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3 and under (3U)
3 and under (3U)
Focus:
Exploration & Movement: Encouraging free play, early motor skill development, and social interaction through playful exploration.
Coaching Philosophy: Safety, fun, and learning. The primary focus is on creating a safe, fun environment where the kids can explore and develop foundational movement skills.
1. Technical/Tactical
Techniques:
Exploration of Movement: Introduce the basics of gross motor skills—running, jumping, crawling, and simple foot movements—through playful interaction with soccer equipment.
Ball Familiarity: Children engage with soccer balls but not necessarily through structured drills—simply learning to roll, kick, or chase after them.
Goal Concepts: Simple actions like attempting to move a ball towards a “goal” (even if it’s just exploring the space) and getting comfortable with the idea of controlling and pushing a ball.
Tactics:
Spatial Awareness: Encouraging an early understanding of personal space (bubbles) without direct teaching, allowing children to discover it naturally through free play.
Basic Interaction with Equipment: Without structured rules, children begin to see how interacting with one object (like a ball) may lead to action (e.g., chasing it, kicking it, or rolling it).
Turn-Taking and Sharing: Basic cooperation is modeled during free play as children are encouraged to share space and equipment, even if not yet clearly verbalized as rules.
2. Physical
Physical Literacy: Introducing fundamental movement skills such as balance, coordination, and movement exploration through play.
Gross Motor Skills: Encouraging running, hopping, jumping, and crawling, all of which help lay the foundation for later, more complex movement skills.
Ball Interaction: Rolling, kicking, and stopping balls with feet to build early awareness of foot-eye coordination and control over objects in motion.
Unstructured Play: Activities like chasing, kicking, or rolling balls, as well as interacting with other types of equipment (cones, hoops) to promote overall motor development.
3. Cognitive
Basic Decision-Making: Although formal decision-making may not be developed yet, this age group is learning how to explore their environment and respond to simple cause-and-effect situations (e.g., "If I kick the ball, it moves").
Problem-Solving: Children naturally engage in trial-and-error, discovering how different movements affect objects around them.
Growth Mindset & Persistence: While abstract concepts like mindset are not fully developed, there’s an opportunity for very early introduction to persistence. If a child falls or misses a shot, they are encouraged to try again, fostering resilience and self-regulation.
Self-Reflection: Very basic introductions to self-reflection through verbal cues from the coach (e.g., "Did you try kicking the ball with your foot? Let’s see if that works!").
4. Social-Emotional
Intrapersonal: Helping children begin to understand simple concepts of emotional regulation (e.g., calm down after excitement, stop when asked). They start learning how to express emotions and needs in a safe environment.
Interpersonal: The focus here is on early social interactions—learning to take turns, follow basic instructions, and share space and equipment with others. Simple, non-verbal cooperation is encouraged as they play alongside one another.
Communication: Children are given opportunities to practice basic social interactions through cues like "please take turns" or "let’s all do this together," which promotes positive communication.
Building Confidence: Early emotional safety and fun are emphasized through positive reinforcement and simple celebrations (e.g., clapping for everyone’s attempts), building a sense of accomplishment and emotional comfort in the group.
Key Takeaways for the 3U Program:
Key Takeaways for the 3U Program:
Movement exploration is at the core, with a focus on gross motor skills like running, jumping, and interacting with soccer equipment.
Physical literacy is introduced in an unstructured, playful manner, encouraging freedom of movement and early ball familiarity.
Cognitive skills are nurtured through exploration and simple cause-and-effect learning, beginning to lay the groundwork for problem-solving and self-regulation.
Social-emotional development is guided by early social interactions (e.g., sharing, turn-taking), emotional regulation, and communication skills.
Free play is central, with the children learning through discovery, offering them a rich environment for self-directed learning and early problem-solving.
5 and under (5U)
5 and under (5U)
Focus:
Soccer Fundamentals: Dribbling, shooting, goalkeeping, and movement literacy.
Core Rules: Stop means stop; listening when someone talks; maintaining safe play with no clowning around.
Space awareness: Personal space (bubbles), and shooting with purpose (look where you shoot).
