COACHES MANUAL YEAR OLDS

Transcription

1 COACHES MANUAL YEAR OLDS

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3 WELCOME TO YMCA YOUTH SPORTS Thank you for agreeing to be a coach in the YMCA Youth Sports program. As a YMCA coach, you will introduce a group of young people to the game of soccer. We ask you to not only teach your players the basis skills and rules of the game, but also make learning the game a joyful experience for them. You see, we want them to play soccer not only for this season, but also for many years to come, and we want you to have fun teaching soccer because we' like you to help us again next season. Okay, let s get started. In this guide, you will find essential information about teaching soccer the YMCA way. In the first section, we will explain the philosophy of YMCA Youth Sports. Next is your job description for being a YMCA soccer coach, with reminders about how to work with this age group. Then we will show you how to teach soccer and provide you with a season plan and a complete set of practice plans for this age group. In the next part we will explain how to teach the YMCA Youth Sports Values. In the last section we will discuss risk management procedures. Please read the entire guide carefully and consult it regularly during the season. Your YMCA offers you the opportunity to participate in a YMCA Soccer Coaches Course. The three and one-half hour course will help you use this approach to teaching soccer and values.

4 PHILOSOPHY OF YOUTH SPORTS

5 YMCA OF GREATER HOUSTON PHILOSOPHY OF YOUTH SPORTS What we want youth sports to be in the YMCA is stated in our Seven Pillars of YMCA Youth Sports. Everyone Plays. We do not use tryouts to select the best players, nor do we cut kids from YMCA Youth Sports. Everyone who registers is assigned to a team. During the season everyone receives equal practice time and plays at least half of every game. Safety First. Although children may get hurt playing sports, we do all we can to prevent injuries. We've modified each sport to make it safer and more enjoyable to play. We ask you to make sure the equipment and facilities are safe and to teach the sport as we've prescribed so the skills you teach are appropriate for children's developmental level. We ask you to gradually develop your players' fitness levels so they are conditioned for the sport. We also ask you to constantly supervise your young players so you can stop any unsafe activities. Character Development. Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Faith are about playing by the rules and more. It's about you and your players showing respect for all that are involved in YMCA Youth Sports. It's about you being a role model of sporting behavior and guiding your players to do the same. Remember, we're more interested in developing children's character through sports than in developing a few highly skilled players. Positive Competition. We believe competition is a positive process when the pursuit of victory remains in the right perspective. The right perspective is when adults make decisions that put the best interests of the children before winning the contest. Learning to compete is important for children, and learning to cooperate in a competitive world is an essential lesson of life. Through YMCA Youth Sports, we want to help children learn these lessons. parents to do the same.

6 Family Involvement. YMCA Youth Sports encourages parents to be involved appropriately in their child's participation in our sports programs. In addition to parents helping as volunteer coaches, officials, and timekeepers, we encourage them to be at practices and games to support their child's participation. To help parents get involved appropriately, YMCA Youth Sports offers parent orientation programs. Sport for All. YMCA Youth Sports is an inclusive sport program. That means that children who differ in various characteristics are included in rather than excluded from participation. We offer sports programs for children who differ in physical abilities by matching them with children of similar abilities and modifying the sport. We offer programs to all children regardless of their race, gender, religious creed, or ability. We ask our adult leaders to encourage and appreciate the diversity of children in our society and to encourage the children and their parents to do the same. Sport for Fun. Sports are naturally fun for most children. They love the challenge of mastering the skills of the game, playing with their friends, and competing with their peers. Sometimes when adults become involved in children's sports they over organize and dominate the activity to the point that it destroys children's enjoyment of the sport. If we take the fun out of sports for our children, we are in danger of the kids taking themselves out of sports. Remember the sports are for the kids; let them have fun.

