Skills Clinic

1. Skills Clinic Developed to allow players to do fun activities that enhance their technical ability.

2. Considerations when choosing field • Restrooms need to be available • If sessions will be in evening, lights may be needed • Field needs to be somewhere that is familiar to your association’s parents • Field needs to be available for the duration of clinic • How large will camp be

3. Field usage • Small field space is needed • Using a game field is not required, but the central location does help • Field is shared depending on ages and amount of space needed for session

4. Field can be divided in half for older players Field can be divided in thirds for younger players Rotate older players so all younger players get to work by them one week Field division U8 U6 U10

5. Player rotation • Rotating oldest age group helps younger players work harder • Making U10 players role models for younger players minimizes discipline problems in that age group • Helps kids get to know each other • Increases confidence in U10 players

6. Curriculum • Only work on technical topics – individual ball skills • Choose a different ball skill each week – example: dribbling, passing • Curriculum can be designed each week with age appropriate activities that an assigned coach brings in with them. • Curriculum can be one that a director hands out at clinic time for coaches to follow. • Curriculum can be a formal curriculum from a company such as XARA, MLS, or Coach Deck. There are many such programs available.

7. Coaches/Volunteers • Coaches should have met association requirements to coach a team in order to volunteer. • Volunteers must do a background check. • Volunteers must be flexible and able to work with large groups of players. • Coaches/Volunteers can work a rotation so they do not have to be at every clinic session • Coaches that are willing to help teens get started as a coach are very helpful when adding a volunteer program

8. Teen C.I.T. Program • Coach in Training Program was started because teens needed volunteer hours and new coaches are always in need. • Teens volunteer to help at skills clinic, their hours are logged and kept on file. • They help coaches keep session going • They demonstrate for the coach • Some U17 and U19 players end up teaching sessions with a licensed coach assisting them. • A CIT must be at least 14.

9. Skill Moves • CITs are given a skill move at the beginning of the night. They can be found online. • At breaks during the evening they demonstrate that movement • CITs become the next generation of coaches.

10. Street Soccer

11. Street Soccer • 4-8 minute match, depending on numbers • 4 matches • 4 v 4 w/o keeper • use cones for corners of the field • use flags for goals • have bibs at each field • each player is given a number • reset teams after each match • players control subs

12. Street Soccer • Players solve disputes • Coach keeps time • Coach records the points for all players • Points: win = 3 • draw = 1 • loss = 0 • goal = 1 (for the scorer) • assist = 1 • shutout = 1 • MVP = 1

13. Street Soccer • Players must report only their points at the end of each match charting: • - player’s number of touches • - where are shots taken from and from where are goals scored • - number of penetrating passes • - time that the ball is in play • - number of possession passes • - number of tackles • - number of intercepted passes

14. Street Soccer • Street Soccer provides the possibility of mixing playing levels, genders and age groups. It can be used to assist with player development, player identification and player selection. • Can sandlot/street soccer evolve from this environment? Players choose teams, resolve problems and set up the field!

15. Any Questions