Excellent site with easy to navigate pages.
Disciplining for misbehaviour? 8-11 year olds, they dont really get bored because i know that sometimes that can be the cause. How or what can i apply a bit of strictness into the team.
Hi all, I've just started coaching a soccer team of 4 and 5 year olds and would like to discuss with my fellow coaches any drills which you have found to be safe, fun and valuable to the younger age group. I have my level 1 course under my belt and have difficulty in applying what I've learnt to the small kids. They get bored very quickly and are only interested in playing a match at the end of the session. They have no interest in passing the ball or shooting at goal whilst doing drills. Running with the ball is no problem as they are keeping active and all have a ball at their feet. As soon as they line up or have to share a ball, there are problems. I have a variety of drills which I run through with them, traffic lights, robin hood, alamo, sharks and fishes to name a few with variations of each but I crave more as everywhere I search caters for U6 upwards. I coach an U8 side midweek and have no problem with these lads as they are that bit older and have a greater level of concentration. (not by much mind). So I'm asking for advice from anyone who has coached 4 and 5 YOs and would like to know what has worked for you. PM replies welcome. Marc
Hello, I am currently coaching an u9's boys team and a majority of them are well behaved and want to play football, but the odd 1or2 tend to mess around at training which distracts the others. I have sat them out in training and spoken to the parents but still this goes on. Do I decide to kick them out of the team altogether or does anyone know the miracle cure to stop this happening?
I have a very talented U11 squad who can't seem to transition to 9v9 football, they were great at 7v7 but 9v9 seems to be a bit of a stretch for them.Any tips would be well appreciated
Disciplining for misbehaviour? 8-11 year olds, they dont really get bored because i know that sometimes that can be the cause. How or what can i apply a bit of strictness into the team.
Hello, I am currently coaching an u9's boys team and a majority of them are well behaved and want to play football, but the odd 1or2 tend to mess around at training which distracts the others. I have sat them out in training and spoken to the parents but still this goes on. Do I decide to kick them out of the team altogether or does anyone know the miracle cure to stop this happening?
Hello all! My kids aged 9 and 7 are very slow when compared to their peers of the same age. They don't seem to fight for the ball and get and watch others play their game. They seem to lack the urgency (heart) needed for the game. (They LOVE football). How can make them move around and react faster. Any help you are able to provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks O
Team keep getting thrashed every week - where to start? Having been the sole coach/manager of a little league team for the past two years, this year I lost all my senior players. I was therefore presented with 10 brand new lads, some of whom have never played competitive football. We are 8 games in and my lads are getting thrashed every week. The main problems are that they cannot get the ball out of their half, positions are usually a mess, finishing and chance creation are non-existent, and they don't apply any pressure or are unable to tackle. The main problems are keeping the ball as a team, getting it in the opponents half and staying there, and creating/finishing chances. I only have 1 and a half hours a week with them. I don't really know what to do, and I'm a little desperate. Does anybody have any advice? Thanks for literally anything.
Hi all, I've just started coaching a soccer team of 4 and 5 year olds and would like to discuss with my fellow coaches any drills which you have found to be safe, fun and valuable to the younger age group. I have my level 1 course under my belt and have difficulty in applying what I've learnt to the small kids. They get bored very quickly and are only interested in playing a match at the end of the session. They have no interest in passing the ball or shooting at goal whilst doing drills. Running with the ball is no problem as they are keeping active and all have a ball at their feet. As soon as they line up or have to share a ball, there are problems. I have a variety of drills which I run through with them, traffic lights, robin hood, alamo, sharks and fishes to name a few with variations of each but I crave more as everywhere I search caters for U6 upwards. I coach an U8 side midweek and have no problem with these lads as they are that bit older and have a greater level of concentration. (not by much mind). So I'm asking for advice from anyone who has coached 4 and 5 YOs and would like to know what has worked for you. PM replies welcome. Marc
I have a very talented U11 squad who can't seem to transition to 9v9 football, they were great at 7v7 but 9v9 seems to be a bit of a stretch for them.Any tips would be well appreciated
Hi, I coach u13 team and most of them really have poor shoot power. I tried to show them proper way to shoot the ball, we worked on approaching the ball with small steps, and now after few months their shoot technique is mostly satisfying, but they simply lack power. There are 3 or 4 players who can shoot the ball well, but others can't shoot on goal from 15 or 20 metres out which is really worrying because in other teams we play against almost all players can shoot the ball much further than my players. I think 13 years old is too early to start with any serious strength trainings. Any ideas?
I am coaching two U12 boys groups. They have minimal training in the past, I have worked on dribbling and passing. Just starting 1 v 1s. I am training now in a gym, was wondering if any one had any drills that would work with approx. 15 kids?
I've got a player who is commanding, brilliant at spreading the play, and is no doubt my best player in my under 8's 5 a-side team. I've decided most times that he's going to be captain. The question is, whether or not you think it's right to give the captaincy to just one player? How do you guys organise yours? Rotate it? Have just one? Give it to the best trainer that week?
I am taking over a team next season who will be under 10's and I am wanting to bring in a few new players but don't know what will be the best way to trail them and how long I would trail them for. There are many tournaments pre season would that be a good idea. Also what is the best approach with the lads who are not good enough, how do you break it to them
I have a fantastic group of U12's (9 a side), who I encourage to play with the ball on the floor, quick passing football. We are a very attacking minded team, but that is our weakness - we need to remember that we do not have 8 strikers.Does anybody have any drills or tips for making sure that midfielders remember midfield?
Hi All, Need help with training my U9s with passing during the game. I have one player (centre mid) that knows how to pass at the right time during the game. The rest of my team, meaning LM and RM and striker put their head down and just run with the ball. What can i use during training to make them think about passing during a game. Thanks in advance
Hi, I have taken on my first U11 football team and we are building a squad from scratch for all comers, we have picked up some good players with a few who have hardly ever kicked a ball. I have always promoted everyione is welcome but it seems some of the better players are now making comments that they wont stay if the lesser players continue! What do i do?
How do I get my keeper to kick hi and longer goal kicks. Thanks Asked using Sportplan Mobile App
I run a U11 team that is reasonably successful and plays with confidence and spends a lot of the time on the front foot. However we seem to get caught week after week by the simple long ball over the top and would welcome some tips/drills to help the lads improve this part (it's driving me mad!). Thanks in advance.
where on the field can I play a slow player
in more ways than one
2026 brings the biggest World Cup ever, revolutionary rule changes, and new tactical opportunities for coaches at every level. Here's what you need to know.
Possession without purpose is pointless. These drills combine ball retention with physical conditioning to create teams that dominate and outlast opponents.
Teams have just 6 seconds to exploit a turnover before defences reorganise. Learn how to train your players to attack with speed and purpose.
Coaches from around the world look to Sportplan for coaching confidence.