KINDERGARTEN - SOCCER

DRIBBLING & TRAPPING: Part 1: DIRECTIONS. Begin with a warm up activity that allows the students practice using the three physical directions (Forward, Backward and Sideways) while moving around an open space. Encourage them to move to open spaces, watch out for others and to try different ways of traveling in each of the three directions. When you are reviewing the physical directions it is a good idea to verbally review the surfaces of the body and what body parts will lead them as they travel in each direction. For example the front of the body has the face, chest, stomach, knees and toes, as you travel forward those parts of the body would be arriving to your destination first! Part 2: Teach the concept and steps of dribbling. Give the students guided discovery questions or commands that will lead them through the process of dribbling. If you are using a guided discovery approach, be sure to allow the students time to explore the possibility of answers physically, before asking them to answer the question. Ask only one question at a time, beginning with the easiest and progressing to the more difficult. Understanding that difficult for a kindergarten student will seem obvious to you. If you are going to use a command style approach, tell the student the point that you want them to focus on, (As you dribble your ball around the space, I want you to look at the ball, and also watch where you are going.) and allow them to practice that point before moving on to the next part of dribbling. You will cover up to three important points regarding dribbling and three regarding trapping. Be sure the majority of your students physically understand the point before moving on to the next one. It is also a good idea to verbally review the point after the practice period. (These are the basic points: 1.Look at the ball and look around you as you dribble the ball around the field. 2.Use short controlled taps to move the ball around with your feet, in order to keep the ball close to you. 3. Use all the different surfaces of the foot to change direction while you dribble the ball. 4.Use the bottom of your foot to stop or trap the ball. 5.Slow the ball with your feet before attempting to trap it. 6.When you are trapping the ball, put your weight on the foot that is on the ground, NOT ON THE BALL.) Part 3: Play a game or set up a drill that uses dribbling and trapping only. There are a variety of games in the book that only include the skills of dribbling and trapping. Do not introduce any new concepts at this time.

DRIBBLING GAMES: Part 1: Play a warm up game that causes the students to use the three physical directions. As the students play, ask them about how they are traveling, what surface is leading, describe the way they are traveling. Encourage them to try a variety of ways to travel while traveling in the different directions. (IE: Running, Hopping, Skipping, Crawling, Sliding on bottom, etc.) Part 2: Review the steps to dribbling and trapping. Part 3: Play a game that uses dribbling and trapping. Don’t play the same game you used in Lesson 1. Be sure to remind the students that they cannot touch other players, only the ball. This is important if they are stealing the ball from other players. Encourage them to use their feet to move the ball, even if it goes out of bounds. Explain that this is a rule in the game of soccer.

COMBIND THE CONCEPTS OF DIRECTIONS AND THE SKILLS OF DRIBBLING AND TRAPPING (Avoiding the opponent while dribbling): Part 1: Warm up with the class dribbling using the three directions. This could be as simple as you announcing the direction they will use to dribble the ball, and then freezing them and giving them a different direction to use while dribbling. Part 2: Discuss the idea that there is only one ball in a game, and the other teammates will all be trying to get the ball. One of the ways to keep them from getting the ball is to dribble away from them by changing directions. By placing your field markers randomly around your working space you can set up a field of obstacles that the class will be able to dribble around trying to avoid using change of directions. (One way of setting up your field markers efficiently will be to have your students take their ball, get a field marker and find an own space to place their field marker. Once they all have an own space, their markers on the ground and their soccer ball on the ground held in place with their feet, you can give the instructions for movement.) When you begin, start with easy instructions. "Begin dribbling your soccer ball while you move in a forward direction. When you get to a new marker, freeze." Be sure to cover all three directions. Once you have verbally guided the students to traveling in all the directions while they travel you can move onto part three. Part 3: This part of the lesson will allow the students to practice avoiding the opponent as well as allow the students to be creative. "When you begin dribbling use a forward direction. When you get to a marker, choose a different direction to move to another marker. Keep going to new markers, trying a different direction to use while traveling to the markers. See if you can get to all the markers before I say freeze. Give the class at least a minute or two to do this. As they are dribbling and traveling, you should move through the class pointing out the different directions you see the students using. Ask them to tell you which direction they are using. Once they you are confident they have used all the directions, and are doing a good job avoiding each other, give them the next task. "This time as you get close to the marker, don’t let your ball touch it. Right before you actually get to the marker, change your direction and move toward another marker. If your ball is moving toward a person or another ball you should also change your direction. Don’t let your ball come close to people, balls or markers!" If there is time play a game like dribble keep away or jaws to reinforce the concept of getting away from the opponent while dribbling.

