Nightly Plan: Wednesday, July 25

Tonight's Schedule - **please note some differences in red

5:30PM: Registration, coaches warm up with kids
5:45PM: Coaching staff meets with Brian at bleachers  to go over daily drills (in 2 shifts)
6:10PM: Large Group welcome (starting a bit early tonight)
6:20PM: Warm-ups & games in Division, skills demonstration (Skill: Controlling & Throwins)
6:35PM: Small Group Curriculum (Theme: Trust) 
7:55PM: Team Drill Work
7:20PM: Scrimmages 
7:50PM: Closing Large Group. Present “Olympians of the Night.” Teach Dance.
8:00PM: Dismiss to teams, set up for parents game
8:10PM: Parents Game, kids seated in teams while snack is distributed
8:30PM: Check out
8:45PM: Debriefing in Divisions
9:00PM: Final Group Announcements
9:15PM: Volunteer Scrimmage

Tonight's Ways to “Go for the Gold” for Team Medals

Values Curriculum: Trust
1. Kids add trust ‘medals’ to division ring – team earns one medal if everyone adds a medal to the ring.
2. Teams earn 3 extra medals if they go through Jellyfish Jungle without hitting any jellyfish. Can earn 1 extra medal if they are working well together as a team.

Soccer Curriculum: Controlling & Throw-ins
1. Bring ball to a complete stop 
2. Set up next action (shot, pass, run, etc)
Coaches may award team one medal for participating (as a whole team) in tonight's drill work with effort and teamwork, focusing on the two coaching points above.

Tonight's Skill: Controlling&Throw-ins

Ways to “go for the gold”
1) Bring the ball to a complete STOP
2) Set up the next action (shot, pass, run, etc.)

Controlling: Coaching Points

• Move the controlling surface into line of the flight of the ball
  
• Select early how you will control the ball (wedge or cushion)
  
• Good first touch control (protect the ball if needed)
  
• Make direct play possible by controlling the ball in direction of choice
  
  

Throw-ins: Coaching Points
Hold ball between two hands (hands spread to the side of the ball)

• Take ball back so that it rests comfortably above and slightly behind the head
• Keeping feet square and ON THE GROUND, arch backwards
• RELEASING MOTION: straighten up, bring ball over the head, and release at highest point

Videos to use as reference:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDD9DF02717D5214F&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6HGHfR4bYA&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kGbG2jOnY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDXqDg4k9gQ&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfiEj1pcfnM&feature=relmfu 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxpmr1s90dI

1) Pass and Control ..... (set up a 10x10 grid)

• S plays a pass to X who controls the ball and passes it back

Progression (for older age groups):

• Have S throw the ball to different parts of X’s body
  
• Add a defender behind X to play 50-75% and try to steal anything uncontrolled
  
• Have S follow pass and attack X while X tries to shield the ball for 5 seconds
  
  

Emphasize: 

• Receiver to be light on feet and quick to move
  
• Receiver to make decision quickly
  
• Receiver to make a positive first touch - direct play back
  
  

2) Pass and Control #2 (set up a 10x10 grid)

• S plays a pass to X who controls the ball and passes it back. After the pass, X makes a quick run behind O and awaits the next pass from S.
  
  

Progression (for older age groups):

• Have O move to a new spot after each pass
  
• Try to have players make as many control and passing movements in one minute!
  
  

Emphasize:

• Receiver to be light on feet and quick to move
  
• Receiver to make decisions quickly
  
• Receiver to make a positive first touch - direct play back

3) Foot Control from Balls in the Air (set up a 15x15 grid)

• X players are all in the grid with a ball in their hands
  
• On their own time, players should toss the ball and control it with their feet

Progression (for older age groups):

• Control using outside part of both feet
  
• Control using inside part of both feet
  
• Control using laces of both feet
  
• Control using sole of both feet
  
  

Emphasize: 

• Players to control ball as close to ground as possible
  
• Players TIMING of foot movement over the ball
  
  

4) Control and Shoot (set up a 15x20 grid)

• In front of a goal, set up players so that the pass they receive must be controlled in the direction of the goal for a shot.
  
• Adjust the position of the server (S) so that X must control and shoot through a variety of angles.
  
  

Progression (for older age groups):

• Have X’s start outside the area and run into the area to receive the pass from S and finish with a shot
  
• Add a passive defender to run in with X for added pressure
  
  

Emphasize: 

• Looking for X to control and set up the shot
  
• Looking for X to get shot off with one touch only

5) Throw-ins (set up a 10x10 grid)

• S throws to X who controls the ball with the feet and passes it back

Progression (for older age groups):

• Give S the opportunity to have a little run up (drag the back foot!)
  
• Have X move away from S initially, then “cut back” to S for the throw
  
• Add a defender behind X to play 50-75% and try to steal anything uncontrolled
  
  

Emphasize: 

• S to throw with a good technique
  
  

CONTROLLING GAMES

• Around the Clock
  
• Head! Catch!
  
  

THROW-IN GAMES

• Get team together and set out markers. See who can...
  

• Throw the ball farthest
  
• Be the most accurate
  

• Soccer Basketball

            --Divide group in half
            --Players may only take three steps with the ball
            --All throws must be using correct throw-in technique
            --One point for a goal scored directly from a throw
            --Two points for anyone who can score the ball from header

Tonight's Value: Trust!

Today's Goals: Go for the gold – Let's trust each other!

