Soccer Coaching With Cupello Part 5 - Fun And Games In The Garden

Playing soccer in the back yard is a great way to spend the summer holidays and keeps the kids occupied when you want a bit of time to yourself. But not only that it is a great time for them to develop their first touch and work on their technique. Also they can work on their fitness – it only takes few weeks to get fully fit and they can work that into their summer of fun.

• It is best to use the cool of the morning to play games but kids being kids getting them up and out early when they have time off is not going to be easy.
• So you have to make sure they drink plenty of water when they are in the garden on hot days. Your body runs on water like a car runs on gas. If there isn't any in there it stops working – so make sure lots of water is being drunk and that will add to the players' garden fun.
• Oh and don't forget the suncream on sunny days – you don't want dehydrated or burnt kids!
• It is also a good idea to invite some friends over with a starting time so you are not stopping and starting games as they turn up.

Cupello and fun games

At Cupello our summer holidays were not spent in expensive summer soccer camps they were in the garden or on the street developing our individual playing skills and eye-hand coordination playing games with our friends – and skilling up the big kid from down the street and running quickly home before he got his revenge.

But seriously, it was playing street games that helped develop your skills and that is what gardens are for during the summer.

Here are examples of easy and fun games to set up – you'll need a goal or something to resemble a goal but a cheap goal from the sports shop is a good idea and it would be helpful to have more than just the one ball. Try these 10 games then check out the more complicated ones that Cupello has set up:

Score Three Go In Goal

Score three goals and then become the goalkeeper for someone else to have a scrap for the ball and shoot into the net. No one actually wanted to be the keeper but we all wanted to score the goals and this is a great way to give any strikers a work out that represents fighting for the ball in the penalty area.

Don't Get Nutmegged!

Use a tennis ball for this one, once you've been nutmegged (ball played between your legs) you are out of the game.

Wembley World Cup

Play against each other to see who can score. If the ball is won in the 6 yard box in front of the goal it had to be taken out again before the player can attack the goal. You can play as individuals, pairs or teams of three depending on how many players you had.

Head Tennis

You can play head tennis with a soft ball, play with your neighbour over the fence or create a line of garden chairs you can head the ball over. Simple but great fun!

Slam Rebounds

Play against the garden wall, first player kicks hard against the wall and the second player has to do the same by kicking the rebound against the wall. You only get to take one kick at the ball and if you miss it or it doesn't hit the wall you've lost.

Kick and find

Group of players, one person is on and a nominated player kicks the ball as far away as possible and the person that is on has to retrieve the ball, bring it back while the other players hide. Now the ball retriever must try to find the other players and touch the ball first to get them out.

Squash

Draw a line about a foot high and 6 ft wide on a wall then draw a court underneath the line. Players must hit the wall above the line and be clever enough for the ball to hit the ground on the rebound in the drawn area. You can make the court any size you want so it works for your kids and their friends. Difficult game but great for ball skills.

Hit the crossbar

Set up and try to hit the crossbar, each player has three goes. Add on by giving points for hitting the post or double points for using your weak foot to hit the crossbar. Extra points for hitting a top bin – shooting into the top corner of either side of the goal

Dribbling challenge

Line up your friends on either side of a channel 5 yards apart and one player dribbles down the channel while the others have a ball and try to knock the dribbling ball out of the channel. Not one to play if the garden isn't up to balls smashing around all over the place!

30 Second Challenge

Set up a dribbling course with cones to dribble around or use garden objects like plant pots and wheelbarrows. See who can dribble around the course and shoot into the net the most times in 30 seconds.

FIVE FUN GAMES FOR THE GARDEN

Soccer Tennis

Players to practice their first touch and ball control within a fun game. Lots of repetition which helps with ball control and other ball skills. Great for competitive action which drives the kids on to get better at controlling the ball.

Soccer Tennis Retake

In this practice we are looking to develop players ability to control the ball at different heights and pass within one or two touches. Players make their own net and must use skills holding the net up.

King of the Ring

This games gives young players a lot of repetition in game related techniques that will help to develop them to the best they can be. And they love it – beware... once played the kids will be in the garden shouting “King of the Ring!” all day long.

Shrink your goal

Focus on accurate shooting in this fun game that makes it harder to score if teams are winning by making the goal smaller and if a team misses the goal it gets bigger to help them score

Cops and Robbers

Focus on accurate shooting in this fun game that makes it harder to score if teams are winning by making the goal smaller and if a team misses the goal it gets bigger to help them score.

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