Coaching Younger Players

I was asked for advice for coaching younger players U6 below. 

I recommend the MLS Camp Curriculum, it is a pdf publication. They take a season of practices and have gamesheets based on age groups (U4-to U16). Basically they have a whole season of skills sessions broken down for each week! Contact me about this resource and I will let you know how to get your hands on it. 

Here are a couple of tips: 

• 80% of practice at this age should be with everyone having their own ball. End practice with 1v1, 2v2 and game situations. But they will love practice when they all have a ball. 
• The MLS curriculum will have a lot of games with them all using a ball
• red light green light teach them to dribble keep the ball close, red light they should be able to stop the ball with their toe in one step.
• soccer freeze tag (players dribble inside square coach tags player and they are frozen until another player directs a ball through or touches their leg with their ball. 
• four corners: have four corners and designate a color. players dribble inside square until coach calls the color and the players try not to be the last person. 
• soccer ball relay - place all of the balls in the middle. Divide team in two. they have to race to get a ball dribble it to a spot and leave it. Go clap the hand of the next player until all of the balls are taken and then have them return them to the middle. 
• dribble and score. two teams with one goal. Have them start next on the side of the goal. Have them dribble to the middle of the field and around a cone. Then after the round the cone the first one to score by shooting the goal wins that round. 
• Coaches Supply
• A set of cones and soccer flags are a necessity. The flags are multipurpose and cost 6$ each at the soccer post in McKinney. They can be goals and many other items in games.