U-Littles Introduction | Applicable Activities | Circuit Approach

Receiving With U-Littles

While receiving actually includes receiving balls on the ground, we're talking specifically about receiving balls through the air. After several years of youth soccer, many players have never even attempted this skill. With the game below, you can get your U-Littles trying it.

From Settlers to Soccer Volley

At some point in the development of your players, Soccer Volley will become the ideal activity for receiving and controlling balls through the air. The sooner the better, but U-5 is too soon.

What we're trying to do with Settlers is practice specific little maneuvers that will later be useful in Soccer Volley. One maneuver is the serve. Others include the chest trap, the thigh trap, and the first touch with a foot. Players who can do these maneuvers will easily make the leap to Soccer Volley. And once your players can play Soccer Volley, your receiving worries are over.

Settlers

Eventually, Settlers can be played by paring up your players. At first, though, each player must be pared with a coach or parent. Begin each maneuver with a simple demonstration. Then have the player and parent give it a go.

The first maneuver is a Soccer Volley serve. The player must drop the ball, let it bounce once, and then kick it through the air using the inside of the foot. If the parent catches this kick, a point has been earned and a big fuss is made. "Hooray, a point!"

After ten tries or so, move on to the next maneuver: a chest trap. The parent tosses the ball underhand. The player lets the ball bounce one time, and then cushions the ball with the chest. A successful touch with the chest earns a point and a fuss.

Now comes a more challenging maneuver that is so vital to Soccer Volley: the chest trap and pass back (see diagram).

The parent tosses the ball underhand so that it bounces in front of the player. The player cushions the ball with his/her chest, lets the ball bounce again, and then passes it through the air using the inside of the foot as on the serve. If this maneuver is pulled off, and the parent can catch the return pass, a super big fuss is made!

Similar maneuvers can then be practiced using the thigh or foot, rather than the chest, for the first touch.

Once your players have some experience with these maneuvers, consider making it a competition. Several teams are going at the same time, and each successful maneuver earns a point that is called out.

The next step in the sequence is for two players (or a player and parent) to pass the ball back and forth through the air, letting it bounce once before trying to control it. That will probably have to wait until next season.