Development of overall athleticism and coordination: Agility ladders, hurdles, reaction/rebounder balls, and throwing.
Coaching Philosophy: Safety, fun, and learning. Fun is essential, learning is key, and safety is the foundation.
1. Technical/Tactical
Techniques:
Dribbling: Emphasis on controlling the ball while moving (foot to foot), with basic techniques for stopping, turning, and shielding.
Shooting: Learning to aim for spaces where the goalkeeper isn’t. Encouraging kids to shoot where they look, building focus and accuracy.
Goalkeeping: Basic goalkeeper skills like using hands to catch and stop the ball, with an understanding that only the keeper can use their hands.
Tactics:
Space Awareness: Building an understanding of personal space (bubble concept). Players learn to maintain safe distances, avoiding collisions.
Simple Decision-Making: Choosing when and where to shoot, dribble or stop, with an introduction to reading the situation (e.g., if the keeper isn’t standing in the far corner, shoot there).
Goalkeeper vs. Shooter: Encouraging players to look for gaps and make decisions based on goalkeeper positioning.
2. Physical
Physical Literacy: Developing fundamental movement skills, such as running, jumping, hopping and skipping.
Agility Drills: Using the agility ladder to work on coordination, and control.
Hurdles and Rebounders: Working on explosive movements, balance, and quick reactions.
Throwing: Developing both overhand and underhand throwing techniques.
Footwork & Balance: Understanding how to move the ball with control while staying balanced and avoiding collisions.
3. Cognitive
Decision-Making: When and where to shoot, dribble, or stop based on the situation. For example, shooting where you look or deciding where to dribble based on space.
Problem-Solving: Responding to game scenarios, like figuring out how to get past a defender or how to stop the ball from going past you.
Metacognition: Encouraging players to reflect on how they are playing and how to improve their actions. Simple self-assessments after activities (e.g., “What did you do well? What would you try next time?”).
Growth Mindset: Helping kids learn persistence and celebrate learning through mistakes (e.g., Reminding a player that tries once, fails and says they can't do it to keep trying).
4. Social-Emotional
Intrapersonal: Learning to manage emotions, stay focused, and follow instructions. Emphasis on emotional control and self-regulation.
Interpersonal: Encouraging respect and communication. Reinforcing the importance of listening when someone is talking and showing respect to teammates and the coach.
Teamwork and Sportspersonship: Developing early cooperative behaviors, such as sharing space and equipment.
Coaching Philosophy: Promoting fun and safety, ensuring kids feel comfortable, emotionally supported, and motivated to learn. Ending each session with a "Thanksgiving" ritual promotes gratitude, positive interactions, and community building.
Social Skills in Play: Encouraging players to interact, share, and work together in non-competitive, non-pressured environments.
Key Takeaways for the 5U Program:
Key Takeaways for the 5U Program:
Shooting and dribbling are the primary technical focuses, with an introduction to goalkeeping and basic space awareness.
Physical development emphasizes fundamental movement skills like agility, balance, and coordination, with fun activities like the agility ladder, hurdles, and reaction balls.
Cognitive growth centres on decision-making in simple activity situations, reinforcing problem-solving and metacognitive skills in a supportive, non-competitive atmosphere.
Social-emotional development is guided by positive interpersonal communication, emotional regulation, and respect for others, creating a safe, fun learning environment.
The program is designed to be play-based, yet each session offers a structured approach that allows children to explore soccer skills and basic movement concepts in a safe, supportive environment.
7 and under (7U)
7 and under (7U)
Focus:
Building the ABCs of Movement (Agility, Balance, Coordination) through fun, soccer specific and non-soccer specific games.
Developing dribbling and shooting techniques while introducing basic tactical decision-making in 1v1 situations.
Cultivating a Strong Mindset using the ACE framework (Attitude, Concentration, Effort).
1. Technical/Tactical
Techniques:
Shooting: Striking the ball with the big toe down so as to contact it with the laces (middle of the foot contacts the middle of the ball. The focus is on "putting the ball where the keeper isn’t", reinforcing accuracy over power.
