Soccer Unit Plan

First Day: Fundamentals of Passing

Warm up: 10 Minutes

Activity name: Thaw tag

Equipment Required: Cones or lines in the gym

Level of physical activity: Moderate/Vigorous

Procedure steps:

1) Setup the cones, splitting the gym into two or three parts.

2) Explain the rules.

3) Split the students in two or three groups

4) Pick one student from each group to be it.

5) The other children must avoid those who are it.

6) When tagged by someone who is it, the student must freeze. They can be thawed-out by friction. To accomplish this, another student must run around them in a circle twice.

7) The game ends, when all the students are frozen, or when the teacher decides to stop the game.

8) The teacher may decide to switch the people who are it as needed.

Teaching cues:

1) Using the words thaw, and friction causing this thawing will help the students understand where heat comes from (hopefully).

2) Be aware of the people around you.

3) When thawing a person, run in a circle with a meter radius. As to not run on their toes or run into them.

Possible Modifications:

1) The size of the groups can be increased or decreased by adding or removing groups.

2) The size of the play area can be increased or decreased based on age and number of students. To make the game more difficult you may decrease the size of the play area.

Safety Considerations:

1) The students will be running around and there is a possibility for collisions to occur, especially while running in a circle around another person.

Rules:

1) No pushing, shoving, hitting or any contact other than the light contact needed to tag another student.

2) No moving around when frozen.

3) Must stay within the boundaries.

4) No cheating. If caught cheating, must sit off to the side for one/two minutes.

Boundaries:

The boundaries are set by either the cones or the gym lines. They are set by the teacher.

Diagram:

Legend:

Black line = set boundary Blue = people not it Green = person it

Main activity: 15 Minutes

Activity Name: Practicing the pass

Skill being developed: Passing the ball

Learning Outcomes:

Students will familiarise themselves with the basics of passing a soccer ball. The success of the students can be measured with effort put into learning the task, amount of growth made, and ability to complete a pass successfully.

Equipment Required: Soccer balls

Level of physical activity: Light

Procedure steps:

1) Explain what a pass is.

2) Demonstrate a good quality pass. Ask question: what does this look like?

3) Explain your demonstration:

a) Start with the ball in-front of your feet.
b) Face a partner
c) Look at the ball while you kick it.
d) To kick the ball, turn your foot (pick one) to the outside and contact the middle of the ball with the inside of your foot.
e) Follow-through with your leg for extra distances.

3) Explain how to receive a pass:

a) Look at the ball coming towards you.
b) Pick a foot to receive it with.
c) Place the chosen foot in front of the balls path in a manner like stepping on the top of the ball.
d) Gently place your foot on top of the ball to stop its motion.

4) Pair up the students and have them facing each other with a ball for each pair.

5) Have the students pass the ball to each other.

6) (If things are going well) Have students pass and receive the ball on the call of the teacher: on the whistle pass the ball.

Teaching cues:

1) Focus on finding the right power and way to hit the ball.

2) Focus on stopping the ball where you want it to stop.

3) Start with gentle touches on the ball and work your way up to the power required for the distance.

Possible Modifications:

1) Distance between partners

2) Size of the ball

3) Type of ball

4) Type of pass (air, bounce, ground)

Safety Hazards:

1) Balls could become airborne and hit a student

Rules:

1) Don’t purposely try to kick the ball as hard as possible.

2) When I (the teacher) clap three times, you (the students) reciprocate and stop what you are doing and stay where you are (Freeze).

Boundaries:

Try to keep the ball between you and your partner.

Diagram:

Legend:

Black line = Gym outline Stickperson = Person Circle = Soccer ball

Cooldown: 5 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

2) Then forming in the shape of a square/rectangle with the teacher facing the rectangle/square, have the students stretching with the teacher leading the activity. Note the students must have room to stretch. Therefor, must space students out by having them extend their arms to their respective sides and ensure they are not touching another student when they slowly twist their upper body.

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

a) What did we practice today?
b) What step(s) come before you contact the ball?
c) What step(s) come after?

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

Gym lines (for jogging a lap).

Diagram:

Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Second Day: Passing with some Movement

Warm up: 8 Minutes

Activity name: Thaw tag

Equipment Required: Cones or lines in the gym

Level of physical activity: Moderate/Vigorous

Procedure steps:

1) Setup the cones, splitting the gym into two or three parts.

2) Explain the rules.