7 JOB DESCRIPTION

8 YOUR DUTIES AS A COACH Here are your seven duties as a YMCA soccer coach: Teach the skills and tactics of soccer to the best of your ability. We want you to teach children the physical skills and tactics to play the sport to the best of their ability. Kids value learning these skills and tactics, and they respect those who can help them master them. Be a good teacher, but remember that not all children have the same ability to learn. A few have the ability to be outstanding, many to be competent, and a few to barely play the sport. We ask that you help them all be the best they can be. We will show you an innovative games approach to teaching and practicing these skills that kids thoroughly enjoy. These games are designed to be developmentally appropriate for the children you will be teaching. You will avoid monotonous drills in which youngsters stand in line waiting their turn, and instead keep everyone active practicing basic skills in game like conditions. To help you, we ll provide season plans and practice plans. Help your players learn the rules and traditions of soccer. We will ask you to teach your players the rules of soccer as they learn the basic skills through the modified games of the sport. Beyond the rules, we ll also ask you to teach the basic traditions of the sport. By traditions, we mean the proper actions to show courtesy and avoid injury in short, to be a good sport. Help your players become fit and value fitness for a lifetime. We want you to help your players be fit so they can play soccer safely and successfully. However, we also want more. We want you to do so in a way that your players learn to become fit on their own, understand the value of fitness, and enjoy training. Thus, we ask you not to make them do push-ups or run laps for punishment. Make it fun to get fit for soccer and make it fun to play soccer so they will stay fit for a lifetime. Help young people develop character. Character development is teaching children the core values caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. These intangible qualities are no less important to teach than kicking or defensive skills. We ask you to teach these values to children by conducting team circles, which are built into every practice plan, and demonstrating and encouraging behaviors that express these values at all times. Ensure the safety of your players. You are responsible for supervising every aspect of your players participation in soccer. Make sure the field is clear of hazardous objects and that the kids do not engage in activities that might injure themselves or others. You have not only a legal but also a moral responsibility to supervise them closely.

9 Help each child develop a sense of self-worth. An essential goal in conducting YMCA Youth Sports programs is to help children gain a strong, positive sense of their worth as human beings. For each of us, our most important possession is self-worth. Please teach our children soccer in a way that helps them grow to respect themselves and others. Make it fun. Make learning the game a fantastic positive experience so your players will want to continue playing for many years to come. BEING A GOOD COACH Just what makes a good soccer coach? A person who knows the sport of soccer well. If you re not familiar with the sport, be sure to attend the YMCA Soccer Coaches Course and study more about the sport. A person who wants to teach soccer to young people, who cares. Excellent teachers are motivated, have a positive attitude, and give the time to do the job well. A person who understands young people, who possesses empathy. Empathy is caring about the young people you teach by showing you understand them. We hope you will do your best to be a good soccer coach for the children on your team. By doing so, you can help them develop their spirits, minds, and bodies the goal for all YMCA programs. YOUTH SPORTS PLEDGE Win or lose, I pledge before God to do my best, to be a team player, to respect my teammates, opponents and officials, and to improve myself in Spirit, Mind, and Body. Amen.

10 WORKING WITH YEAR OLDS

11 working with year olds COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Behaviors Shows an understanding of reason/consequence. Makes and carries out plans. Activity Debriefing negative group experiences through examination of cause and effect rather than focusing on the people inolved. Give group challenges, initiatives, or projects. MOTOR/PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Behaviors Tremendous energy consumed (often hungry). May give little thought to other body needs. Body growth slows down until just before puberty when it accelerates (ages 10-11). Girls are months ahead in development. Generally very healthy. R/L dominance established and manipulative skills increase. Hand/eye coordination well developed now children are ready for skill building. Late in phase boys and girls may be very fidgety and/or squirmy. Activity Be very careful to ensure that proactive health measures are taken (eating, liquids, sunscreen). Ask for feedback often. Be aware that children may be unsure of what is happening to them. Offer support and explanation that different and changing rates of growth are natural. Be sensitive to changing peer relations as physical changes create differences. Talk about natural differentiation in development. Introduce games and activities which give practice in fine motor skills. Begin introducing activities and skills requiring more complex movements and thought pattern. Be sensitive to activity lengths and amount of variety in format.

