Week 3 · U8
Scanning & awareness
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Look up before the ball arrives and while dribbling
- 2Find the goal, a friend, and the empty space with one quick peek
- 3Shout what you see — numbers and colors — without losing the ball
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Color Hunt Arrival
As players arrive, everyone dribbles in a grid dotted with colored cones. Call a color and everyone races their ball to it, then straight back to dribbling. Add a twist after a few rounds: call TWO colors and players choose the closer one — the first peek-and-decide of the night.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Heads-Up Colors
Everyone dribbles in a grid dotted with colored cones. Two jobs at once: you randomly hold up fingers — players shout the number mid-dribble — and call colors — players race their ball to that color. Then add the third layer: before each new color, players must peek and POINT to the emptiest corner of the grid without stopping their dribble. Eyes up, ball still moving.
Two colors only, walking pace, and the ball may stop while they look.
More colors, quicker signals, plus a tagger hunting while everyone scans.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — Magic Signals
Normal game, but during play you hold up a colored bib on the sideline. See it and shout the color before your team scores, and the goal counts triple. Players who keep their heads up find the magic — players who stare at the ball never see it.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·What did you see before the ball came to you?
- ·How many fingers am I holding up? (Ask while they dribble — the eyes must leave the ball.)
- ·Can you see the goal AND a friend without looking down at the ball?
- ·See it, solve it, show it — what did your eyes tell you to do?
Add more colors and quicker signals, and in play2 change the bib more often so only constant scanners catch it.
Two colors, slow calls, and let the ball stop while they look — eyes up is the win, speed comes later.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Heads up before the ball arrives: cheer every peek over the shoulder and every player who spots the sideline signal. Eyes first, feet second — and rotate everyone through the diamond as always.
Message to forward to your parents
This week is OBSERVING — looking up to see the game before the ball arrives. Play I Spy on car rides and ask "what did you see?" after practice. Little eyes that learn to look up find the whole field.
This week's two videos
Every session is Play-Practice-Play: kids play from the moment they arrive, you teach ONE thing in the middle, then they play again. Watch the prep video the night before — the activity video is that middle PRACTICE part.
Top Soccer Drills for U8, U9 & U10 Players | Academy Tested
Watch the night before to understand the idea
Academy-tested activities for this exact age band that you can bend toward awareness: add gates, colors and call-outs so every repetition needs a look first. Use it to refresh your Develop and Challenge weeks when a session needs new energy. Pick one activity per week rather than chasing all of them.
Watch on YouTubeSoccer Dribbling Drills For Kids
Your PRACTICE part — the one thing you teach mid-session
Simple ball-mastery and dribbling patterns for the week 1 Introduce stage. Use these as arrival activities and home challenges so every player banks touches before the fun starts. Big touch into space, little touches in traffic — say it every session.
Watch on YouTube