Munchkin Week 1 Coach Plan
COACHING POINTS
WEEKLY COACH TIP
Your goal this week is to get to know your team, introduce them to the Arrive early to ask staff questions about coaching, find your field and
sport of soccer, and have fun! Activities focus on learning about soccer coach shirt, and get to know your team as they arrive. You will get
and developing comfort with ball.
player nametags each week - make sure you use them!
ACTIVITY 1: Team Stretch and Warm-Up
This activity is run by the Skyline Club Coaches. Your role is to engage the children around you (whether they're on your team or not) by
participating in the warm-up! After the warm-up, form a snake or play follow the leader with your team and head towards your team's field.
ACTIVITY 2: Introductions
Sit in a circle with your team, and tell your team it's time to do introductions. Start by sharing your name and favorite color. Go around the
circle asking each player to tell you their name and favorite color. Now is also a good time to put on their nametags.
ACTIVITY 3: Races
Set Up: Have players lineup without balls.
Play: Have your team race from one end of the field to the other.
Variations: Have players race backwards, race while galloping or skipping, stick their arms out and race pretending
their airplanes, or divide your team up and do relay races. Be creative!
End: Have all the players grab a ball and lineup an end-line.
ACTIVITY 4: Soccer Ready Position
Set up: Make sure each player has a ball. You will need one too in order to demonstrate.
Play: Place one foot on the ball and your hands on your hips, and explain to your team that this is soccer ready
position. Remind them it's important to be quiet and have their eyes on the coach so they can learn to play fun
games. Have your team show you their "best" soccer ready position.
End: High-five your players to reinforce their awesome soccer-ready positions.
ACTIVITY 5: What is Soccer and How is it Played?
To explain soccer, start by asking who's played before?! Then ask how the sport is played and let them explain it in their own words.
Continue to ask a series of questions about how to play the game: "Do we use our elbows?" (No!)"Do we use our nose?" (No!) "Do we use
our hands?" (No!) "Do we use our feet?" (Yes!)"How do we score goals or points?" (By kicking the ball into the goal!) Do we stay on the field
or within the lines? (Yes!). These are the most important "rules" to teach and reinforce with this age group.
ACTIVITY 6: I Can, Can You?
Set Up: Make sure each player has a ball. You will need a ball too in order to demonstrate.
Imagination: Tell players that it is their goal to see if they can do whatever Coach can do.
Play: Say things like, "I can do 10 toe touches, can you?" and have your team do their best to copy you.
Variations: Alternate toe touches back-and-forth between feet. Sit on ball. Jump like a frog over the ball. Run
around the ball in a circle. Go around in a circle in the opposite direction. Race down to the other goal and back.
Touch forehead to the ball. Set knee on the ball. Dribble the ball with an elbow. Do 10 jumping jacks. Be creative
and adjust the speed of your commands!
End: End the game by having your players get in soccer ready position (I can stand in soccer ready position, can
you?) to transition to the next activity.
ACTIVITY 7: Kentucky Derby
Set up: Have your players line up an on end line, each with a ball. You will not need a ball.
Imagination: Tell players to imagine that they're in the Kentucky Derby-the most important horse race of all time!
Have them get ready - put a saddle on their horse, put on their derby hat, etc.
Play: Explain that on your command, it is their goal to dribble their ball (horse) as fast as they can and race to the
line at the other end of the field. Shout, "Go," to encourage your players to dribble across the field as fast as they
can.
Variations: Increase difficulty and mix it up by having them race down-and-back; race using only one foot to
dribble the ball (right or left); or create teams and have Kentucky Derby relay races.
End: Finish the game by having players take their horses (balls) back to their stable (goal).
Water Break!
ACTIVITY 8: Logging Lumberjacks
Set up: Scatter tall, colored cones around half of the field, and have players circle up by you each with a ball.
Imagination: Tell your players that they are lumberjacks and that it's time to knock over the trees (cones). Have
them get ready- put on a work belt, helmet, work boots, axe, etc.
Play: On your command, have players knock over as many cones as they can using their ball. Once all the trees
have been knocked down, get your players lined up again, and explain that now it's time to plant trees! Have
players now "plant" (pick up) "trees" (cones) using only their feet.
Variations: Play several rounds. Challenge your players - see if they can count the number of cones they knock
down or shout out colors for them to focus on.
End: Finish by having each player high five another player. You can leave the cones scattered around the field for
the next activity.
ACTIVITY 9: Race Through the Forest
Set-up: Make sure cones are still scattered around the field for this activity, and that each player has a ball. You will
not need a ball.
Imagination: Tell your team that now that the forest is replanted, it's time to have a forest race! Ask your players
what kind of animals they see in the forest and encourage them to pick an animal to be for the race.
Variations: Have several anial races back and forth, each time encourage your team to get faster and faster. If your
team is really advanced, break them into two or three groups for a relay race.
End: End the activity by having players score a goal and help you pick all the cones up off the field.
Water Break!
ACTIVITY 10 : Off to the Zoo
Set up: Have your players lineup, each with a ball, in soccer ready position. You will not need a ball for this activity.
Imagination: Start by asking your players if they've ever been to the zoo and what their favorite animal is? Tell your
players that it's time to pretend they're different animals at the zoo!
Play: Call out an animal and have players mimic that animal as they dribble to the other side of the field- making its
sound, dribbling fast or slow, etc. Once you get to the other end of the field, get your players lined up again, and
pick a new animal for the team to be as they dribble back to where they started.
Variations: Be sure to pick a variety of animals that move both fast and slow so players can practice dribbling at
different speeds: cheetah, turtle, bear, snail, rabbit, owl, horse, alligator, elephant, giraffe, etc. You can also take
turns going through your team's favorite animals.
End: End by high-fiving all of your players.
ACTIVITY 11: Lightning Bolts
Set up: Make sure each player has a ball. You will not need a ball.
Imagination: Ask players if they've ever seen lightning? Explain that a storm is coming and have players "turn" their
balls into lightning bolts!
Play: Begin saying things like, "Oh my, I hope I don't get struck by lightning today!" to coax the players to hit you
with their lightning bolts (balls). Once you get hit, be very dramatic saying things like, "Ouch that really hurt" or
pretend like you got shocked!
Variations: Once players get the hang of it, start moving around the field while your players try to strike you. Move
and stop frequently, this will encourage players to change their dribbling speed and change their direction. If a
player is struggling, help them by moving closer to them. Set a goal and encourage players to strike you a certain
number of times, ex. ten. Each time you get hit, count out loud.
End: End the game by having all your players score a goal.
ACTIVITY 12: Tail Tag
Set Up: Have players sit in a circle and put one pinnie in the back of their shirts so it looks like a tail.
Imagination: Ask your players what sound a mouse makes and what sound a cat makes? Explain to the players that
they are all mice, their pinnie is their tail, and that you are a cat out to get their tails!
Play: The coach starts out by chasing the mice around pulling out tails and dropping them on the ground. Once the
tail has been pulled out, have players join in as cats by chasing the remainder of the mice.
Variations: Have all the players become cats while you are the only mouse! Grab all the pinnies and have the
players chase you all around the field while trying to grab your 'tails."
End: End by collecting all the pinnies and have your team sit in a circle for the wrap-up.
ACTIVITY 13: Wrap Up
Talk about what all the players learned today, and do a team cheer! Have the parents make a tunnel with their arms stretched over allowing
the kids to run underneath. Kids LOVE the tunnel- do not skip this!