12 SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Behaviors Activity Is eager, enthusiastic and anxious to win. Is developing perseverance but interests may be short lived. Begins to doubt and become sensitive about self. Is learning about individuality through peers. By end of this phase physical changes may cause outbursts, fighting, and tears. Gang spirit and influence strongwants to be like others. Looked up to by younger children. Activities organized and own rules developed-realizes need for cooperation and mutual understanding. Channel competitive energy into activities which require the group to win without an individual or another group losing. Praise small victories and slowly build up to larger (or more complex) goals. Provide activities which illustrate the benefits of people with different skills. Ensure activities provide for success regardless of physical stage. Games emphasizing precise coordination can hurt self esteem. Emphasize the responsibility that comes with the freedom to make choices. Provide opportunities for leadership. Facilitate groups through processes which encourage positive group decision and norm making. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT Behaviors Can listen critically (detects flaws in reasoning of others). Questions validity of conclusions, evaluates. Activity Provide for discussion and debriefing experiences.

13 FACTS ABOUT YEAR OLDS years olds are experiencing dramatic physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes that pervade their lives and often perplex them and the youth workers who work with them. 2. Three kinds of physical changes occur during early adolescence: The adolescent growth spurt The development of primary sex characteristics The appearance of secondary sex characteristics 3. Adolescence is a period in life when people grow more rapidly than at any other time their lives except infancy. For girls, this rapid growth spurt usually begins at about age 10 ½, with the peak occurring at about age 12. The growth spurt for boys begins about a year later, at around age 11 ½ and peaks at around age The normal variation in early adolescent physical development means that there may be a 6-8 year span in physical development between a slowly developing boy and a rapidly developing girl of the same chronological age. 5. Most young adolescents are excited by the body changes (or the expected body changes) that make them look more adult. At the same time, they are concerned about whether their bodies are normal and about how they will look when their bodies mature. It is easy to talk about the events of puberty in an academic fashion until we think back to our own adolescence and remember how a nose that was too big, breasts that would not grow, pimples, or lack of athletic prowess seemed to turn all of life sour. 6. As they pass through puberty, young people see themselves differently when they experience adults altered expectations, look in the morrow, and feel their body changes. This alteration in self-image and their increased self-consciousness mean that adolescents view themselves and their relationships to others in a new way. 7. Adjusting to dramatic body changes and altered (and sometimes conflicting) expectations from others makes young adolescents especially vulnerable to bouts of low self-esteem, moodiness, and intense emotionalism. 8. About one-quarter experience serene development; they grow and change gradually and with remarkable ease. About one-third develop in a manner characterized by surging stops and starts; they are impressively adult one day and childish the next. About one-fifth experience turbulent development; their behavior is stormy, but is is not abnormal or pathological. About one-fifth do not fit into any subgroup, but their tendency is toward continuous growth.

14 PRACTICE OVERVIEW

15 YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS WEEK 1 Warm-Up (5 Minutes) Begin each practice with about five minutes of warm-up activities to get players loosened up and ready to go. Players dribble in space (one ball per player) Players dribble and turn on signal. You will find a variety of skill levels among your year old players. Here are suggestions on how to modify a practice to make it either more or less challenging, according to the needs of your players. If players cannot control a ball under pressure, give them a bit more space, which allows them more time. However, to challenge a player's control, restrict the dimensions of the playing area. A skill practice or game can be made simpler or more challenging by adjusting the nature of the defense. Tell players to be either a cold (low pressure) warm (moderate pressure) or hot (high pressure) defender, depending on the abilities of opponents. This is particularly important during skill practices because players need the opportunity to be successful when they have the ball. You might have cold defense played against a weak player but warm or hot defense played against a stronger player. Some players control the ball better than others and can dominate a game. To challenge these players, restrict them to two or three touches of the ball at a time so they have to control the ball quickly and bring other players into the game. Similarly, you might restrict better players to using just one foot or a particular surface of the foot.

