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Free practice plan · Ages 5–6 · KindergartenA U6 1v1 practice plan:
Beat the Shark
For a group that has played before. Sixty minutes, six to twelve players, and a first taste of 1v1: head up to find space, beat the defender, then speed away. Every activity here is free on this site, with its own page and an animated video.
- Head up to find space.
- Beat the defender, then speed away.
Bring: 1 ball per player, 20 cones, 4 cone or pug goals, pinnies in 2 colors.
Your job: Be the first shark, and a gentle first defender.
The session, minute by minute
Free play on the island
ArrivalEvery player gets a ball the moment they arrive and explores inside the cones however they like. Meet each child, learn names, and start telling the shark story so the first game begins itself. Played before? Swap this for 2v2 or 3v3 to cone goals as players arrive.
Soccer Island: Space Man
Every weekEveryone dribbles inside the island while sharks wait in the water outside the cones to steal any ball that floats away. New today: Players dribble anywhere in the grid. When you yell FREEZE, everyone stops with a foot on the ball. Whoever is in the most space wins 100 points.
EasierNo ball: run, freeze, find space.
HarderBonus points for first foot on the ball.
If it stallsAll in one clump? Freeze more often and point to the open space.
Sharks & Minnows
PracticeThe coach is the shark and starts in the middle. Minnows line up on one end line, each with a ball. On GO they dribble to the other end line while the shark tries to knock balls out of the grid. Lose your ball and you become a shark too. Safe minnows wait for the next round, then swim back. The last minnow standing wins.
EasierMinnows who lose their ball fetch it and keep swimming.
HarderStart the round with a player as the shark.
If it stallsMinnows booting the ball across and chasing it? Rule: the ball stays close enough to pet.
Water break
WaterThree minutes. Balls stay on the island.
1v1 Fields
PracticeBuild two small 1v1 fields side by side, each half the usual size, with pug goals or cone goals. On each field one line attacks and one line defends. Stand between the fields so you can see both games. Small fields mean short lines and lots of turns. The defender starts a few steps behind the attacker. Switch lines every 2 to 3 minutes.
EasierCoach plays defender, and a gentle one.
HarderAttacker and defender start side by side.
If it stallsLines getting long? Add a third field, or start the next pair the moment the ball is dead.
3v3 on two small fields
The game3v3 on two small fields with cone goals. Walk each team to the goal they score in before you start. Expect a swarm around the ball; that is normal. Coach only today's two points.
The coach tip
Praise every attempt at a move, even the ones that fail.
Questions coaches ask
Are U6 players ready for 1v1?
In small doses, yes. Small fields mean short lines and lots of turns, and the coach can play a gentle defender first.
What if players kick the ball and chase it?
Use the rule from Sharks and Minnows: the ball stays close enough to pet.
Can a parent with no experience run this?
Yes, that is who the page is written for. Every activity has the setup, a line to say out loud, an easier and a harder version where it has one, and the fix for chaos.
More free practice plans
Thirty-six sessions like this one, Pre-K to 2nd grade
The Full Season Intramural Curriculum is one page per session for four grades, eight weeks each, with an easier and a harder version of every activity, a fix for when it turns to chaos, and an animated video of all 112 activities. Built so a professional trainer and a parent who volunteered last week run the same session.