BEAN BAG ACTIVITIES: This is an opportunity to reinforce the skills of cooperation. Warm up with cool activity involving throwing and physical directions. Part 1: Have everyone get a beanbag and find an own space. When they are in their own space, tell them to look for an open spot to throw their beanbag to, and then go get it so that they travel in a forward direction. Tell them to try it three times, each time they should travel forward, but find another way of doing so. They shouldn’t have to wait for you to say go each time; this can be a self-guided activity. When they have thrown it three times and traveled in a forward direction to get it, they should freeze in own space. They will all finish at about the same time. Next try it with backwards, and then sideways. The final task can involve the students throwing the beanbag and choosing the direction they will travel and how they will travel in that direction. Tell the class to continue throwing and retrieving using a different direction to travel each time, until you call "Freeze". Part 2: Play "Frozen Bean Bag". Explain to the class that the main goal for this game is to keep everyone moving by making sure their power pack is safely on their head. The only winning in this game happens when you call freeze, yet everyone still has their beanbag on their head! Allow them to play the game for a few minutes. Encourage the class to help each other. Encourage them to play fair and allow their classmates to help them if they get in trouble. Compliment the students you see helping, even if they lose their own beanbag trying to do so! Part 3: Choose a game or activity that uses beanbags and allows for cooperation.

BEAN BAG ACTIVITIES CONTINUED: There are some great beanbag songs on the CD’s you were provided in your teaching supply box. Pick out some fun activities to do. There are also beanbag activities in the beanbag section that you can use to allow your class to have fun and manipulate the equipment. Be sure to encourage the class to play safe, work cooperatively and be creative.

KICKING: Part 1: Warm up with a beanbag game that the class really liked! Part 2: Explain the difference to the class regarding kicking as opposed to dribbling. Kicking sends the ball to an intended target. You want the ball to go away from you, unlike dribbling where you are trying to move the ball around the space while keeping it close to your body. Allow the class to explore the different parts of the foot that can kick the ball. You should give them the parts of the foot they can try. (Instep or top of foot, Inside or arch of foot, Outside, Toes, Heel and Bottom of the foot.) Give the students guided discovery questions or commands that will lead them through the process of kicking. If you are using a guided discovery approach (questions that lead the students to find or discover the most efficient way to do the skill), be sure to allow the students time to explore the possibility of answers physically, before asking them to answer the question. Ask only one question at a time, beginning with the easiest and progressing to the more difficult. Understanding that difficult for a kindergarten student will seem obvious to you. If you are going to use a command style approach, tell the student the point that you want them to focus on, (As you kick your ball toward your target, I want you to look at the ball when you kick it.) and allow them to practice that point before moving on to the next part of kicking. Find out which parts seem: More accurate & Stronger. Be sure to try with either foot. Part 3: Set up a circuit of targets that the class can practice kicking at. You can use any of the workout tracks, since they give you a 1 minute time limit, and you can set up the kontrol kones to show what should be done at each station. Using the music will free you up to move around the stations, reinforcing the points you have brought up in part 2.

KICKING DRILLS AND GAMES: Part 1: Clean up your backyard is fast and easy. Be sure to play this game in an open space. Encourage the students to kick the ball away from the other teammates, since the object is to get the balls out of their space. Part 2/3: Try at least a couple games that include kicking. It's best to choose games that do not have defenders since you have not introduced the skill of defending yet!

DRIBBLING AND KICKING PRACTICE AND GAMES: Part 1: Set up stations to review dribbling and kicking skills. Review the skills verbally with the class before doing the circuit. Part 2/3: Find a game that allows the students to work in groups of four or less and also practices the skills of dribbling and kicking. Do not play games that introduce any other soccer skills. You could even make up a game that uses these concepts!