Parent guides › U6
For parents · Ages 4–6 · Pre-K and KindergartenU6 soccer:
what parents should expect
Your child’s first season will not look like soccer on TV. It will look like a swarm of small children chasing one ball while one of them stops to look at a bird. That is exactly how it should look. Here is what happens at U6, what is normal, and what actually helps.
The goal at U6 is simple: your child wants to come back next week.
What the game looks like
U6 plays small. Most leagues use 4v4 on a field about 30 yards long, with no goalkeeper, no offside and no heading, in four 10-minute quarters. Some use 5v5 at the youngest ages. The field is tiny on purpose: every player stays a few yards from the ball, so every player gets touches.
Expect a swarm. All the children will chase the ball in one clump, and that is normal. Nobody has a position at this age, and nobody should.
What your child is working on
A good U6 session is a story with a ball in it: sharks, astronauts, cheetahs and cone monsters. Your child has a ball at their feet for most of the hour and hears two coaching points: head up, keep the ball close. That is the whole curriculum. If a five-year-old leaves practice happy and a little better with the ball, it was a good night.
What a good practice looks like
Players start moving the moment they arrive, with a ball each and no lines. The coach tells a story, plays along and keeps each game to about seven or eight minutes. There is a water break, and the session ends with a small game, usually 3v3 to cone goals.
Nobody should be standing in a line waiting for a turn, and nobody should be running laps. If your child spends the hour moving and laughing, the practice is working.
What is normal at this age
- Wandering off, sitting down or staring at the sky in the middle of a game.
- Picking the ball up with their hands.
- Scoring on the wrong goal, then celebrating.
- Refusing to join in for the first few weeks, or wanting you right next to them.
- Never passing. At five the game is me and my ball, and that is the right stage.
- Loving it one week and not wanting to go the next.
Good signs
- They ask when soccer is.
- They dribble around the house and tell you to watch.
- They use a word from practice, like shark or cheetah.
- They look up once in a while, even for a second.
How you can help
- Keep a size 3 ball at home and let them dribble around the yard. Five minutes counts.
- Get there a few minutes early so the first thing they feel is not a rush.
- Play with them. Chase them, let them escape, let them score on you.
- Let the coach do the coaching. One voice is plenty for a five-year-old.
When to have a quiet word
If your child spends most of the session in a line, or keeps getting told off for not listening, it is worth a friendly word with the coach. A five-year-old who is bored is not misbehaving. Most U6 coaches are volunteers doing their best, so start with a thank you.
After the game
Keep it short. They are not thinking about the game, and you do not need to either.
“What was the most fun part?”
Questions parents ask
How long should a U6 practice be?
45 to 60 minutes with a ball for every child. Any longer and you are fighting their attention, not coaching it.
My child won’t go on the field. What do I do?
Stay close, stay calm and do not force it. Let them watch, hold your hand at the edge, and try again next week. Most children join in once they see it is a game.
Should my five-year-old be on a travel team?
No. There is no need. At this age the best thing you can give them is more time with a ball and more reasons to love it.
Rec or travel? ›Is my child behind? ›My child wants to quit ›What to say after a game ›U6 drills and practice plans ›Next: what to expect at U7 ›Field sizes and rules by age ›What age group is my child in? ›