3) Split the students in two or three groups

4) Pick one student from each group to be it.

5) The other children must avoid those who are it.

6) When tagged by someone who is it, the student must freeze. They can be thawed-out by friction. To accomplish this, another student must run around them in a circle twice.

7) The game ends, when all the students are frozen, or when the teacher decides to stop the game.

8) The teacher may decide to switch the people who are it as needed.

Teaching cues:

1) Using the words thaw, and friction causing this thawing will help the students understand where heat comes from (hopefully).

2) Be aware of the people around you.

3) When thawing a person, run in a circle with a meter radius. As to not run on their toes or run into them.

Possible Modifications:

1) The size of the groups can be increased or decreased by adding or removing groups.

2) The size of the play area can be increased or decreased based on age and number of students. To make the game more difficult you may decrease the size of the play area.

Safety Considerations:

1) The students will be running around and there is a possibility for collisions to occur, especially while running in a circle around another person.

Rules:

1) No pushing, shoving, hitting or any contact other than the light contact needed to tag another student.

2) No moving around when frozen.

3) Must stay within the boundaries.

4) No cheating. If caught cheating, must sit off to the side for one/two minutes.

Boundaries:

The boundaries are set by either the cones or the gym lines. They are set by the teacher.

Diagram:

Legend:

Black line = set boundary Blue = people not it Green = person it

Main Activity: 17 Minutes

Activity name: Pass the ball

Equipment required: Soccer balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Learning Outcomes:

Students are continuing improving their basic passing skills by adding the possibility of passing to where a player is about to arrive to. Also, they are developing the moving after the pass and preparing to receive a pass. This allows them to get into open spaces and be ready for a pass in many different territorial invasion games and sports. This is evidenced by the smoothness of the transitions from pass to run to pass, and the discussion at the end of the lesson.

Procedure steps:

1) Split the gym in two,

2) Split the students into 4 (equal if possible) groups

3) Have each group lineup behind a cone in the center of the gym, parallel to another group facing one end of the gym. Note, half the groups should be facing one end of the gym, the other half should be facing the opposite direction.

4) distribute balls (3 or 4) to one of the two lines (per side of the gym)

5) On the whistle/ ‘go’ of the teacher, the student at the front of the line without the ball will run forward 5 feet (put cone here), then turn to face the student with the ball.

6) The student with the ball will make a ground pass to the person without the ball. Immediately after making the pass, the student will run forward 10 feet (put cone here). They will then receive the final pass from the student with the ball.

7) After the pass has been received, the ball will be dribbled to the next person in the ball line who doesn’t have a ball.

8) The students will then go to the opposite line they started in.

9) the activity ends when the teacher says so.

Teaching Cues:

1) Passing with the inside of the foot.

2) Contact the middle of the ball.

3) Look at the person you are passing to.

Possible modifications:

1) Different types of passes

2) Different pattern the students must run

3) Add a net and a defender (making it the full gym size)

4) Add a dribbling component (dribble the ball forward, and pass back to the other person)

5) Using lines instead of cones (if you don’t have access to cones)

Safety Hazards:

1) Getting hit with the ball if a student kicks it very hard.

Rules:

1) Ball can only touch the feet

2) No kicking the ball as hard as you can

3) change lines after your turn

Boundaries:

Cones will cut the gym in half. Stay on your half of the gym. Cones line the path to run.

Diagram:Legend:

Orange cone = Cone Stickperson= Student Green circle = Soccer ball Black = outline of gym

Cooldown: 5 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

a) What did we practice today?
b) What step(s) come before you blank?
c) What step(s) come after?
d) What are some ways you (as students) made this activity smoother? (i.e. passing while moving, passing to where the other person is going to be, passing slightly in front of the other student.

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

Gym lines (for jogging a lap).

Diagram:Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Third Day: Dribbling

Warm up: 10 Minutes

Activity name: Pass the ball

Equipment required: Soccer balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Split the gym in two,

2) Split the students into 4 (equal if possible) groups

4) Distribute balls (3 or 4) to one of the two lines (per side of the gym)

5) On the whistle/ ‘go’ of the teacher, the student at the front of the line without the ball will run forward 5 feet (put cone here), then turn to face the student with the ball.

7) After the pass has been received, the ball will be dribbled to the next person in the ball line who doesn’t have a ball.

8) The students will then go to the opposite line they started in.

9) The activity ends when the teacher says so.

