading out of constantly out of bounds where the flow of the game is terribly interrupted, the coach may (periodically) keep the ball in bounds by gently redirecting the ball so that it remains inbounds. This will help with the efficiency of the game and will cut down on the amount interruptions in the kids play.
GAME TIPS: (During Play)
- During the “game phase” PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH GAME, YOU MUST RUN THROUGH AT LEAST ONE ACTIVITY of your choice. This will get the team warmed up and excited to play! Also before the game, get the team in a huddle and talk about the game, do a cheer, etc.
- While the game is going on look for ways to help the kiddos learn through teaching moments. Teach your players what to do when the ball goes out of bounds. Have them “Freeze” as a way to understand that when the ball crosses out of bounds, they need to stop playing.
- Encourage the players with your positive words; do not overcorrect one child. At the end of the game, tell each kid one thing they did that was outstanding!
- Again, most of the players will not understand positioning; do not get bogged down with this concept. Let them play!
- During half time sit the kids in a circle and talk about the game, how they want to score some goals in the second half.. NO SNACKS! Please hold snacks until after the game is over. Snacks at half-time are a major distraction and take a lot of time
AFTER THE GAME:
- Sportsmanship. Bring the players together and make positive comments regarding the game.
- Shaking hands: Have the kids line up on your half of the field extending their right hand. Walk toward the other team to shake the hands of the other team. Huddle and let all the kids know they had a good game; maybe point out one thing that each did that was outstanding! End the huddle with a team cheer!
- Parent Tunnel: After shaking the hands of the other team, parents of your team should make a tunnel and cheer while the kids run through. The kids love this part and it creates a lot of excitement!
TEAM PARENT: The team parent is in place to help take some of the responsibility off of the coach. The team parent is advised to organize: 1) after game snack schedule; 2) pictures, trophies/gifts; 3) team party; and 4) any other event the coaches and parents are in agreement upon. If you do not have a team parent assigned, please ask your parents to see if anyone would be interested.
- Trophies/pictures are the responsibility of each team. I will provide the name of a trophy and picture company, but it is the team parent’s responsibility to set any appointments. You are welcome to use the listed providers but please note that you do not have to use the service.
WEATHER POLICY: Please check the Real Colorado website by 7:00AM game day or call the field weather hotline 303.694.6882 x 1 in the case of inclement weather. If the fields are closed, please call your team and let everyone know. Cubbies follow the REAL make-up policy and any missed Saturday will be made up 8 days later, on a Sunday.
Welcome coaches and thank you for volunteering your time and energy in an effort to make this first soccer experience a great one for the kiddos! To be certain we all understand the basic format, below is information for the coach, assistant coach, and team parent to observe and follow.
COACH/ASSISTANT COACH RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Please contact all of your players on your roster to check in prior to our first meeting!
· Please try to adhere to the layout of the program.
· During the spring season, the “Practice Phase” is only the FIRST TWO Weeks. Therefore it is very important that you run through a few of the games listed to get the kids acclimated to the soccer environment. The “Game Phase” will be the remaining 4 weeks where the teams will follow their game schedule.
- Try to be as organized as possible and things will run smoothly. Prepare to play 4-5 games during the first meeting. Play each game 2-3 times, as this will help the kids gain confidence and understand the concepts.
- During the sessions, allow your assistant coach and other parents who are willing to assist, help get the kids lined up, and generate enthusiasm or whatever else you may need.
· Goals of the Spring Program: By the end of the spring season, it is the ultimate goal that all kids understand the basics of soccer which include: how to play within the boundaries of the field; direction and shooting on the correct goal; defending the correct goal; how to stop and change direction with the ball, and how to score goals. Additionally, we hope that the kids will understand and feel comfortable to engage in contact with another player without deliberately pushing with the hands or touching the ball with their hands.
TEAM NAME: It is a good idea to make up a team name such as “The Roaring Rhinos” and establish a team mascot. It is also fun to bring a stuffed animal of the mascot to place on the top of your goal. This helps the kiddos remember which goal they need to shoot in.
EQUIPMENT:
· There is no need to purchase any equipment, but please feel free to use your own if you desire. All
equipment will be provided at EACH session. You can pick up the equipment at the Cubbies table and return all equipment when your session ends.
· Equipment includes: cones (disc and tall cones) and pinnies. The fields are lined with goals.
· Each team will have ½ of a field, with one goal.
TIPS ON MANAGING THE KIDDOS:
The kids are learning more than soccer, be a teacher wherever you can.
· Be silly and full of energy! The kids will feed off of your excitement!
· Be POSITIVE and ENCOURAGING to ALL players.
· Kneel to the players’ level when explaining games to them. It’s fun to make up a story before each game
to help the kids get excited
Try not to wear sunglasses and always have the group face away from the sun when talking to them.
Perform a demonstration using your assistant coach
If players are not listening… try using listening techniques such as “if you are listening put your hand on your head, put your hand on your chin, etc.” OR whisper to the kids as opposed to yelling (they are more apt to listen to a “super-secret” rather than a loud voice).
