General Practice Outline

1. Start on Time
2. Water breaks regularly - Yes even in cool weather
3. Coach to Athlete ratios: ideally 1 coach / 4 players never lower than 1 /10
4. Do Everything using a (proper age size) soccer Ball
5. Minimum of 100 ball touches per player for every 60 minutes of practice
6. No running Laps! No long Lines, No 5 minute Lectures (at any age level) Running with a ball is completely different and can be used as a development activity - conditioning running is a completely different task - as an athlete gets older, U13+ a coach would certainly want to incorporate conditioning into a season. We encourage specific drills for conditioning - and would suggest running with a ball at practice as a warm-up or warm-down exercise.
7. Keep it Fun! Remember Practice Makes Permanent

Planning Outline to a Practice

Adjust Activities to meet time limitations / age appropriate level of difficulty / and sessions that follow the age appropriate skills as outlined in the "skill charts".

Activty #1 (warm up) (great time to quickly review at a low key instruction level - Skills previously taught.)

Activty #2 (includes stretching) (younger athletes  really do not need to stretch however it is a good habit to get them used to.

Activty #3 (Practice Skill Session - see skill charts)

Activty #4 (Game that promotes Activity  #3 - Practice Skill Session)

Activty #5 (Practice Skill Session - see skill charts)

Activty #6 (Game that promotes Activity  #5 - Practice Skill Session)

Activity #7 (Warm Down) Good to warm down with an activity that promote the "Practiced Skill Sessions"  worked on

Activity #8 (Conclude) review briefly: what they should be practicing at home - the next scheduled team practice/game session

Depending on Age / Ability and Time
Activities 3 - 6  can be repeated as needed

Do Not Leave any athletes alone at the practice field.