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3 Speeds

By Gabe Ramos · U.S. Soccer Coach Educator · Updated October 2026

Turtle, dog, cheetah. Players dribble around while you call out speeds, switching often. The game that teaches a four-year-old to keep the ball close at every speed, not just at a walk.

Setup

Teach three speeds: Turtle (slow), Dog (medium), Cheetah (fast). Players dribble around while you call out speeds. Switch often and keep them guessing.

Make it easier or harder

• Easier: Just turtle and cheetah.
• Harder: Add STATUE: stop the ball with your sole.

Coach’s notes

• If It's Chaos: Cheetah turning into kickball? New rule: keep the ball close enough to pet.

Why it works

A child who can only dribble slowly has not learned to dribble; they have learned to walk with a ball. Three speeds gives them a word for each gear and a reason to change gears before they are told.

Cheetah turns into kickball every time. The fix is in the card: keep the ball close enough to pet. Say it, do not explain it.

Where it sits

This activity is from Pre-K · Week 1 · Soccer Island in the Full Season Intramural Curriculum for Pre-K to 2nd grade. Every session in the book has the same shape: arrival play, Soccer Island, two or three activities and the game, with two coaching points a day, an easier and a harder version of everything, and a fix for when it turns to chaos.

Run it inside the free U6 practice plan ›

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Open the activity ›Ages 4–6 · Dribbling and 1v1Body Brakes

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