Now that all of your players can successfully mark, screen, trap, pass and shoot, how do get them to play together? The easiest method is to play small-sided games at each practice. Divide your team roughly half-and-half. Emphasize one particular skill during the game, I.e. offensive push or play on throw-ins. Put more players on the offensive side if you are emphasizing offensive skills and vice-versa.

	Formations		Restarting
	Positioning		Penalties
	Ballhandling

Your offensive players need to know their mission: Get the ball down to the goal and score! Your biggest challenge will be getting the players’ to position themselves properly on the field.

Note: With very young players, a soccer game will look more like a cattle drive than anything else. They all want to get the ball and they all want to score! Just grin and bear it. It’s still fun to watch.

Defensive skills and strategies will not be as exciting to your players’ as shooting or scoring strategies / plays but are necessary skills for your team to win. You will need to work with your goalie to get them to understand the basics of building a Wall and how to communicate with his defenders.

	Basics
	Defending Corner Kicks
	Defending Free Kicks / The Wall
	Defending Throw-Ins.

Your defensive players have three missions: Regains possession of the ball from the opponent. Do NOT let any opponent get goal side of them. Clear the ball out in case the opponent gains numerical superiority to give your midfielder and forwards time to get back.

Note: Having some cheap, different colored T-shirts, tank-tops or practice jerseys makes it much easier for the players to know who is on which team.