The Beginner's Guide To Coaching Kids Soccer (Ages 5 to 10) - A Complete Resource For Parents And Volunteers - From First Practice To Game Day: Coaching Kids Soccer

Chris King

The Beginner’s Guide To Coaching Kids Soccer (Ages 5 to 10) (D2D VERSION)

Everything Parents & Volunteers Need to Get Started

Copyright © 2025 by Chris King

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

First edition

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Contents

1. INTRODUCTION - THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING KIDS SOCCER

2. GETTING STARTED AS A SOCCER COACH

3. HANDLING COMMON CHALLENGES WHEN COACHING A KIDS SOCCER TEAM

4. ESSENTIAL SOCCER COACHING EQUIPMENT

5. PLANNING AND RUNNING TRAINING SESSIONS

6. FUNDAMENTAL SOCCER SKILLS

7. BEYOND THE BALL: DEVELOPING PERCEPTION AND DECISION MAKING IN YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS

8. EIGHT TRAINING SESSION PLANS

9. TIPS FOR COACHING A BEGINNER GOALKEEPER IN SOCCER

10. BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF KIDS SOCCER RULES AND GUIDELINES

11. GAME DAY ESSENTIALS

12. FORMATIONS FOR KIDS SOCCER TEAMS (BY AGE GROUP)

13. BUILDING TEAM SPIRIT AND CONFIDENCE

14. PARENT AND VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT

15. AGE APPROPRIATE COACHING TECHNIQUES

16. MASTER SOCCER SKILLS AT HOME

17. END OF SEASON WRAP UP AND REFLECTION

18. OTHER SOCCER BOOKS, COURSES AND PODCASTS BY CHRIS KING

19. THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY AND CREATIVITY

20. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AND LONG-TERM GROWTH

21. FINAL THOUGHTS

1

INTRODUCTION - THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING KIDS SOCCER

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING KIDS SOCCER

A Complete Resource For Parents And Volunteers

- From First Practice To Game Day -

Online Kids Coaching Course: //bit.ly/kidscoachingcourse(go to Udemy.com)

If you enjoy this book, Coaching Kids Soccer Volumes 1,2,3 is also available as an eBook or paperback.

Website: chriskingsoccercoach.com(visitfor a free eBook of soccer drills & tips)

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COACHING KIDS SOCCER

Hi, I’m Chris King - Welcome to your guide to coaching kids’ soccer!

I’ve played soccer since I was five and I’ve coached children and adult teams at grassroots level in both the United Kingdom and Australia for the last fifteen years, completing coaching courses along the way.

This book will lead you through everything you need to know to become a grassroots soccer coach - from planning your first practice to game day.

Coaching young players is a rewarding experience, but it can also feel overwhelming at first. This book is here to break things down into simple, easy-to-follow steps so you can focus on what matters most—helping kids learn and have fun.

Whether you’re a parent stepping up to help your child’s team, a volunteer that is keen to help their club, or someone completely new to coaching (No experience? No problem!), this book will provide you with the tools, strategies, and confidence you need to get started.

Children’s soccer is about far more than just winning matches. At this developmental stage, the focus should be on building basic skills, fostering teamwork, and creating positive experiences on the field.

Kids need encouragement, patience, and an environment where mistakes are seen as part of the learning process. As a coach, you can shape their relationship with the game—whether it becomes a lifelong passion or just a fun childhood memory depends largely on the experience you create.

This book has lots of great information that will make your life easier as a kids soccer coach. From running your first training session to managing game day, you’ll find practical tips, age-appropriate drills, and strategies for player development.

Here are the chapters that will help you become a kids soccer coach!

Introduction - The Beginner’s Guide To Coaching Kids Soccer

Getting Started As A Soccer Coach

Handling Common Challenges When Coaching A Kids Soccer Team

Essential Soccer Coaching Equipment

Planning And Running Training Sessions

Fundamental Soccer Skills

Beyond The Ball: Developing Perception And Decision Making In Young Soccer Players

Eight Training Session Plans

Tips For Coaching A Beginner Goalkeeper In Soccer

Basic Understanding Of Kids Soccer Rules And Guidelines

Game Day Essentials

Formations For Kids Soccer Teams (By Age Group)

Building Team Spirit And Confidence

Parent And Volunteer Engagement

Age Appropriate Coaching Techniques

Master Soccer Skills At Home

End Of Season Wrap Up And Reflection

Other Soccer Books, Courses And Podcasts By Chris King

The Importance Of Play And Creativity

Player Development And Long-Term Growth

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re teaching the fundamentals of dribbling or coaching on game day, remember: your role as a coach is not just about soccer—it’s about mentoring, inspiring, and making sure every child has fun!

