U 6
Grassroots Session Plans Fall 2018
Please note, these plans are from Massachusetts Youth Soccer session plans and are provided in good faith and must not be utilized for assignments for US Soccer or United Soccer Coaches education courses. We welcome coaches and organizations to share, use and build upon all Mass Youth Soccer Session plans as long as appropriate credit is given.
Typical Characteristics of the U 6 Player:
In order to make practices run smoothly and be fun, it is important for us to have a basic understanding of the intellectual, emotional and physical developmental stage of the players we are coaching. Here are some typical characteristics of the Under 6 player.
- Focused on themselves – reality to them is based on what they see and feel
- Unable to see the world from another’s perspective
- Everything is in the here and now
- Cooling systems are less efficient - need frequent water breaks
- Enjoy playing, not watching. Every player should have a ball in practice
- Limited attention span - keep directions concise and to the point
- Effort is performance – if they try hard, they are doing well
- Active imaginations – utilize their imagination in activities, and they will love practice!
- Look for adult approval – be encouraging when they say “Coach, look what I can do!”
- Unable to think abstractly – spatial relationships are a mystery
- Typically have 2 speeds -- extremely fast and stopped
- Usually unaware of game scores – keep it that way