COACHING HANDBOOK
Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season MICRO COACHING HANDBOOK SPRING 2015 -1- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season RUSH OVERVIEW: The purpose of Arkansas Rush Soccer Club is to provide its members with an opportunity to participate in the organized game of soccer; to build self-esteem and self-confidence in the participants; to inspire youth (regardless of sex, race, color or creed) to practice the ideals of teamwork, sportsmanship, respect for self and others and physical fitness in a safe and fun environment; and to build a love for the game of soccer. MICRO OVERVIEW: The Micro group is the largest division of Arkansas Rush with an average of 450 children playing at this level in both the Fall and Spring seasons. Children who are 4 years old to 8 years old are eligible to play in this division. The objective of Micro Soccer is to foster in each child a love for soccer in a relaxed, non-competitive environment. This division is positive and fun with a focus on learning basic soccer skills. Micro teams practice one night a week and play their games at Centennial Soccer Park usually on Saturday mornings. Registration for the Fall season is usually held in July and August. Registration for the Spring is usually held in January and February. HELP! I VOLUNTEERED TO COACH… WHAT DO I DO? Many first time coaches volunteer or are volunteered to the job. First things first…Relax. Relax and think about how much fun you are going to have with these Under-5 through Under-8 soccer players. Goal: Create a fun, learning soccer environment for your players in practice and in games. How? Read over the information in this handbook. If you have any problems or need additional help, please contact: Director of Operations: Nathan Hunt nhunt@arkansasrush.com Talk to other coaches and share ideas. Utilize the Arkansas Rush Micro Curriculum. Search the internet for other tips and drills. Visit the US Youth Soccer web site at www.USYouthSoccer.org and download and/or order helpful coaching materials and coaching aids. -2- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season TEAM MANAGEMENT: Prepare a list of simple and clear rules for your players and their parents. Prior to your first practice, meet to review these rules, to go over other important information, and to complete important administrative paperwork – including the Snack Sign-Up List. Some items you may want to cover: Arrival time for practices and games. Do you need additional help from parents to run practice or cover games when you are away? Do you want a parent to sign up to send game and snack reminders? Player equipment (#3 soccer ball, shin pads, soccer cleats, water, appropriate clothing). Do you need additional equipment (#3 soccer balls, cones, practice vests/pennies, basic first aid kit). Discuss the procedure for canceling practices and games. Up-to-date Centennial Soccer Park (CSP) information can be found at www.arkansasrush.com . Updates are also posted on Arkansas Rush Facebook (Arkansas Rush SC) and Twitter (@ArkansasRush) accounts. Discuss your philosophy of coaching…it is about player development, not winning and losing! Be Positive and Encouraging - Have FUN!!! PRACTICES AND GAMES: When you arrive at your designated field for practice, one-half of that field is reserved for your team. You will have that area for one hour. There may or may not be another team on your field. If another team is there, please only use your half of the field. Practices are scheduled on the hour and half hour. You may have the entire field to yourself for the first 30 minutes, but then have to share it for the last half hour. Please make room, be polite…and be creative Please keep your games and practices on time. The home team should have one parent volunteer to keep the time for the game. Please be courteous of the other teams. Be sure to start on time and end on time. If your game is late getting started, please be certain to end ON TIME so that you do not delay the game that follows you. If you are the last game of the day, you do not need to cut your game short in order to end on time. Remember the clock runs continuously in soccer! Please do not blow the whistle in the middle of a break-a-way. Wait until there is a break in the action. There are no referees in Micro soccer. Both team coaches typically share this responsibility with one working each end of the field. -3- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season PRACTICE INFORMATION: The Training Session – U5/U6 Format 1 Duration is 45-60 minutes. 2 Every child has a ball. 3 Individual activities. 4 Warm-up activities include movement education approach…with and without a ball (10 minutes). 5 Fun games & activities with and with out a ball (20 minutes). 6 Conclude with 3v3 games to two goals, with no goalkeepers. The Training Session – U7/U8 Format 1 Duration is 60 minutes. 2 Every child has a ball. 3 Individual and partner activities. 4 Warm-up activities with and without the ball – dribbling and passing (15 minutes). 5 Maze games and target games (25 minutes). 