Teaching Cues:

1) Passing with the inside of the foot.

2) Contact the middle of the ball.

3) Look at the person you are passing to.

Possible modifications:

1) Different types of passes

2) Different pattern the students must run

3) Add a net and a defender (making it the full gym size)

4) Add a dribbling component (dribble the ball forward, and pass back to the other person)

5) Using lines instead of cones (if you don’t have access to cones)

Safety Hazards:

1) Getting hit with the ball if a student kicks it very hard.

Rules:

1) Ball can only touch the feet

2) No kicking the ball as hard as you can

3) change lines after your turn

Boundaries:

Cones will cut the gym in half. Stay on your half of the gym. Cones line the path to run.

Diagram:Legend:

Orange cone = Cone Stickperson= Student Green circle = Soccer ball Black = outline of gym

Main Activity: 15 Minutes

Activity name: Cone evader

Equipment required: Soccer balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Learning Outcomes:

The main outcomes are dribbling the soccer ball through practice of eye-foot coordination and power control. The students are learning the basics of dribbling the soccer ball. They are also learning how to move it from left to right while simultaneously moving the ball forward. This further develops eye foot coordination by having to manipulate the ball around object only using feet. At the same time, it works on the balance of students because when manipulating the soccer ball, the students will be using one leg to stand and propel themselves while the other leg is being used to manipulate the ball; integrating balance into a lesson, where balance isn’t the focus.

Procedure steps:

1) Set up a variety of cone patterns for the students to dribble through for a various level of difficulty and bring out the soccer balls.

2) Demonstrate different ways of dribbling and good dribbling principals.

3) Ask the students what they think constitutes good dribbling.

4) Explain the principals of dribbling and why:

a) Keep the ball under control and within 3-5 feet, so that you can easily reach and manipulate the ball when another person tries to take it.
b) Can touch the ball with the inside of the foot to send it to the opposite foot
c) Can touch the ball with the outside of the foot to keep it on the same foot side.
d) Can place foot on top of the ball to move ball under finer control
e) Looking at your surroundings once comfortable with the ball. This allows you to keep your eyes on what your teammates are doing so you can see when they are open and ready for a pass.

3) Give the students a ball and have them dribble around the cones that are set up.

Teaching Cues:

1) Gentle touches go a long way.

2) Dribbling is like passing to yourself

Possible Modifications:

1) Size of the ball

2) Indoor/Outdoor for more room

3) Pattern the cones are setup in.

4) Space between the cones.

Safety Hazards:

1) Students falling over or tripping over the ball.

Rules:

1) Only touch the ball with your feet

2) You are responsible for your own ball.

3) Only touch your own soccer ball, no one else’s.

Boundaries:

Students are to stay near their selected cone difficulty level in the Gym or Field.

Diagram:

Legend:

Orange Cone = Cone Green Circle = Soccer ball Green stickperson = Student

Black line with arrow = Path of people Black Outline = gym or field outline

Cooldown: 5 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

a) What did we practice today?
b) What step(s) come before you blank?
c) What step(s) come after?

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

Gym lines (for jogging a lap).

Diagram:Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Forth Day: Passing and Dribbling

Warm Up: 7 Minutes

Activity name: Pass the ball

Equipment required: Soccer balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Split the gym in two,

2) Split the students into 4 (equal if possible) groups

4) Distribute balls (3 or 4) to one of the two lines (per side of the gym)

5) On the whistle/ ‘go’ of the teacher, the student at the front of the line without the ball will run forward 5 feet (put cone here), then turn to face the student with the ball.

7) After the pass has been received, the ball will be dribbled to the next person in the ball line who doesn’t have a ball.

8) The students will then go to the opposite line they started in.

9) The activity ends when the teacher says so.

Teaching Cues:

1) Passing with the inside of the foot.

2) Contact the middle of the ball.

3) Look at the person you are passing to.

Possible modifications:

1) Different types of passes

2) Different pattern the students must run

3) Add a net and a defender (making it the full gym size)

4) Add a dribbling component (dribble the ball forward, and pass back to the other person)

5) Using lines instead of cones (if you don’t have access to cones)

Safety Hazards:

1) Getting hit with the ball if a student kicks it very hard.

Rules:

1) Ball can only touch the feet

2) No kicking the ball as hard as you can

3) change lines after your turn

Boundaries:

Cones will cut the gym in half. Stay on your half of the gym. Cones line the path to run.

