When looking at how and what to train our players, with the intent on helping them achieve their soccer goals, it is important to have a basic understanding of the intellectual, emotional and physical developmental stage of the players we are coaching. 

PRACTICES:

At this age, the best practices involve every kid having a ball at their feet and playing with it (without another kid trying to steal it from them).

There are a lot of games you can play that help them get more comfortable "handling a ball with their feet." Things like Simon says, Red Light, Green Light, Follow the Leader etc. 

Watch the video below for some training ideas that will help kids improve their dribbling, passing and shooting skills.

Spend approximately 20 minutes of practice on foot-skills!

Here are some easy warmups that focus on foot-skills.

Use cones to form square "field"

• Everyone has a ball and is dribbling around in the square
• Coach calls out instructions and kids have to execute the "move" 
• Set up flags or cones inside your box and tell them to treat the flag/cone as a defender and "beat it" (i.e., - dribble straight at a cone, then "beat" it with the move)

Many coaches like to use different code words to make the kids concentrate/think more

• Colors: blue = cut, red = pull back, etc. -OR-
• Make a pizza: pepperoni = cut, green peppers = pull back etc. 

Alternatively, use cones to dribble around (i.e. lines)

• Make it fun and competitive, see if they can beat the clock, beat their own score, or have races!

Lots of patterns

• "S" serpentine in and out of cones - use the cones to encourage a change of speed, use one foot only, use the bottom of your foot to pull the ball to the side of the cone, etc.
• You can usually have multiple kids running through the cones at a time to keep them focused and avoids them standing around in a line

Obstacle Course

• Be creative - your course should be big enough that 3/4 of the group is on the course at any given time, so that your "line" at the start is quite short