HOWARD FIRE FC U12 CURRICULUM

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE U12 AGE GROUP
  • All children are maturing at different rates
  • Gender differences are more apparent
  • Height can be well over 5 feet and weight can be 100+ pounds
  • Coordination may depend on whether or not they are in a growth spurt
  • Whether a child enters puberty early or late has important psychological implications regarding relationships with their teammates
  • The age range for the beginning of pubescence in girls is 7-14, with the average being 10 years of age
  • The age range for the beginning of pubescence in boys is 9-16, with the average being 12 years of age 
  • Players need to warm-up and stretch---muscle pulls and other nagging injuries are common otherwise
  • Playing too much can lead to overuse injuries

  • Peer evaluation is a constant
  • Egos are sensitive
  • Players will typically understand elemental abstract concepts and hypothetical situations
  • They like to solve problems- may use their teammates to solve game problems
  • Playing too much and not feeling like they have a choice in the matter can lead to burnout and drop-out

  • Keep asking the players to be creative and to take risks---we never want them to stop doing these things
  • Technique still needs to be reinforced constantly
  • This is the dawn of tactics!
  • Ask for feedback from them---they will tell you how things are going
  • Try to hand over leadership and ownership of the team to them
  • Keep it fun!!!


 

ROLE OF THE U12 COACH

The role of the coach in the U12 age group is to be a patient and motivating teacher.  At this level, in addition to understanding technique, coaches should be able to provide environments conducive to problem solving (decision-making) by the players utilizing guided discovery methods.  Specifically, individual and small group tactics should be the focus of the training sessions. 

U12 SEASON OBJECTIVES & GOALS

U12 CURRICULUM TRAINING TOPIC CHART 
SOURCES:
  • USYS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM
  • MASSACHUSETTES YOUTH SOCCER CURRICULUM
  • US SOCCER CURRICULUM