Youth Soccer Drills: 84 Drills for Beginning and Intermediate Players

A comprehensive, well-organized drill finder helps you quickly locate drills that are specific to a skill or to the age group you teach. Sample practice plans for 5- to 6-year-olds, 7- to 8-year-olds, 9- to 10-year-olds, and 11- to 12-year-olds are ready to implement for effective practices. Progressions of 4-versus-4, 5-versus-5, 8-versus-8, and 11-versus-11 help your players understand and execute tactics at the appropriate stage.

Use Youth Soccer Drills to plan fun, productive practices that help your skilled and trained team on the field.

"Bunch ball" is the nemesis of youth soccer. While it is fun for a while, it does not teach skills that are valuable in the adult version of the game.

By suggesting drills and games that children can play and are fun, the kids can learn the concept of space ("big, fat triangles") without recognizing they are doing it. Clif Brittain


Great for a new coach!   September 22, 1998
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

As I am new to soccer and coaching, I was looking for ways to keep my U8 girls busy, continuing to learn new skills and mostly, having fun! This book is the way to go. The drills (games) are well organized, progressive and eaily adapted to your individual teams or players needs. Great book to keep in your "coaches bag". Thats where mine is!


Kids Can Do It   February 27, 2002
Greg (Baltimore, MD USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

It is amazing to see just what kids can do when they are instructed properly and challenged to make decisions and think about their actions. The drills in this book not only work to teach young players a new way to learn the game but the fun they get by being successful is echoed by their smiles and cheers and by their parents on the sideline. We use these drills in our youth recreation program with players ages four to seven. It is our 5th year with the book and it works.


New Coach's Book   November 24, 1999
Daniel W. Boren
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

I found this book to be very helpful to new coach's that didn't grow up playing soccer or that didn't play when they were young. It has a lot of good drills for teaching the basics of soccer. This isn't a one book teaches all though, but it is a good start to help preparing for practice sessions.


Great Drills   September 29, 2001
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

The trick to getting young kids to improve their skills is to keep them getting lots of touches during practice participating in games that are fun. These drills may not seem "gamelike" but they will improve the skills required to become better players. The matrix at the front helps coaches tailor practice to the drills that target the specific skills that you want to work on (dribbling, passing, shooting, etc,). I've used them with great results and recommend this book.