6 Conclude with 4v4 games to two goals, with no goalkeepers. -4- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season GAME INFORMATION: AGE U5 U6 U7 U8 Recommende d # of players on a Team 6 8 Ball Size 3 3 Approx. Field Size (yards) Referee on Field # of player on Field Game Time 20 X 30 No Coaches are the referees 3V3 No Keeper 37 minutes Four 8 min quarters with 5 min half 30 X 40 No Coaches are the referees 4V4 No Keeper 53 minutes Four 12 min quarters with 5 min half All Micro Games are played at Centennial Soccer Park 1. Substitutions - Most prefer to play a series of half-quarters, and make player changes at each break. Substituting in this format helps to guarantee each player 50% playing time. For example, some U5/U6 coaches prefer to divide each half into 4 equal periods of 4 minutes. Kids play for four (4) minutes and then rest for four (4) minutes. U7/U8 would do the same; however, the four (4) equal periods would be six (6) minutes each. 2. There are no referees in Micro soccer. The coaches are responsible for calling who kicked the ball out. There are 3 methods of restart if the ball goes out of bounds: throw in, corner kick, and goal kick. No fouls are called in these divisions but if play should be halted, it should be explained to offending players what they are doing wrong. 3. All coaches should check the fields for foreign objects before the game and clean up any snack trash and collect left items (coats, shirts, etc) before you leave. Above all, remember that THIS IS NOT THE WORLD CUP! As coaches, let us try to remember why we are here. It is not to ‘run & gun’; it is not necessarily to ‘run a score up’. It is to create an environment of team and athletic fun, which is what all Micro players want. -5- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season IMPORTANT SPRING 2015 DATES: Mar. 2 Mar. 7 Mar. 14 Mar. 21 Mar. 28 Apr. 4 Apr. 11 Apr. 18 Apr. 25 May 2 May 9 May 16 Practice begins this week for all Micro teams Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Game 8 Game 9 Game 10 Rain Out Date (If needed) RAINOUTS, CANCELLATIONS RESCHEDULE GAMES: Please check @ArkansasRush (Twitter), Arkansas Rush SC (Facebook) or www.arkansasrush.com for the latest CSP conditions. If CSP is closed, you cannot practice or play there. If it is raining and CSP is open, the decision to practice or play is up to the coaches. In case of lightning, all Arkansas Rush outdoor activities must suspend immediately. UNIFORMS: All Micro players receive one green and one gray Arkansas Rush t-shirt to wear as their uniform. If players play in the fall and the spring, they do not receive new shirts in the spring. They are to wear the shirts they received in the fall. New players in the spring receive t-shirts. The green t-shirt is worn when the team is the Home team and the gray is worn when the team is the Away team. Players are strongly encouraged to bring both t-shirts to all games to ensure that each team will play in a different color. Additional items that are needed, but not provided are: soccer cleats, shin guards, socks, shorts, and a size 3 soccer ball. -6- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS: Jackie Romine Photography takes team and individual soccer portraits. Teams will have their pictures taken either on their practice night or on a game day. Coaches will receive an e-mail with a picture schedule. If changes are needed to your scheduled time, please contact Jackie Romine Photography (501) 339-5296 and jackierominephotography@yahoo.com. Coaches decide what color t-shirt they want their players to wear for the team photo. Please encourage everyone on the team to be present for the team picture; even if they are not going to order any pictures. All parents will receive an order form by e-mail prior to your scheduled time. Jackie also brings extra copies with her. SNACK LIST: The Snack list is for you to give out to your team parents. The sheet needs to be filled in with families would can volunteer to bring snacks for the team. -7- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season Micro- Snack List This is the most important part of the game to some of the kids. Please help by volunteering to bring healthy snacks for one of the games this season. You are also responsible for bringing a trash bag and cleaning up the area after the game. Snacks can be whatever you would like. Nothing elaborate is necessary. Water for halftime along with orange slices is great! Please check to see if any of the kids have food allergies!! Game 1 ______________________________ Game 2 ______________________________ Game 3 ______________________________ Game 4 ______________________________ Game 5 ______________________________ Game 6 ______________________________ Game 7 ______________________________ Game 8 ______________________________ -8- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season All games are played on Saturday mornings. -9- Arkansas Rush Micro Coaching Handbook Spring 2015 Season Good Luck and Good Fun! Thank You for Coaching AR Rush’s Fall Season! - 10 -
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