Diagram: Legend:

Orange cone = Cone Stickperson= Student Green circle = Soccer ball Black = outline of gym

Main Activity: 19 Minutes

Activity Name: Soccer Circuit

Skills being developed: Passing, dribbling

Equipment Required: Soccer balls, Cones

Level of physical activity: Light/moderate

Learning Outcomes:

The students will be able to move with the ball and pass efficiently between each other. This soccer lesson reinforces the basics of passing. It also adds the movement after passing the ball and adds the use of dribbling in the passing atmosphere. Preparing students to receive a pass, move with the ball, and then look to pass it to an open person. Looking back for support from teammates behind them.

Procedure steps:

1) Setup stations

a) Station #1 requires cones setup 3 (ish) meters from the wall and some soccer balls (# of soccer balls and cones depends on number of students per station)
b) Station #2 requires a ball for each group of three students and two cones. The cones will be approximately 8 meters apart.
c) Station #3 requires three cones and one ball for a group of three students. The cones will be approximately 5 meters apart.

2) Remind students of how to pass the ball and aspects of a good pass:

a) Look at the target
b) Look at the ball
c) Step to the ball with non-contacting foot beside the ball and the contacting foot sweeping the ball. Hitting the ball with the inside of the foot near the middle of the foot and the center of the ball.
d) Follow through with passing foot.

3) Demonstrate and explain dribbling the ball:

a) Start with the ball at your feet.
b) Gently hitting the ball forward a foot (or two) with the inside of the foot.
c) Then stepping forward (run, jog, or walk (start with walk)) and then hitting the ball with the other foot.
d) Keeping the ball between each foot and in-front of yourself.
e) Watching where you are going and the ball. (focus on the ball to start and as an added challenge introduce looking where you are going)

3) Make groups of three and inform the students that the groups are for station two and three.

4) Explain each station, its rules and boundaries.

5) Inform the students of the rotation to occur and what the cue to rotate stations will be (e.g. two whistle blasts)

6) Assign groups of students to each station (depending on # of students)

Station #1:

1) Have the students take a ball and go to the wall and practice passing the ball on the wall.

2) For extra difficulty the students can:

a) practice with their non-dominant foot,
b) alternate the foot contacting the ball, and
c) try to get a constant rhythm going of passing, receiving and passing again.

2) Students can try different passing distances. However, the standard distance is set with cones.

Station #2:

1) Students are in groups of three

2) Two students will be at one cone and one student at the other cone.

3) The ball will start at the cone with two students.

4) The first person will pass the ball to the other cone (where the third person will receive the ball. They will then follow their pass and run to the cone they just passed to.

5) The person receives the ball and passes it back to the first cone (where the second group member is awaiting the pass). Again, after passing the ball, the student will follow their pass to the cone and prepare to receive a pass.

6) The process then repeats.

Station #3:

1) Students are in groups of three. The students start at a cone (each student has their own cone). The cones are in a line with about 5 meters between each cone. At one of the end cones will be a ball.

2) The student at the cone with the ball passes the ball to the student at the middle cone and follows the pass; after they pass the ball they run to the middle cone.

3) The student at the middle cone receives the ball, turns with the ball and passes it to the end cone. Again, following their pass.

4) The person at the end cone, then dribbles the ball to the beginning cone on the other end (as fast and controlled as possible).

5) The process then repeats.

Teaching cues:

1) Passing the ball gently

2) Look where you are passing

3) Sweep your foot towards, and through, the ball and contact it with the inside of the foot.

4) Watch where you are running, and don’t run into each other.

Possible Modifications:

1) Group sizes could be larger (or potentially smaller (with some minor activity adjustments) for a lot of running)

2) Type and size of ball used

3) Adding different types of passes to the activities (e.g. Lob pass, hard and fast pass)

4) Adding a rest station

5) Distances of cones and possibly conducting the activities outside instead of inside the gym for more space (would have to adjust station #1)

Safety Hazards:

1) Students running into each other

2) Kicking the ball wildly

3) Tripping on the ball or cones

Rules:

1) Ball must touch feet/legs only, no hands

2) Pay attention to your activity and when it is your turn

Boundaries:

Each activity has their own boundary set by the cones.

Diagram:

Legend:

Orange Cone = Cone Stickperson = Person Green Circle = Soccer ball Black line = Movement

Cooldown: 4 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

a) What did we practice today?
b) What step(s) come before you contact the ball?
c) What step(s) come after?