Let’s go!

Chris King

2

GETTING STARTED AS A SOCCER COACH

Topics covered in GETTING STARTED AS A SOCCER COACH

Overview Of The Role Of A Kids Soccer Coach

Coaches (You!) Personal Preparation

Starting your journey as a kids’ soccer coach can feel overwhelming - especially if you don’t know much about soccer! This guide will help you get started and make sure you (and the team you’re coaching) have a fun and enjoyable experience.

You will learn the main things that are required of a kids soccer coach, how to plan training sessions, what equipment you’ll need, plus some of the rules and guidelines of kids soccer aged 5 to 10.

I will go into more detail on specific topics in other chapters, but this chapter is aimed at giving you an overview of some of the main things to expect as a coach and some general tips.

1. OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE OF A KIDS SOCCER COACH

Being a kids’ soccer coach is much more than teaching soccer skills. You’re also a motivator and organiser.

Here are some of the main things you will be doing as a kids soccer coach:

1. Teaching Fundamental Skills:

Your main job is to introduce children to the basic skills and rules of soccer - while making sure the experience is fun and accessible for all.

You can do this by focussing on simple, age-appropriate concepts.

For kids aged 5 to 10, the key is to start with the basics. Teach them how to dribble, pass, and shoot in straightforward terms.

For instance, you can explain dribbling as keeping the ball close to your feet while moving or describe passing as aiming the ball to a teammate using the inside of your foot. Keep the language simple.

Use visual cues or props, like demonstrating dribbling with a cone to represent a defender that you can dribble around.

Also use metaphors: Describe dribbling as keeping the ball on a leash to encourage control. Chances are they have walked a dog before so they know that a leash keeps the dog under control and they can therefore relate it back to dribbling.

2. Instil a love for the game:

Kids won’t always get the technique right, but that’s okay. Encourage them to laugh off mistakes and try again. The focus at this age should be on building confidence and having fun.

Set small, achievable goals, like In pairs, see how many times you can pass back and forth in a minute.

Introduce magic moments—celebrate when a player does something new or improves noticeably. Give them a compliment (Awesome job dribbling!) or a high five!

Create end of training mini-tournaments or fun awards to leave kids excited for the next practice.

3. Encourage Team Spirit:

You’ll play a key role in teaching kids how to work together, communicate, and support one another.

4. Celebrate group achievements:

Create opportunities to highlight team successes, like great passing sequences or teamwork leading to a goal. Avoid singling out players unless it’s to praise effort or sportsmanship.

Example: After a match, you might say, I loved how you all worked together to pass the ball around today—great teamwork!

During practice, introduce exercises that require collaboration, like passing relays or group goal challenges (Can we make 5 passes in a row as a team?).

5. Model good sportsmanship:

Show kids how to respect their opponents, referees, and teammates. This can include shaking hands after a game or praising an opponent for a good play.

Role-play situations at training where kids can practice phrases like Good try! or Nice pass!.

Address negative behaviours like arguing or blaming teammates by turning them into teachable moments. For example, What could we say instead of blaming? The answer here if a child has blamed a teammate for not passing them the ball may be Try to get your head up so see if there is a teammate in a better position.

6. Managing Logistics:

Behind every great session and season is planning! Unfortunately being a soccer coach isn’t just about teaching your kids how to do a Cruyff turn. Organisation is a big part and it helps you enjoy being a soccer coach a lot more.

I’ll delve deeper into this in later chapters. But here’s a tip to help you stay ahead and be organised (which will in turn help you and your players enjoy the season)!

Organise training and game times and communicate with parents: Use a group messaging app to inform parents of practice times, game locations, and any changes. Communication builds trust with the parents.

Example 1: Send a weekly/bi-weekly message with a brief overview of the upcoming session’s focus and any items kids need to bring.

Post reminders of positive behaviours or skill of the week challenges in your updates. This could be a message as simple as At Tuesdays training session we will be working on dribbling, with a focus on players non-preferred foot. This way, parents can encourage their child to practice dribbling using both feet in the lead up to the training session.

Example 2: Send a message at the start of the week which includes the game location and kick off time. Get confirmation of the availability of your players. This