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For parent coachesOnly 5 kids showed up:
what to do
It rained, or there was a birthday party, and five kids showed up. That is not a wasted night. Small numbers can be your best practice of the season.
Fewer kids means more touches.
Do not cancel
The players who came deserve a practice, and it tells the group that showing up matters. Tell parents you are going ahead, and get started. Five players with a ball each will get far more touches tonight than they would in a full session.
Five players
- Pass-and-Move Square: 4v1 in a 10x10, and swap the defender.
- 3v2 to Two Goals: five players, with quick rounds.
- A game of 3v2 where the team of two gets a head start or a bigger goal.
- For younger players: Soccer Island and 1v1 Fields work with any number.
Use yourself
When the numbers are small or odd, join in. Playing with the children is great fun for them, and you can even up a game without any fuss. Play with your weaker foot if it helps. If a parent is standing around, ask them too.
Odd numbers
- Use a neutral player who plays for whichever team has the ball.
- Rotate one player out every two minutes as a helper or server.
- Play 3v3 plus a keeper who rotates.
- Make the extra player the coach’s partner for a round.
Too many kids
The opposite problem needs the opposite fix. Twenty children on one field means a lot of standing. Split them up. Two or three small fields side by side beat one bigger one every time. Ask a parent to run the second game.
Always have a backup
Carry one game in your head that works for any number. Keep-away, or any small-sided game with cone goals, will do. If the plan does not fit the night, drop it. The children will not know, and a simple game that runs is better than a good plan that does not.
Every practice, already written
You should not have to plan every session on your own. Each season curriculum gives you one page per session and an animated video of every activity. Read it in the car, set out your cones and coach.
Questions coaches ask
Should I still run the planned session?
Keep the same two coaching points, and swap the activities to suit the numbers.
What if only two kids come?
Have fun with it. Play 1v1 and 2v1 with you in the game. They will remember it.
What about bad weather?
Follow your league’s rules, and always stop for lightning. Tell parents your decision as early as you can.
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