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

Gym lines (for jogging a lap).

Diagram:Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Fifth Day: Kicking the Soccer Ball

Warm Up: 10 Minutes

Activity name: Pass the ball

Equipment required: Soccer balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Split the gym in two,

2) Split the students into 4 (equal if possible) groups

4) Distribute balls (3 or 4) to one of the two lines (per side of the gym).

5) On the whistle/ ‘go’ of the teacher, the student at the front of the line without the ball will run forward 5 feet (put cone here), then turn to face the student with the ball.

7) After the pass has been received, the ball will be dribbled to the next person in the ball line who doesn’t have a ball.

8) The students will then go to the opposite line they started in.

9) The activity ends when the teacher says so.

Teaching Cues:

1) Passing with the inside of the foot.

2) Contact the middle of the ball.

3) Look at the person you are passing to.

Possible modifications:

1) Different types of passes

2) Different pattern the students must run

3) Add a net and a defender (making it the full gym size)

4) Add a dribbling component (dribble the ball forward, and pass back to the other person)

5) Using lines instead of cones (if you don’t have access to cones)

Safety Hazards:

1) Getting hit with the ball if a student kicks it very hard.

Rules:

1) Ball can only touch the feet

2) No kicking the ball as hard as you can

3) change lines after your turn

Boundaries:

Cones will cut the gym in half. Stay on your half of the gym. Cones line the path to run.

Diagram:Legend:

Orange cone = Cone Stickperson= Student Green circle = Soccer ball Black = outline of gym

Main Activity: 10 Minutes

Activity Name: Practicing Soccer Kicks

Skills being developed: Kicking the soccer ball

Equipment Required: Futsal balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Learning Outcomes:

The students will be able to kick a soccer ball with some power control. The students are learning the fundamentals of a soccer kick, practicing the basics in order to prepare them for a shooting on a net.

Procedure steps:

1) Demonstrate a proper kick

2) Have the students brainstorm in pairs ideas for proper kicking techniques.

3) Go over proper kicking techniques as a class

a) Look at the ball, look at your target, then look back at the ball
b) Approach the ball so that the non-kicking foot lands to the non-kicking foot side of the ball (within 2 feet, but no more than a 6 inches).
c) Point kicking-foot toes downward.
d) On the approach with the non-kicking foot, prepare to swing with your kicking foot.
e) While beginning the swing, for extra power twist your hips to coincide with the incoming kick. (if you are kicking with the right foot, twist your hips from the right to left. When looking down at your waist, leading with your right hip, your hips should be moving in a counter-clockwise direction.)
f) When contacting the ball, your knee should be directly above the ball.
g) Contact the ball with the laces of your shoes (the top of your foot).
h) Follow through the shot with your foot/leg.

4) Have the students decide which three techniques are most important, then have them focus on those techniques.

5) Have the students face a wall and practice the selected kicking techniques.

6) Play with different ways of kicking the ball to home in on accuracy and gain an understanding of how to kick the ball to get a certain result.

Teaching cues:

1) Follow-through with the kick

2) Keep your eye on the ball

3) Focus on power control, don’t just boot the ball. See what different power levels are like

Possible Modifications:

1) Adding a specific target on the wall for the student to aim at (if their kicking ability is more advanced)

2) Adding movement to the ball while kicking it

3) Adding a net and a goalkeeper (students pair up and one student is the kicker, the other the keeper. Switching halfway through)

4) Distance from the wall

5) Size of the ball

Safety Hazards:

1) Balls flying everywhere and hitting a student.

Rules:

1) Ball can only be touched with feet

2) No kicking the balls of others

Boundaries:

Students will stay in their section of the gym.

Diagram: Legend:

Black line = Ball movement Stickperson = student Green Circle = Soccer ball Black Outline = Gym outline

Cooldown: 5 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

d) What did we practice today?
e) What step(s) come before you contact the ball?
f) What step(s) come after?

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

Gym lines (for jogging a lap)

Diagram:Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Sixth Day: Kicking the Soccer Ball

Warm up: 10 Minutes

Activity name: Kick the ball

Equipment required: Soccer balls, Cones, Nets (of some sort)

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Place two cones parallel to each other and two balls on a line (for our example 5 meters) ahead of the cones also parallel to each other (distance can be adjusted, see modifications) of those cones (they are also parallel).