1. Participants learn definition of trust and what it can look like.
   
2. Participants learn the importance of trust in relationships.
   
3. Participants learn the connection between trust and going for the gold.
   
   

Today's Connection to Go for the Gold:
Trusting others and being someone other people can trust is very important both on and off the field. When we can trust people it means we can be in relationship with them and work together, and being in community is always better than being alone. Being someone others can trust means you are honest and dependable, two marks of having good character. Having good character and being community allow us to become better friends, better teammates, better members of our families, and better neighbors, which is what going for the gold is all about. 

Introduce Today's Theme: Let's Trust each other!
Say: So far this week we have learned how two different things about us are very important - what are those things? NAMES & HOMES. Tonight we are going to learn how to Go for the Gold with TRUST. 
Who can tell me what it means to trust someone?
(e.g. if you feel safe with them, if you know they respect and care about you, if you know you can tell them something and they won't tell anyone else, if you know they want you to succeed, etc...). These are all examples of trust. To go for the gold as individuals and teams we want others to be able to trust us and we want to be able to trust others. We can start right now at Soccer Nights. To work together as a team on and off the field we need to be able to trust our teammates.
So we are going to play a game called “Jellyfish Jungle” where it will be very important that we trust each other, and also that we practice using each other's names to encourage one another to succeed!

• Today's Activity: 

Younger Divisions: Jellyfish Jungle Conga Line 

• Set up an “obstacle course” for each team. You can be creative with this. Use cones, pinnies, balls, etc. to create a course that groups of kids will go through.
  
• Within teams kids are divided into groups of fours. These teams of 4 will form a mini conga line where the person in front has to lead everyone through the obstacle course. (Note: for the 2nd-3rd graders, you can make the conga line longer and make everyone but the leader closes their eyes to make it more difficult).
  
• Say: “In front of you is an obstacle course. Each group needs to go through their obstacle course together, starting from here where I'm standing to the other side where Coach _______ is standing. Sound easy? But wait. I think I'm forgetting something. Oh, that's right. You are going to be going through the obstacle course in a CONGA LINE. Who knows what a conga line is? (Demonstrate with other volunteers - kids should have hands on the shoulder of the person in front of them, as tight as possible, so they are only looking at the back of the person in front of them.) 
  
• One of you will be the leader and will lead your line through the course, trying not to touch any of the jellyfish. The rest of you will have to trust the leader's direction. Coaches will be watching to see if you are peeking from the back of the line. Try not to look but instead listen closely to the leader and follow what they do. Trust that they can see and will lead your line through to the other side.
  
• Model the course for them with a few other volunteers showing them how to go through oraround obstacles (cones, balls, pinnies) without touching them. Tell them that if their WHOLE team goes through the obstacle course without touching any of the“jellyfish,” they will get 3 extra bonus medals to add toward the camp goal of an ice cream party! But they'll only get these bonus points if EVERYONE goes through without touching.

So what is this going to take? We're going to have to TRUST each other. If you are blindfolded you need to trust your teammate leading you through, and if you are leading someone you need to speak to them clearly and lead them in the right direction so that they can trust you.
Ok? Let's play!
Send the first conga line out, and depending on pace and timing you can either wait until they are back to send the next group or you can send the 2nd set when the 1st set is half way out (with the latter the lines will end up crossing paths but this will just increase need for trust and communication). Also if you have smaller teams and want to have your whole team make one line that works too.
If time allows, once the lines go through, switch up leaders.

Older Divisions: Jellyfish Jungle

• Set up 4 (or however many teams in division) “obstacle courses.” You can be creative with this. Use cones, pinnies, balls, etc. to create a course that kids will have to go through blindfolded led by a partner. (note: if your teams are large, feel free to make more than 1 course per team to save on time)
  
• Within teams kids are divided into pairs. Have your team line up in their pairs.
  

• Say: “In front of you is an obstacle course. Each team needs to go through their obstacle course together, starting from here where I’m standing to the other side where Coach _______ is standing. Each team in the division will go at the same time and you’ll be racing to see which team can everybody through the course first. Sound easy? But wait. I think I’m forgetting something. Oh, that’s right. ONE person from each pair will be blindfolded and will not be able to see! That means that the partner without the blindfold will have to lead his or her teammate through the obstacle course.
  
• Model the course for them with another volunteer showing them how to go through oraround obstacles (cones, balls, pinnies) without touching them. Tell them that if their WHOLE team goes through the obstacle course without touching any of the “jellyfish,” they will get 3 extra bonus medals to add toward the camp goal 400 for a surprise! But they’ll only get these bonus points if EVERYONE goes through without touching.
  
• Say: So what is this going to take? We’re going to have to TRUST each other. If you are blindfolded you need to trust your teammate leading you through, and if you are leading someone you need to speak to them clearly and lead them in the right direction so that they can trust you.
  
• Ok? Let’s play!
  
• Send the first group of partners out, and depending on pace and timing you can either wait until they are back to send the next set of pairs or you can send the 2nd set when the 1st set is halfway out (with the latter the pairs will end up crossing paths but this will just increase need for trust and communication).
  
• If time allows, once the pairs go through, have them switch who is blindfolded to have both experiences, as this will help them better understand each other and both have the experience of trusting without seeing.
  
• Coaches or assistant coaches should give tips to pairs that are struggling on how to better communicate.
  
  

NO RING ACTIVITY TONIGHT. TEAM PICTURES WILL BE TAKEN DURING THE NIGHT INSTEAD.

Curriculum Team should collect medals and glue them to division ring.