The u8 to u10 level of development is a crucial period in any soccer player’s growth. These are the formative years that lay the foundation for all the skills that will be honed and
improved upon over the years, as the player develops physically and becomes more technically astute. To that end, there are specific skills that must be developed at this stage.

This set of skills will then be expounded upon as the player progresses to more advanced and diverse training methods. These “basic” skills are the foundation for everything else, and they include:

● Scanning and receiving the ball
● Ball control
● Passing
● Dribbling
● 1v1s
● Finishing

Obviously, some of these skills are position-specific. For instance, finishing is generally considered to be more important for forwards than midfielders and defenders. However, at this u8 to u10 stage of development, it is not yet certain which position each player will end up in, so it is important to try and develop every area with equally focused attention.

This is the purpose of this curriculum. It contains 24 training sessions for u8 to u10 players, across all of the six skills listed above. Considering the value that is placed on “Scanning and Receiving”, and “1v1s”, these two skills have been given extra attention. Any player that manages to attain a good level of understanding of these skills at this stage of development is on course to maximize their potential (with the right guidance from coaches and parents of course!).

It is important to note that these sessions have been carefully selected for maximum training efficiency, but they are by no means an exhaustive bunch. This means that there are many more ways that the listed skills can be taught, and the coach would do well to find tweaks that keep the sessions varied and fun for the players.

Finally, it is also crucial to track the progress of the players as you run through these sessions. This can be done with he brief evaluation system at the beginning and end of each session. Here, the coaches observe the current level of the players for each skill, and use that information to make a comparative analyis at the end of each session to gauge progress.

This will ensure that the players are on track, and growth targets are met. On that note, let’s dive in!