16 WEEK 1 When players are "feeding" teammates practice balls (such as during goalkeeping practice), they can decrease or increase the difficulty by varying the speed and height of feeds. Low, slower feeds are easier to control than higher, faster feeds. Note: The numbers referred to in games and skill practices - for example, 4v4- always assume one goalkeeper per team among those numbers, unless other wise noted. So if a game description says "4v4", there are three field players and one goalkeeper per team. Fitness Component (5 Minutes) GENERAL FITNESS Key Idea: General Fitness Gather the team into a group between two cones about 20 feet apart. "Do you think there's a difference between physical activity and physical fitness?" Listen ot their responses. "Physical activity is any body movement you use while performing a skill or task. Physical fitness is a condition of the body. The more fit your body is, the better you can perform some skills and tasks. I will give you some activities. Run to this cone if you think it is regular physical activity. Run to the other cone other if you think it is an activity done for fitness." Examples of physical activity are walking to school and walking stairs to bed. Examples of activity done for fitness are walking to school for exercise, jogging to improve sport performance, or walking stairs to strengthen leg muscles. "All season we will talk and learn about the different areas of fitness during our fitness circles. We'll also work on improving your body's fitness for soccer."

17 WEEK 1 Skills/Drills (15 Minutes) Goal: Players will practice individual attack and defense skills (i.e. dribbling, shooting, marking, tackling, goalkeeping). Description: Play 1 v 1 games to cones about 20 yards apart. Goal: Through playing a game, players will review (or learn anew) game rules, including start and restart rules, throw-ins, and corner kicks. Description: Play 4 v 4 without goalkeepers, with each team of four trying to score into a goal. Game/Play (15 Minutes) Goal: Players will learn positional roles and responsibilities. Specifically, players will learn the following positional duties: Goalkeeper (GK) Handle the ball Save shots Distribute ball to teammates Defender Defend space in own half Mark players Support the attack Midfielder Receive ball from defense Distribute ball to forwards Contribute to attack Forward Attack goal Apply pressure to defense when you lose the ball Description: Play 4 v 4 games.

18 WEEK 1 INTRO TO VALUES TEAM CIRCLE Key Idea: YMCA Five Core Values Gather players into a group. Set up five cones about five feet apart. We re going to talk about four main values that good players include in their games and practices. What are the five? Have players stand at a cone when they provide a value. The values are respect, responsibility, honesty, caring, and faith. Have another players provide an example of the value, then have that player join the other player at the cone. Assist players if they cannot think of all five. We ll work to improve our soccer skills and physical fitness, but these five values are just as important to learn and practice to help you become good players. We ll learn more about these values during our team circles after each practice.

19 WEEK 1 Warm-up (5 minutes) YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS Year Olds Fitness Component (5 Minutes) Skills Drills (15 Minutes) Game/Play (15 minutes) Team Circle (10 minutes)

20 YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS WEEK 2 Warm-Up (5 Minutes) Players play a 1 v 1 game, using a full goal; they dive to save shots. Attacking player can try to score by throwing or shooting. Fitness Component (5 Minutes) CARDIO Key Idea: Cardiorespiratory Fitness Gather the team into a group. "Who can tell me what cardiorespiratory fitness is? When you have good cardiorespiratory fitness, your heart picks up oxygen from your lungs and takes it all through your body." Ask three players to demonstrate. Have one ball ready. The players should be spread out in a zigzag pattern "down" the field. The ball is passed across to each player, one side then the other side, in the line. "Let's set up our own blood vessels to carry oxygen to the muscles." Set up and perform activity, with player 1 being the heart, player 2 the lungs, player 3 the legs, and then back to player 1. "We need to run more to improve our body's ability to get oxygen to our muscles. That is improving our cardiorespiratory fitness."

21 WEEK 2 Skills/Drills (15 Minutes) Introduce, demonstrate, and explain how to roll the ball. Practice rolling the ball. Introduce, demonstrate, and explain how to overarm throw the ball. Practice throwing the ball. Introduce, demonstrate, and explain how to punt the ball. Practice punting the ball. Description: Players pair up and practice the three skills: Roll - "Step with the opposite foot and roll." Throw - "Step with the opposite foot." "Use a straight arm overarm throw." Punt - "Take a long step." "Drop and kick the." "Use the laces." (as the contact surface) "Follow through to the target." Game/Play (15 Minutes) Goal: Players will learn different ways of distributing the ball when they're playing goalkeeper. Description: Players play 4 v 4. Goalkeepers distribute the ball to teammates by one of three methods: rolling it, overarm throwing it, or punting it. The defense earns a point every time the goalkeeper successfully distributes the ball.