2) Divide the class up evenly behind each cone.

3) When the teacher says “go”, the two people behind the parallel cones run to their team’s ball and try to score on the net (first shot must be from where the ball is placed on a predetermined line).

4) They shoot until they score (again, the first shot must be from the cone. Any shot after the first one can be from anywhere).

5) They then, retrieve the ball and return it to the line they shot it from.

6) After that, they run back and tag in their next teammate to repeat this process.

Teaching Cues:

1) To explain kicking the ball: aim your body towards the net before you kick the ball, don’t kick it as hard as you can (kick it to the net, not through the net), try to keep the ball low/on the ground to ensure it goes in the net.

2) Hitting middle/top of the ball will keep it low.

3) Contacting the ball with the inside on the foot (the same way one might pass the ball) is best for accuracy.

Possible modifications:

1) I recommend using benches and cones, rather than a net. When retrieving from a net, the possibility of a person getting hit by a ball increases tremendously.

2) The distance can be adjusted depending on the age of the children. For example, older children will have a larger distance from the cone to the ball and the ball to the net.

3) The size of the ball can be adjusted. For example, for younger children, you can use a bigger ball and use a regular soccer ball for older children.

4) The size of the net can be adjusted. For example, larger net for smaller children and smaller net for older children.

5) The number of stations set up will be determined by the number of children in the class. For example, more kids in the class may mean there will need to be more than one game going at a time.

6) The number of people on each team will depend on the number of children in the class and the number of stations the teacher chooses to have to go at one time.

7) There will be varying levels of soccer ability in the class, this will need to be gauged when making up the teams.

8) Obstacles can be added if the teacher deems it necessary.

Safety Hazards:

1) Possible collisions between children.

2) Possibility of students getting hit with the ball.

Rules:

1) No touching a player on the opposing team.

2) Only feet can touch the ball.

3) The first team to have all their players sitting down wins the game.

4) No touching the ball of the opposing team.

5) When dribbling the ball back to the line, you cannot interfere with the opposing team’s ball or player.

Boundaries:

1) The size of the gym and the age of the children will determine where the teacher would set up the equipment (cones, balls, net) and determine the size of each playing area.

Diagram:

Legend:

Circles = Cone + = people Triangle = soccer ball Rectangle = bench on its side

Main Activity: 10 Minutes

Activity Name: Practicing Soccer Kicks

Skills being developed: Kicking the soccer ball

Equipment Required: Futsal balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Learning Outcomes:

The students will be able to kick a soccer ball with a decent degree of power control and some accuracy. The focus of this activity is solidifying the knowledge of how to kick a soccer ball, adding the element of accuracy. Playing with different levels of power and different pointing of the toe (to the left, to the right).

Procedure steps:

1) Demonstrate a proper kick

2) Have the students brainstorm in pairs ideas for proper kicking techniques.

3) Go over proper kicking techniques as a class

i) Look at the ball
j) Look at your target
k) Look back at the ball
l) Approach the ball so that the non-kicking foot lands to the non-kicking foot side of the ball (within 2 feet, but no more than a 6 inches).
m) Point kicking-foot toes downward.
n) On the approach with the non-kicking foot, prepare to swing with your kicking foot.
o) While beginning the swing, for extra power twist your hips to coincide with the incoming kick. (if you are kicking with the right foot, twist your hips from the right to left. When looking down at your waist, leading with your right hip, your hips should be moving in a counter-clockwise direction.)
p) When contacting the ball, your knee should be directly above the ball.
q) Contact the ball with the laces of your shoes (the top of your foot).
r) Follow through the shot with your foot/leg.

4) Have the students decide which three techniques are most important, then have them focus on those techniques.

5) Have the students face a wall and practice the selected kicking techniques.

6) Play with different ways of kicking the ball to home in on accuracy and gain an understanding of how to kick the ball to get a certain result.

Teaching cues:

1) Follow-through with the kick

2) Keep your eye on the ball

Possible Modifications:

1) Adding a specific target on the wall for the student to aim at (if their kicking ability is more advanced)

2) Adding movement to the ball while kicking it.

3) Adding a net and a goalkeeper (students pair up and one student is the kicker, the other the keeper. Switching halfway through)

4) Distance from the wall

5) Size of the ball

Safety Hazards:

1) Balls flying everywhere and hitting a student.

