Carrying Gold

Kids' soccer and the fear of one against one duel

This training exercise includes competition and is designed to solve the fear of one-to-one encounters in a playful manner. A playful approach is used to give kids the self-confidence they need.

A. Learning goals

Dribbling, teamwork, successful tackling plays no role.

B. Fantasy

Gold nuggets=Balls
Bank=Ball target corner
Valley of robbers=Tackling zone
Robbers=Defenders in the rectangle

C. Story

You’ve been working as gold prospectors. You’ve been quite sucessful, and the big nuggets of gold now need to be transported to the bank for safekeeping. To get to the bank, though, you need to go through the “valley of robbers”. And that’s not as easy as it sounds: there are lots of robbers there who are going to try to steal the nuggets. You can only deposit the gold at the bank if you manage to get it safely through the valley.

D. Organisation

Form at least two groups. Mark out the dribbling and tackling zones, as well as a target corner for depositing balls. Each group needs to have the same number of balls.

E. Description

The children try to dribble across a rectangle and reach the other side. Two defenders are posted in the rectangle; these attempt to stop them from dribbling through. Players who manage to cross the zone successfully are allowed to deposit their ball in the ball target corner. Which team will be the first to get all their balls to the target corner? Change the defending players in the rectangle after each repetition of the exercise.

F. Variations

• The ball is not deposited in the target corner; instead, the dribblers wait for their team-mates on the other side. Which team will be the first to get all of its players to the other side?
• Only use one foot to dribble, either the left or the right.
• Incorporate a goal shot into the exercise instead of depositing the balls into a target corner.
• Without defenders, and so without robbers in the valley.

G. Tips

• Vary the size of the defenders’ rectangle.
• Stand on the ball when depositing it.