Dribbling: Small touches come from small strides - smaller than their usual sized strides ("Keep your ball on a short leash"). For control, players are encouraged to look down (at their ball) then look up (at what's in front of them), repeating that cycle as necessary
Ball Familiarity: Using different types of balls (pyramid ball, foam football, dog toy, foam die) to develop adaptability.
Tactics:
Attacking: Players are encouraged to look past the defender to the space behind them rather than at the defender, reinforcing "go around, not through."
Defending: Keep the ball in front of you, tracking and blocking the attacker’s movement.
Restarts for Spatial Awareness: On a restart, after the ball has gone out of bounds, the player bringing the ball back into play is reminded that they can pass the ball in or dribble it in. If they choose to pass it in, they are reminded that they can move the ball around or between their opponents but that they can't go through them.
No Traditional Goalkeepers: Players begin to understand a sweeper-keeper role (i.e., the player closest to their team's goal but only in the goal when their opponent is within shooting distance) without explicitly using the term.
2. Physical
ABC Development: Every session incorporates movement challenges that enhance agility, balance, and coordination.
Athletic Foundations: Players encounter multiple ways of developing hand-eye and foot-eye coordination (e.g., hurdles, agility ladder).
Building Speed: Sessions are designed with a large number of high speed activities.
3. Cognitive
ACE Framework: Players review and apply the Attitude, Concentration, and Effort principles at the start of every session.
Decision-Making:
Attackers: Choosing how to get behind the defender.
Defenders: Tracking and keeping the ball in front of them.
Perception & Spatial Awareness:
Learning to scan for space rather than focusing on the defender.
Adjusting movement based on the defender’s position.
Problem-Solving: Adapting to different types of balls and conditions.
4. Social-Emotional
Intrapersonal Development:
Managing frustration, persistence, and effort in competitive settings.
Encouraging a growth mindset—mistakes are part of learning!
Interpersonal Development:
Practising good sportspersonship—learning to say “thank you” and acknowledge others.
Reinforcing respectful listening and communication.
Sessions end with structured moments of gratitude (Thanksgiving ritual), reinforcing respect and positive engagement.
Key Takeaways for 7U Program:
Key Takeaways for 7U Program:
No passing—only dribbling and shooting are introduced (There is an overall lack of readiness to pass and shooting is similar enough to passing).
Players develop movement fundamentals (ABC: Agility, Balance, Coordination) to support multi-sport athleticism.
Tactical awareness is introduced in 1v1 situations, emphasizing scanning for space and basic defensive positioning.
ACE (Attitude, Concentration, Effort) is reinforced as a mindset tool for learning and competition.
Physical literacy components (hurdles, reaction balls, ring toss) are blended into drills to challenge coordination and adaptability.
Social-emotional learning is integrated into sessions, with players encouraged to listen, self-regulate, and interact positive
9 and under (9U)
9 and under (9U)
Focus:
Expanding foundational soccer skills by introducing shooting, passing, and dribbling techniques.
Developing tactical awareness through 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 play, emphasizing decision-making and spatial awareness.
Building confidence and resilience using the ACE framework (Attitude, Concentration, Effort).
Encouraging cooperative play and sportpersonship while fostering individual growth.
1. Technical/Tactical
Techniques:
Shooting: Players encouraged to point big toe down to strike with their laces, making contact with the middle of the foot on the middle of the ball.
Passing: Players practice using the inside, outside, or laces of their foot for different types of passes:
Inside foot pass: Turn the big toe out.
Outside foot pass: Pull the big toe in.
Driven pass: Point the big toe down.
Dribbling: Dribbling includes shielding, turning, feints to get past an opponent, and running with the ball. Any skill where a player keeps possession of the ball is included under the heading of dribbling.
Tactics:
Attacking: The player with the ball is encouraged to shoot first, pass second and then dribble third.
Defending: The player pressuring the ball is encouraged to wait for the attacker to make the first move and then make the tackle second.
Restarts for Spatial Awareness: On a restart, after the ball has gone out of bounds, the player bringing the ball back into play is reminded that they can move the ball around or between their opponents but that they can't go through them.
1v1, 2v2, and 3v3:
1v1: The foundational tactical challenge of soccer. Attackers aim to get behind defenders, while defenders focus on staying goalside to prevent scoring.