Rules:

1) Ball can only be touched with feet

2) No kicking the balls of others

Boundaries:

Students will stay in their section of the gym.

Diagram: Legend:

Black line = Ball movement Stickperson = student Green Circle = Soccer ball Black Outline = Gym outline

Cooldown: 4 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

a) What did we practice today?
b) What step(s) come before you contact the ball?
c) What step(s) come after?

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

Gym lines (for jogging a lap)

Diagram:Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Seventh Day: Passing and Getting into Open Space

Warm Up: 8 Minutes

Activity name: Pass the ball

Equipment required: Soccer balls, cones

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Split the gym in two,

2) Split the students into 4 (equal if possible) groups

4) Distribute balls (3 or 4) to one of the two lines (per side of the gym)

5) On the whistle/ ‘go’ of the teacher, the student at the front of the line without the ball will run forward 5 feet (put cone here), then turn to face the student with the ball.

7) After the pass has been received, the ball will be dribbled to the next person in the ball line who doesn’t have a ball.

8) The students will then go to the opposite line they started in.

9) The activity ends when the teacher says so.

Teaching Cues:

1) Passing with the inside of the foot.

2) Contact the middle of the ball.

3) Look at the person you are passing to.

Possible modifications:

1) Different types of passes

2) Different pattern the students must run

3) Add a net and a defender (making it the full gym size)

4) Add a dribbling component (dribble the ball forward, and pass back to the other person)

5) Using lines instead of cones (if you don’t have access to cones)

Safety Hazards:

1) Getting hit with the ball if a student kicks it very hard.

Rules:

1) Ball can only touch the feet

2) No kicking the ball as hard as you can

3) Change lines after your turn

Boundaries:

1) Cones will cut the gym in half. Stay on your half of the gym. Cones line the path to run.

Diagram: Legend:

Orange cone = Cone Stickperson= Student Green circle = Soccer ball Black = outline of gym

Main Activity: 17 Minutes

Activity name: Team Keep Away

Equipment required: Cones, and soccer balls

Level of physical activity: Moderate

Learning Outcomes:

The students will be able to pass, dribble, and move around to get open for a pass. In this activity, the students will demonstrate their knowledge of passing and getting into open space. They will also be working on their spatial awareness. Running, dribbling and passing are key components of this activity.

Procedure steps:

1) Split the gym in half

2) Split the students into 4 equal (if possible) teams. Two teams per side of the gym.

3) Two teams (one on each side of the gym) will receive pinnies to aid in identification of team.

4) One team (per side of the gym) will start with the ball.

5) There job is to keep the ball away from the other team, using passing and running into open spaces.

6) The opposing team will attempt to take the ball away from them.

7) Then game can be stopped at any point by the teacher for whatever reason (safety concerns, mixing up the teams due to one team dominating).

Teaching Cues:

1) Focus on passing and getting into open spaces.

Possible modifications:

1) Size of teams

2) Size of playing area

3) Could have a rotation of teams playing, and teams observing (to save space)

4) Size of ball

Safety Hazards:

1) Students running into each other.

2) Ball being kicked hard into someone

3) Students tripping over each other or the ball.

Rules:

1) May only touch the ball with feet. (this will help keep the ball low)

2) No pushing, shoving, or any other physical contact with another person.

3) If the ball exits the playing area, the team that last touched be ball loses possession.

Boundaries:

Cones will set the boundaries of the playing area. (needs to be a decent size to start, can minimize the size of playing field for more difficult play)

Diagram:

Legend:

Black = gym outline & cutting gym in half Green = Team 1 Blue = Team 2 Green O = Soccer ball Orange cones = Playing field outline

Cooldown: 5 Minutes

Activity name: Jog and stretch

Equipment required: None

Level of physical activity: Light/Moderate

Procedure steps:

1) Have the students jog one lap around the gym

3) Great opportunity to ask the students questions like:

a) What did we practice today?
b) What step(s) come before you contact the ball?
c) What step(s) come after?

Teaching Cues:

1) When stretching, you should feel a gentle pull/burn. Nothing that hurts.

Possible modifications:

1) Types of stretches

2) # of laps around the gym

Safety Hazards:

1) Overstretching

Rules:

1) General school rules (no hitting, etc…)

Boundaries:

1) Gym lines (for jogging a lap)

Diagram:Legend:

Red = Student Orange = Teacher Black line = gym outline

Eighth Day: Passing, Dribbling and Kicking