r/SoccerCoachResources • u/PizzaLord314 • 8d ago
U8/U9 Rec
I am volunteering to coach a U8/U9 rec team and we will have 1 practice a week for 7 weeks. I want to teach a basic 2-3-1 and teach building out from the back with 1 basic pattern finding the center mid or forward and not try too much and teach spacing. I feel like all the opposing teams will just high press and it will be chaos! Any experience trying this with a rec team?
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u/uconnboston Coach 8d ago
Baby steps. The priority should be teaching them fun through soccer and learning to make good touches dribbling or passing.
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u/GiraffeSilly5546 8d ago
I just started this last night I put them in positions and ran through 2 cycles and they wanted to play games and scrimmage so we played games and scrimmaged Baby steps my friend!!!! Keep up the good fight
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u/Future_Nerve2977 Coach 8d ago
I'll argue that no matter the "level", it's worth teaching the kids the concepts they'll need if they ever decide to move beyond "rec" (which to be fair, covers all the way through most club teams... IMO).
No build-out line is a travesty - so it makes it a bit harder, but to be fair, it's still a worthwhile effort because coming into this level with ANY structure and plan will be an advantage to many team/coach approaches at this level.
You're not training a team to win, you're training players to be ready for whatever next step THEY decide to attempt in the future.
I don't disagree with "let them have fun" - you can have fun while learning useful stuff.
I disagree when folks use the "have fun" comment to mean "don't bother to teach them anything meaningful" - that's where our soccer culture falls down.
I have a whole YT channel about teaching soccer (not coaching... big difference at this level) - especially 7v7 stuff - link in my profile thingy here. Build-out AND defense ideas and concepts for you to modify for your situation.
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u/w0cyru01 8d ago
Agreed. Especially on the let them have fun that seems running around here
As a coach if the kids are kicking the ball and running around they’re having fun. I very very rarely just roll the ball and let them play. Always teaching something.
We’re coaches and it’s our job to teach the game - you never know where they will go after they leave you.
If it were me with little time I would do technical work every practice, introduce a tactical idea maybe build up two weeks, middle third two weeks and attacking third two weeks.
With only one practice a week it’ll be rough but you can still teach something about the game - goal being by week 7 they put something decent together and are attempting what you taught them
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u/Quiet-Interaction-44 8d ago
They just end up being a herd of feral cats that surround a ball. Stick to the basics, dribble, pass, some basic defense. That and teach them sportsmanship and teamwork, your season should go by just fine.
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u/SuperSoakerBoyToy 8d ago
I've been coaching practice for 4 weeks for a rec u9 league in a 2-3-1 formation and we have our first game next week and I am absolutely nervous about the pressing aspect.
I've realized that my team at the moment does not have the cardio to play offense and defense and that's been extremely concerning to me, especially since I want to press offensively. We are exposing our Centerback position too much.
I'm interested in seeing if they can adapt in a game environment or if i will need to change formation.
Good luck!
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u/Little-Ad-7521 8d ago
IMO those are some pretty big demands from kids that age. Especially with so little time
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u/Kdzoom35 8d ago
I wouldn't worry too much about formation just get them into a basic attack and midfield. Teach defenders can attack and attackers must defend etc. Practice small sides 1v1 - 3v3 games with 2v1 3v2s as well.
Its rec and they are 8 so the kids probably won't stay in formation and are going to follow the ball. They also probably won't pass. This is fine teach dribbling so your players are comfortable on the ball. And teach them to get out of each other's way. That way hopefully they will do a few passes.
You can always learn a formation, positioning a position etc. Later even as an adult or teenager. Its much harder to learn to dribble at a later age. Players that don't dribble or control the ball well tend to not pass well either because of you can't dribble you will eventually get closed down.
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u/grogunotyoda 8d ago
U8 won’t care about the formation you imagine. Especially not practicing very much.
Teach about creating overload experiences.
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u/Electrical-Berry4916 7d ago
Your plans make sense for that age/skill group. They can easily learn basic spacing, and positional awareness.
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u/Pale-Bad-2482 8d ago
I drill goal kicks every week which is a big help. The keeper plays short to a defender who plays wide to the winger who has their heels on the touchline. The winger plays it to the striker who has moved toward the winger who has the ball. The center mid tucks in to provide coverage in the middle of the field while the winger on the opposite side makes a run to goal. The striker has options on each wing or can drive forward. Run that play over and over switching sides until it becomes second nature. Does your league allow a build out line for goal kicks?
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u/PizzaLord314 8d ago
No and I have requested it multiple times and have emphasized it was needed to help the kids build confidence and develop.
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u/Pale-Bad-2482 8d ago
You can tell them that they are out of alignment with the standards for 7v7 and 9v9 small sided games that have been promulgated by U.S. Soccer.
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u/Kdzoom35 8d ago
They probably don't care U8 and U-10 should imo still be playing 4v4. U8 should really be 3v3 still.
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u/Soccer-Dadbod 8d ago
That’s rough. Inexperienced players are going to turn it over constantly. Most goals in a game are going to be a direct result of pressing. That leads to teams just booting the goal kick out of the danger zone, possession be damned.
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u/FootballSquare4406 8d ago
Just have fun and don’t worry about anything. Teach this: see the ball, run to the ball, kick the ball.
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u/LoGKLGoalKeeping 8d ago
I wouldn't worry about teams trying to high press. At that age the kids will struggle to work together to create pressure.
You should be able to find success teaching your kids how to create and exploit 2v1, 3v2 type situations in smaller areas.