Six-year-old soccer players typically play games of three to five players without a goalkeeper on a small field. Gone are the days of large teams spread out with few players getting to touch the ball. To practice, have the players warm up with skill drills for five to 10 minutes and spend a little time on stretching; 6-year-olds are very flexible and the focus here is getting them into a good habit of stretching for later, writes Lindsey Blom in "Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Soccer." Follow with practice drills that teach skills under the guise of fun games.
The Mosquito
Set up four cones to mark a grid 15 yards on each side for this drill, recommended for 6-year-olds by the American Youth Soccer Organization. Place all the kids or "exterminators" on one end of the grid, each with a ball at her feet. You as coach play the role of the mosquito, centering yourself at the midpoint of the grid. You dash as best you can across the grid trying to avoid being hit by the balls shot at you by the exterminators. You can swerve and do loops much like the real insect. For a variation, tell the players whether to use their right or left foot.
One-Pin Bowling
Like the Mosquito, AYSO's One-Pin Bowling helps players with passing. Set up a 10-by-10-yard grid marked by cones. For each player, set up a cone on the midpoint line of the grid with a soccer ball balanced on the top. Have the players line up across from their cone and in sequence try to pass the ball to hit the cone directly in line with her and knock off the balanced ball. Each player can try one-pin bowling once before you start over with player 1. The winning player is the one who knocks the most balls off in five tries. For a variation, have the players use their left or right foot.
Sharks and Minnows
US Youth Soccer recommends Sharks and Minnows as a game that teaches 6-year-olds how to move with the ball. Set up a 10-by-15-yard rectangular grid marked by cones. Two players, the sharks, don't have balls, while all the minnows do. The minnows line up on a 10-yard line, facing the other 10-yard line. On your call of "swim," the minnows try to dribble their balls safely past the sharks to the other side. If a shark steals a ball, the minnow becomes a shark. Continue having the minnows dribble from side to side until all the players become sharks.
Get Outta There
For Get Outta There, like Sharks and Minnows designed by US Youth Soccer's coaching director Sam Snow, set up a grid 15 by 20 yards with a goal made of cones four steps apart at each end. Each team lines up single file on the sideline. You kick the ball onto the field, and the first two players in line run out and contest a one-versus-one game and try to score. If the ball goes out of bounds or they score, the first pairing needs to skedaddle off the field. If they don't get off quickly, you yell, "Get outta there." Once the players depart, you kick the next ball on the field, and the next two players conduct their one-on-one battle.
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