22 WEEK 2 RESPONSIBILITY Key Idea: Responsibility TEAM CIRCLE Gather players into groups of two partners. Everyone stand on one foot and balance yourself. Wait for everyone to get their balance. Now one of you offer a shoulder to your teammate to lean on. If you re leaning on your partner s shoulder, try to balance on one foot again... change places. If you were leaning on your partner s shoulder first, let your partner lean on your shoulder while they re standing on one foot. Wait until everyone has balanced with the help of a partner. Wasn t it easier to balance on one foot when you had your partner s shoulder to lean on? It works that way in soccer too. When you help out each other during practices and games, we work better as a team; each of you contribute. Your teammates count on you to contribute to the team. That is being responsible to your team and to yourself as a part of the team.

23 WEEK 2 Warm-up (5 minutes) YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS Year Olds Fitness Component (5 Minutes) Skills Drills (15 Minutes) Game/Play (15 minutes) Team Circle (10 minutes)

24 YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS WEEK 3 Warm-Up (5 Minutes) Pass and move in pairs. Fitness Component (5 Minutes) GENERAL FITNESS Key Idea: General Fitness Gather the team into a group. "If you participate in soccer practice every week, do you think that's enough to keep your body fit to play soccer? Do you think you'll improve your body's fitness in the different areas?" Listen to their responses. "You need to be active outside soccer practice to keep your overall fitness at a level that helps your soccer. What are some activities you could do outside of practice?" Listen to their responses. Discuss practicing skills such as catching the ball off the chest and "killing the bounce" alone or with a partner. Ask one player to demonstrate using one ball. Have all players try. Skills/Drills (15 Minutes) Introduce, demonstrate, and explain how to provide support for teammates with the ball. Practice providing support for teammates with the ball.

25 Description: Play 3 v 1 games in 10 x 10 yard areas marked by cones. Players should focus on providing good angles of support against cold, warm, and hot defenses as necessary. Players should learn that supporting players should move "off the ball" so the passer always has two passing options. Game/Play (15 Minutes) PASSING Goal: Players will learn to provide support to their teammates with the ball during full game play. Description: Players play 4 v 2, 5 v 3, 6 v 4, or 6 v 6 games, depending on their skill proficiency. Rotate goalkeepers. Give extra points for four consecutive passes. WEEK 3

26 WEEK 3 RESPECT TEAM CIRCLE Key Idea: Respect Gather players into a group near two cones about 10 feet apart. What are some of the official s duties during a game? Discuss their responses. Who makes the calls during the game? Can you disagree if you think an official s call is not right, or do you accept the official s call even if you think it s wrong? If you think you can discuss the call with the official, stand at this cone. If you think the official makes the call and you accept it, stand at this cone/ All players should vote. You need to have respect for the officials at all times. They are in charge on the field during the game. Don t argue with them; accept their calls and decisions. But if you have a question, ask the official or me during a break.

27 WEEK 3 Warm-up (5 minutes) YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS Year Olds Fitness Component (5 Minutes) Skills Drills (15 Minutes) Game/Play (15 minutes) Team Circle (10 minutes)

28 YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS WEEK 4 Warm-Up (5 Minutes) Players play a 6 v 2 game (without a goalkeeper) in which their goal is to make six passes. Instruct players to move to support positions so that the passer can split (i.e., pass between) two defenders. Any pass that splits the defenders counts double. Fitness Component (5 Minutes) MUSCLE STRENGTH & ENDURANCE Key Idea: Muscle Strength & Endurance Gather players into a group in a small area. "I want everyone to find a partner and balance back to back while sitting like a chair. I'll time you for one minute." Model action for the group. "What muscles did you use to hold yourselves up?" touch the different areas with your hand to show players the muscle groups of their legs, front and back. "You use different muscles to perform different activities. Practicing using specific muscles improves your muscular strength and endurance -- that is, how hard you can kick the ball and how long you can keep going before your muscles get tired."