If you have a kid that seems to be unmanageable, such as continuously hitting teammates or horsing around outside of typical child behavior, substitute the child and chat with him or later have him go sit with his parents.
TECHNIQUES AND TERMINOLOGY:
- “Dribble” – encourage players to use both feet, keeping the ball close to them at all times. Have them dribble at different speeds i.e. “cheetah speed” is fast and “turtle speed” is slow.
- “Shoot it” or “Big Shot” - Ball striking / kicking toward the goal. Focus on teaching the players to run fast to the ball and swing hard - in order to kick the ball hard. Ideally, we want the kids to be comfortable striking the ball with their laces, but this is very hard concept at this age!
- “Turn it” – helpful phrase when the kids are dribbling in the wrong direction!
- “Stop it” - Stopping the ball with the sole of their foot or just getting their body behind the ball.
- “Pass” Passing – help the kids get comfortable with sharing the ball, by passing it to a teammate
- “Hands Down” – reminding the kids that when they are trying to take the ball away from a member of the opposite team, that their hand need to be down and no pushing.
CUBBIES GAME RULES: Spring ‘10
- Each game will last approximately 35 minutes. Two, 12-15 minute halves with a running clock and a 5 minute half time. One coach must keep the time on his/her watch.
- The team listed FIRST on the schedule will be the HOME TEAM and wears the RED JERSEY.
- The games are played in a 4vs4 format, with substitutions at your convenience. It is best to substitute one or two kids at a time instead of bigger groups. Also, be sure to start 4 different kids at the beginning of each game.
- NO THROW-INS! When the ball rolls out of bounds, play is resumed by one player PASSING/KICKING the ball in. The ball is placed on the sideline or goal line where one player passes the ball in the field of play to a teammate.
- POSITIONS: It is difficult for kids to grasp the concept of positions, thus please try to have all kids involved in the game as much as possible. DO NOT designate defenders and keep kids in the back.
- NO GOALKEEPERS!
- NO WHISTLES ALLOWED!
- PLAY ALL KIDS EQUALLY, while not forcing any child to participate. NO child is allowed to participate without shin guards.
COACH’S ROLE DURING THE GAME: There are no formal referees; however the head coaches from either team are expected to be active on the field. For example: collect the ball and place it on the line for a kick-in or collect the ball and place it at the midline after a goal is scored.
- Help all kids with their direction using instructional terms such as “turn it.” If the kids are having trouble controlling the ball and the ball is heading out of constantly out of bounds where the flow of the game is terribly interrupted, the coach may (periodically) keep the ball in bounds by gently redirecting the ball so that it remains inbounds. This will help with the efficiency of the game and will cut down on the amount interruptions in the kids play.
GAME TIPS: (During Play)
- During the “game phase” PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH GAME, YOU MUST RUN THROUGH AT LEAST ONE ACTIVITY of your choice. This will get the team warmed up and excited to play! Also before the game, get the team in a huddle and talk about the game, do a cheer, etc.
- While the game is going on look for ways to help the kiddos learn through teaching moments. Teach your players what to do when the ball goes out of bounds. Have them “Freeze” as a way to understand that when the ball crosses out of bounds, they need to stop playing.
- Encourage the players with your positive words; do not overcorrect one child. At the end of the game, tell each kid one thing they did that was outstanding!
- Again, most of the players will not understand positioning; do not get bogged down with this concept. Let them play!
- During half time sit the kids in a circle and talk about the game, how they want to score some goals in the second half.. NO SNACKS! Please hold snacks until after the game is over. Snacks at half-time are a major distraction and take a lot of time
AFTER THE GAME:
- Sportsmanship. Bring the players together and make positive comments regarding the game.
- Shaking hands: Have the kids line up on your half of the field extending their right hand. Walk toward the other team to shake the hands of the other team. Huddle and let all the kids know they had a good game; maybe point out one thing that each did that was outstanding! End the huddle with a team cheer!
- Parent Tunnel: After shaking the hands of the other team, parents of your team should make a tunnel and cheer while the kids run through. The kids love this part and it creates a lot of excitement!
TEAM PARENT: The team parent is in place to help take some of the responsibility off of the coach. The team parent is advised to organize: 1) after game snack schedule; 2) pictures, trophies/gifts; 3) team party; and 4) any other event the coaches and parents are in agreement upon. If you do not have a team parent assigned, please ask your parents to see if anyone would be interested.
- Trophies/pictures are the responsibility of each team. I will provide the name of a trophy and picture company, but it is the team parent’s responsibility to set any appointments. You are welcome to use the listed providers but please note that you do not have to use the service.
WEATHER POLICY: Please check the Real Colorado website by 7:00AM game day or call the field weather hotline 303.694.6882 x 1 in the case of inclement weather. If the fields are closed, please call your team and let everyone know. Cubbies follow the REAL make-up policy and any missed Saturday will be made up 8 days later, on a Sunday.