Soccer Drills for 5 Year Olds

Soccer is a game that requires an array of talents to be good at. Most people who are unaware of the nuances of the sport view it as simply running around and kicking a ball. This could not be further from the truth, as there a lot more subtleties and attributes needed to be a good soccer player. The best time to instill and develop a love for the game in a child is when he/she is about 5 years old.

Since the child is still very small to fully understand intricate soccer strategies and tactics and comprehend the importance of positions, soccer drills focus more on the child having fun, and getting accustomed to the act of kicking a ball and passing it to a teammate. If you want your child to develop some fine soccer skills, you need to be a little responsible in the drills you adopt. Do not put too much pressure on the child and let them do as they please with the ball, with only a few broad guidelines to follow. If you ensure that your child has a good time, he/she will relate the game with fun and slowly develop a love for it.

Soccer Practice Drills for 5 Year Olds

Every soccer training program and soccer drill concentrates on the SAQ model. This means Strength, Agility and Quickness. You can also adopt it, just alter it slightly.

Make Small Teams
If you're aiming to make a bunch of 5 year olds play a practice match, pick teams that are small in number. Since their attention spans are very small, making small teams will ensure that they touch the ball frequently. Picking 10 kids aside will bore the ones that don't have the ball, and also cause the ones that do have the ball to not pass it. This is a fundamental rule of soccer drills, as it keeps them constantly involved in the game.

Display Skills
If you how to perform some juggling skills with the ball, or if you know someone who does, let the kids see it. It will fascinate them and entice them into attempting it themselves. Watch a kid's face when he sees you juggle the ball on your feet and head, and you'll know how much fascination it generates. Tell them that they can do this too, as long as they keep trying. You can also try your hand at telling them who invented soccer and reciting some funny soccer quotes.

Build Individual Skills
The focus at this young age should be on building individualistic skills, and not team spirit skills. That comes at a later stage. Right now your job is to make sure that you carry out as many fun drills as you can. Try and teach each child how to stop the ball, how to kick the ball, how to head it, how to shoot, how to try to dribble past an opposing player and how to curve a soccer ball. Teach them the values of fairness and sportsmanship, and make it clear to them that cheating is wrong.

Reward The Kids
At any age, a human being will only respond positively to a reward for his hard work. Kids are more susceptible to this than adults. Treat them to ice cream, or chocolates, or a pizza in order to motivate them. Set small term goals for each day, and at the end of the session give them their reward. This will ensure that they keep coming back for more drills. If you find that a particular child is being bullied or hassled by someone else, help him out.

Don't Keep Score
If you are keeping score, then the kids on the losing side of a practice match may get demoralized. When they get older they will begin to hate being on the losing side, and this will drive them to play better in search of victory. But again, soccer drills for 5 year olds are meant to be fun, and keeping score will ruin the fun for someone or the other. Keep the competition healthy, and gradually instill a winning mentality.

With some presence of mind and without pushing the kids too hard, you can soon start seeing the benefits of these drills. Once they start maturing further, and their physical attributes and muscles start developing, you can start teaching them the technical side of the game and indulging in advanced soccer conditioning drills and workout. In the meantime, focus on making sure that they enjoy the sport and have fun.