All fun and games. No lap, lines or lectures. Practice is fast and just long enough to keep their interest. Skills taught entirely through brief demonstration, then a progression of a few games to use the skill to achieve a goal.

I recommend anyone in the role of coach to take a couple youth-mod clinics put on using the USYSA/FIFA philosophies on player development. I see a large % of rec coaches trying to make the kids run lines, do drills and stretch before practice. Its sad to hear a kid say, "Is practice almost over," or to chat with a kid that quit because soccer wasn't fun anymore. It only takes a few hours a month to study and create practice plans, yet you'll see kids standing in lines doing ever-boring and repetitive drills until everyone "gets it right."

Attend a clinic, read some youth coaching books endorsed by USYSA and the kids will learn more, become better problem solvers and not realize they're working harder because they're enjoying soccer.

Ken, you give a lot of good information that makes for a good common sense approach to coaching. One of the themes you touch on is the idea of being prepared. Keeping sports simple and making learning fun isn't something that just comes naturally to a coach. The coaching programs you talk about help coaches better communicate the message and provide strategies for managing a team more effectively. There is a lot of value in what you said. I hope other coaches read your answers and took your advice.

Very young children need as much one on one or small group activity as possible. Recruit your moms and dads to help you out. You design the activity, demonstrate, and cut 'em loose.