This section provides you with suggested activities and games designed to allow you the opportunity to participate with your kids while they practice skills in a fun and low-key environment. These games can accommodate as few as two or many as eight, or any number in between.

All games can be modified for the appropriate ages, with the objective of each game geared to improving your child’s athletic skills that can be applied to any number of sports. Most importantly these games are fun and allow you to become more actively involved in your child’s recreational and athletic skill development in a non-obtrusive manner.

Since we are in the fall sports season we will describe soccer and football activities and games this first part of the series.

SOCCER:

The Youth Evolution Sports philosophy always emphasizes the fundamentals of any sport. Learning those fundamentals should always be fun and inclusive for everyone involved. Soccer is no different. Professional soccer players that have dedicated their lives to the game still work on the basics more frequently than anyone of us could ever imagine.

As the soccer season begins let’s focus on some vital skills that helps reemphasize what your kids should be working on at soccer practice. Through these games we will describe fun ways to work on skills in a low-key environment that will enhance their learning process.

As a parent it is important not to instruct but rather to participate in activities that are fun, while observing and asking questions after the activity that engage your child in conversation in regards to how they felt and what they learned. A low key approach to asking these questions will provoke the best responses by which to learn more about how your child feels about learning the game and their progression. The games described below naturally emphasize skill development without instruction.

WEEKEND FAMILY GAMES:

THROW & CONTROL

This particular game is often very popular with kids due to the fact that they can use their hands to move the ball around the field of play. The game’s primary objective however is to emphasize controlling the ball and maintaining possession, in addition to focusing on proper throw-in skills and accuracy.

# of players: 4 – 6 (2 on 2, or 3 on 3)

Size of Field: 30 yards long by 20 yards wide.

Equipment: One soccer ball, and two goals (marked by cones) 8 feet wide

Rules:

Play may consist as a 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 game, however you may want to match up teams 3 on 2 to start in order to allow more successful passes and possessions to take place without as much defensive pressure.
The objective is to move the ball around the field by maintaining possession as you would in a traditional soccer game. The difference being that each player passes the ball around the field to his/her teammates by throwing the ball using the correct throw-in techniques (ball thrown directly over the player’s head with both feet kept on the ground). Each player receiving the ball must control the ball and secure as quickly as possible onto the ground followed by one successful touch of the ball prior to picking the ball up (without taking anymore than two steps and throwing to a teammate) and throwing to an open teammate. Possession changes when the defense intercepts the ball by also successfully controlling the ball and successfully securing two touches of the ball and reverse to offense by throwing to his/her teammates. Change of possession also occurs when a ball travels out of bounds.
It is not necessary to play a traditional game of tracking the number of goals, for example you may play to see how long one particular team can maintain the longest possession or if you choose to keep a traditional score – simply record each time a team scores (a player can shoot from anywhere on the field after he has secured control of the ball and successfully achieved one touch on the ball).
Note: There should be no goaltending allowed. All players stay out of a six-foot perimeter around each goal.

SOCCER GOLF

This game is effective with kids of limited ability and for younger players as well as older more experienced players. It also has the flexibility to be played with as few as two players or with as many players as you would like to get involved. The main objective is to emphasize the skills of passing using push, drive and swerve passes.

Equipment: One soccer ball for each participant

Cones to mark goals (3 feet in width)

Rules:
Design a three-hole golf course – one short par three, a par four and a long par five that players must repeat three times. Depending upon the ability of your players you can be creative in designing the course to include obstacles by which you must play around or over with specific passing techniques (push, drive, chip or swerve). Keep score by recording how many shots it takes to successfully pass a ball through each three-foot wide goal.
This game also provides you the opportunity to progress each participant’s skill level in a fun and engaging fashion. There are three versions of this game:

Traditional Golf Play – Players take turns taking shots until they pass the ball through the 3 foot goals.

Continuous Play – Players take turns playing each hole but they must pass – run – pass until they finish passing the ball through the 3-foot goal. You can add a timed element to the scoring of this type of game as well.

Team Play – Players alternate shots using the pass-run-pass method of continuous play until they pass through each holes 3-foot goal.
Note: You don’t necessarily need a soccer field to conduct this game, try to play this game in a park amongst trees and other obstacles to provide more challenges for each advanced player.