2v2: Players learn to support teammates by providing an angle—either an offensive angle (ahead of the ball) or a defensive angle (behind the ball). Offensive angles help bypass defenders, creating scoring opportunities. Combination play (i.e., give & go, overlaps) is introduced. .Defenders work as a unit, with one applying pressure (to the ball) to stop that player from shooting or dribbling and the other providing cover (positioned behind the pressuring defender).
3v3: Spatial awareness grows as players encounter multiple layers of play. Attackers are encouraged to move out of shadows (opponents’ coverage) and find windows (spaces between defenders or near the sideline). Defenders maintain shape using a triangle formation, applying pressure (to the ball so that that player cannot shoot or dribble) and providing cover on both sides of the pressuring defender.
Shape Not Positions: Rather than focusing on set positions, the emphasis at 3v3 is to maintain a triangle shape. Players are encouraged to first look at the position of their teammates before looking at the position so as to fix their shape and avoid the swarm.
Restarts: Players are given the option to pass the ball in or to dribble it in. If they choose to pass, players are reminded to move the ball around or between defenders, not directly through them.
No Traditional Goalkeepers: Goalkeepers are rarely used, and players are taught to avoid lingering near their own net unless necessary. Instead, they learn to step forward and support the attack, embodying a sweeper-keeper mentality.
2. Physical
Soccer Specific: With little time and the majority of it focused on technical/tactical elements, physical movements, coordination and athleticism become focused on those that accompany tactical decisions and technical actions in small-sided game play.
3. Cognitive
ACE Framework: Players review and apply the Attitude, Concentration, and Effort principles at the start of every session.
Decision-Making Skills: Reinforce the “Soccer 123s” concept: Shoot first, pass second, dribble third.
Problem Solving: Working out solutions with peers instead of waiting/asking for adult-directed solutions.
Awareness and Anticipation: Emphasize recognizing the positions of teammates, opponents, the ball and the goal.
Competition & Consequences: Introduce the concept of consequences in game scenarios. Losing teams do push-ups/sit-ups, but winners do work too (reinforcing that continued success still requires effort). Discuss how decisions impact the game's outcome, reinforcing accountability and strategic thinking.
Focus and Mental Resilience: Help players develop focus by creating environments with both success and failure. Encourage resilience and learning from mistakes without fear of consequences.
Applying Tactical Knowledge: Build on foundational 1v1 and 2v2 decision-making while introducing concepts of 3v3 play.
4. Social-Emotional
Intrapersonal Development:
Emotional Regulation: Help players recognize and manage emotions during games, using mistakes as learning opportunities and maintaining composure under pressure.
Resilience and Growth Mindset: Foster perseverance by framing setbacks as valuable learning experiences. Encourage players to reflect on challenges and identify areas for growth.
Self-Motivation: Promote personal accountability, encouraging players to stay engaged, work hard, and take an active role in their learning. This also includes things like putting on one's own shin guards or tying one's own shoes.
Interpersonal Development:
Communication and Encouragement: Develop clear, positive communication habits by encouraging players to "speak" the language of the technical and tactical elements that they are learning.
Cooperation and Teamwork: Emphasize the relationship between "Me" and "We" in a team sport like soccer. There should be more "We" but there are always moments for "Me".
Empathy and Sportspersonship: Promote respect for each other as teammates and opponents.
Leadership and Support: Provide opportunities for players to take on leadership roles, whether through decision-making on the field or supporting others with constructive feedback and encouragement.
Key Takeaways for 9U Program:
Key Takeaways for 9U Program:
No passing—only dribbling and shooting are introduced (There is an overall lack of readiness to pass and shooting is similar enough to passing).
Players develop movement fundamentals (ABC: Agility, Balance, Coordination) to support multi-sport athleticism.
Tactical awareness is introduced in 1v1 situations, emphasizing scanning for space and basic defensive positioning.
ACE (Attitude, Concentration, Effort) is reinforced as a mindset tool for learning and competition.
Physical literacy components (hurdles, reaction balls, ring toss) are blended into drills to challenge coordination and adaptability.
Social-emotional learning is integrated into sessions, with players encouraged to listen, self-regulate, and interact positive
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