ESA Fall Guide to Coaching 4v4 Soccer in Edina Soccer Association

ESA Fall Guide to K ESA Fall Guide to K- -1 1st stGrade Grade Thank you for coaching in the 4v4 program at Edina Soccer Association! 4v4 soccer is played in Pre-K, Kindergarten and 1st grade. (Teams may play up to 5v5 if needed). YOU (coach) are going to make an incredible impact in the lives of some of our youngest soccer players this fall season. The purpose of the fall season is for the players to play as much soccer as they can so that they can experientially learn the game. Players in these age groups are in the ME/WE phase of development. Me only or me and my friend(s). Expect to see the game look more like 1v7 or 2v6 rather than 4v4 and organized this is normal! Development is different for each player and development is not linear. It is our role as coaches to help the players grow and develop their Cognitive, Psychosocial and Motor Skills over time. Embrace and enjoy the chaos remember, even if it doesn t look organized, the children are having a great time!

ESA Fall Guide to K ESA Fall Guide to K- -1st Fall Season for K & 1stgrade Structured game-play for the majority of the session If coaches want to do a warm-up for the players, the best options would be to play a game of tag or play maze type games with the soccer ball where there is a ball each or between two. Samples activities will be provided. Coaches and teams should be on the same sideline for collaboration. Parents/fans on the opposite sidelines. Try to not have parents/fans behind the goals as this can be distracting. 1st Grade Grade Format 60-minute timeslot to do the following: Team arrival, welcome, get them organized and playing as quickly as possible. K play 4v4 without goalkeepers (see the last page for more details). 4 quarters of 10 minutes with small breaks in between. 1stGrade play 4v4 or 5v5 without goalkeepers (see the last page for more details). 2 halves of 25 minutes. Coaches should plan to rotate players in shifts of 3-5 minutes or monitor for players who need to play shorter shifts due to heat/exhaustion etc. Post game fair play, claps and smiles for the opposing team are endorsed prior to leaving the field.

ESA Fall Guide to K ESA Fall Guide to K- -1 1st stGrade Grade Top Tips Ask questions such as: Where is the goal we are trying to score in? How can we score a goal? What part of the foot can I use to score or pass? Where is the goal the other team is trying to score in? How can we stop the other team from scoring? How can we move the ball forward? How can we move the ball into the opponents half? If I can t pass/dribble the ball forward, who can I pass to and why would I do that? Follow your questions up with: Why? Be curious with your players! Show me! Having the players show you what scoring looks like, or passing, or protecting the goal is a great way for them to demonstrate what they know or can do. Have some spare balls next to the field and if the ball goes out far, you can throw a new ball onto the field rather than wait. If you have a player who dominates, encourage them to see if they can or have them take the kick-ins from the sidelines to start the game as this might be one time where they pass the ball to someone else. If you have a player who is shy/not engaged/withdrawn, consider having them take some of the restarts (kickoff/sideline pass) so that they at least touch the ball 3-4 times that day.

ESA Fall Guide to K ESA Fall Guide to K- -1st 1st Grade Grade Sideline Standards for Coaches/Parents/Fans Youth sports sidelines are typically a mix of the following: Supportive behaviors Hostile behaviors Distracting behaviors Edina Soccer Association endorses supportive sidelines from all coaches/parents/fans. A few reminders that will help to foster positive, supportive sidelines: Cheer for the team by name - Go green! Go red! Go Sharks! Go Turtles! Cheer in the PAST tense: Nice shot! Nice pass! This ensures that the players are making the decisions rather than hearing commands Shoot! Pass! Do this Always praise effort and good teamwork.