In our practice section this month we are going to make a little change of direction.  Instead of a practice for the team we will look at players practicing on their own away from the team practice.

During the next year or so, every so often we will put in a "game" that young players can play on their own or with a friend or two.

Here in the United States and Canada, as the game has become "mainstream," you can see more and more kids playing pick up soccer or simply having soccer fun with a ball.  It means that soccer has gone up a notch or two as the team practice on its own will never be enough.

Coaches are welcome to print out these practices and pass them on to their players with the encouragement to get some practice in.  Maybe a coach can organize the individual and pairs practices suggested at a team practice to "test" them in order to see their improvement.  That in itself should provide a little motivation for players to do some "homework."

Don't be a Cone Head

Organization:

• Place a cone or water bottle on a marked center spot and then each player moves away the same distance - marked by a disk or some kind of line.

• The idea is to knock the cone down (2 points) or it if touches the cones, but the cone stays up (1 point).  First to 10 points is the winner.

• If there are three of you, take it in turns after each 10 point win and keep going with equal time opportunities (turns) until one player scores 30.

• On you own, do the same thing, but have a back stop of a wall - or something to avoid having to chase after the ball too much.  Set you own target.  How many points from 10 passes?

Variation and Progressions:

• Start with a static ball.

• Then it must be a moving ball - touched to one side with the right and passed with the left and vice versa.

• Have a "weak'" foot only competition (left foot most often).

• Move further away to increase the difficulty.

• So a 6-year old might start 3- or 4-yards from the cone, while a 16-year old could be 10-yards away.  Later, a 16-year old might want to move 15-yards away and low drive (kicking with the laces) their pass/shot as they would when shooting for goal.