The unwritten rules of soccer

Although he isn't quite 4, Jeffrey is a registered U6 player on his brother's soccer team. Smallest player? Yes. Can he dribble the ball? Absolutely. Can he score a goal? Probably.

It is not easy being a U6 coach. The attention span of most of these kids is less than a minute, so you need to be really creative with the drills so you are simultaneoulsy entertaining them and helping them learn the basic skills of the game.


And that is just the start of it. Eventually, they learn how to play as a team, passing the ball, watching out for each other, while we spectators cheer them on at the sidelines.

As for the social aspects of the game, the kids seem to learn those on their own. A soccer player can show unbelievable talent when he can be the goalie and catch up with friends, as Jeffrey is doing here.


Can he dribble the ball? I already said he could, but see for yourself.


And if soccer doesn't have cheerleaders cheering the players to victory, then perhaps the goalie can double as both as a cheerygoalie. Goaliecheerer? Jeffrey did a great job doing his goalie jig.


And finally, why not utilize the space where those cheerleaders could be? The little folks are surely tired by the end of a game, as Jeffrey can attest here, lying on the sidelines with his tired little feet in the air.