29 Skills/Drills (15 Minutes) Introduce, demonstrate, and explain how to shoot from a target player feed. Practice shooting from a target player feed. Description: Players shoot from the target player feed. They pass to the target player, provide support for the return pass, and receive and shoot the return pass. Game/Play (15 Minutes) Goal: Players use the target player to create shooting opportunities during game play. Description: Players play 4 v 2, 4 v 3, or 4 v 4 games, depending on their skill proficiency. Give extra points for four consecutive passes. They play with the target player in the attacking half. Goals from the target player feed count double. WEEK 4

30 WEEK 4 HONESTY Key Idea: Honesty TEAM CIRCLE Get the players into a group. Give me some examples of being dishonest in practices and games. Listen to their responses. After each response, have the players change the examples into acts of honesty. Take three examples. Honesty is an important value that all players should be practicing every practice and game, especially if a coach isn t there to help you make the right decision or if an official doesn t see the play.

31 WEEK 4 Warm-up (5 minutes) YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS Year Olds Fitness Component (5 Minutes) Skills Drills (15 Minutes) Game/Play (15 minutes) Team Circle (10 minutes)

32 YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS WEEK 5 Warm-Up (5 Minutes) Players pass and move in pairs. Increase distances and encourage players to get the ball off the ground. Fitness Component (5 Minutes) FLEXIBILITY Key Idea: Flexibility Gather the team into a circle. "Is there such a thing as stretching your muscles too far, or should you stretch as far as you can to improve your flexibility?" Listen to their responses. "Muscles should stretch only until you feel a slight pulling. You should never feel pain stretching. If you do, you're stretching too far." Choose a stretch for the team to try. "I want you to stretch until you feel the slight pulling. Everyone will have different levels of flexibility, but all of you need to stretch properly to stay flexible and prevent injuries." Remind players to avoid bouncing when stretching.

33 WEEK 5 Skills/Drills (15 Minutes) Skill Practice 1 : Introduce, demonstrate, and explain how to make long passes. Practice long passes. Description: Players practice long passing in pairs. Coach s Cue : Long step to the ball! Strike your foot under the ball. Use the laces. (as the contact surface). Follow through to the target. Skill Practice 2 : Introduce, demonstrate and explain how to receive the ball with the thigh and the chest. Practice receiving the ball with the thigh and chest. Description: Partners feed each other long balls, varying the distance and pace of the feeds to simplify or challenge as needed. Coach s Cue : Get in line with the ball! Bring your thigh (or chest) to the ball. Withdraw your thigh (or chest) on contact. Kill the bounce. Game/Play (15 Minutes) Goal: Players will learn to spread out ahead of the ball. Description: Players play 4 v 2, 4 v 3, or 4 v 4 games (without GKs), depending on their skill proficiency. The target player is in the attacking half. Get the ball forward as quickly as possible and support the target player. The offense scores a point for successful passes of 10 yards or longer to the target player.

34 WEEK 5 CARING TEAM CIRCLE Key Idea: Caring Gather the players into a circle near two cones about 10 feet apart. Discuss examples of good play during a game. Have them assist in providing examples. We talked about some examples of good plays. Raise your hand if you think it s a good idea to tell other players they made a good play. It is a good idea. Do you think it s a good idea to tell opponents they have made a good play? If you think it is, stand at this cone. If you think you should tell just your teammates they made a good play, stand at this cone. All players should vote. Ask why players voted the way they did. Telling other players, both teammates and opponents, that they have made a good play shows you care. It s an important value to show others.

35 WEEK 5 Warm-up (5 minutes) YMCA YOUTH SPORTS PRACTICE SESSION PLANS Year Olds Fitness Component (5 Minutes) Skills Drills (15 Minutes) Game/Play (15 minutes) Team Circle (10 minutes)