Foundation Phase: Movement coach instead of soccer teacher
Children today often come to clubs with less previous motor experience. Climbing trees and playing freely on the streets have become less common. The G youth coach is therefore less of a football teacher than a movement coach.
Broad basis instead of early specialization
Those who train too specifically early on (only football) risk stagnation and overload. The goal is a broad motor base: jumping, climbing, throwing, balancing - the basis for everything that comes later.
Development characteristics of the U6/U7
Motor skills
The nervous system is developing rapidly. Golden age for coordination stimuli, but not yet for technical subtleties. Rough movements: running, stopping, jumping, falling, getting up.
Cognition
Short attention span. Think in images and stories, not abstractly. Living in the here and now – a lost game is forgotten after 5 minutes.
Egocentrism
"Me and my ball." Playback is often cognitively intangible. This is not a mistake – it is a natural developmental step. Therefore: Dribbling is the most important action.
Goals & Training Principles
😄 Fun & joy
Top priority. Without fun there is no return, without return there is no development. The ball should become a friend.
🏃 Versatile movement
Running, jumping, rolling, throwing, catching. Train athletes before we specialize footballers.
⚽ Getting used to the ball
On the foot and in the hand. Control of the play equipment – playfully, not in a drill.
⭐ A sense of achievement for everyone
Every child must feel: “I can do this.” Strengthens self-confidence and intrinsic motivation.
Playing instead of practicing: implicit learning
Instead of explaining movements, we create situations in which the child finds the solution. Through “Hunters and Hunted” children intuitively learn to control the ball closely – without any instructions. The Heidelberg Ball School shows: General ball skills (throwing, catching) improve football performance later.
Contents: Ball school, storytelling & FUNino
Free play with the ball
Every child has a ball. They try, shoot and dribble. The coach gives small tasks (“Who can touch the ball with their knee?”), but leaves plenty of scope for experiments.
Storytelling: Stories instead of drills
We don't dribble around cones, but rather "drive the racing car through the slalom". We don't shoot at goal, we "feed the hungry goal monster". Visual language is intrinsically motivating.
Coordination & Polysportivity
Balancing over benches, crawling under hurdles, somersaulting. These elements train body control for every duel and every dribbling.
Very small game formats (2v2, 3v3)
The 7-on-7 is unsuitable for children (ball football). Instead FUNino: 3v3 on four mini goals. Every child has a lot of ball contact, a lot of goals, and the game intelligence is automatically trained.
No premature specialization
There are no fixed positions in the G-Youth. There is no "last man" and no permanent striker. The goalkeeper is not fixed either - there is none in FUNino anyway. All attack, all defend.
Coaching: The art of restraint
🎪 Animating instead of instructing
The trainer is an animator: praise, cheer, comfort. Hardly any tactical instructions. "Great dribbling!" instead of “Play!”. Positive reinforcement is the engine.
👀 Show & Participate
Children learn through imitation. Coach demonstrates movements and is sometimes the “monster” who steals balls. Short sentences, worlds of images, at eye level (squatting).
The roles of the trainer
Shoe tie, comforter, role model and enabler. Be patient: Development is not linear. A child who picks flowers today can be enthusiastically chasing the ball in three months.
Common errors
Too much explaining
Children switch off. Rule: Explain for less than 1 minute, play for more than 5 minutes.
Lines & waiting times
Every minute standing is lost movement time. Keep everyone active at the same time.
Adult exercises
Standing passing exercises or tactics training are cognitively unaffordable and boring.
Pressure to perform
Selection based on performance or scolding for mistakes destroys intrinsic motivation. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes.
Game day & parent work
Festival formats instead of tables
3v3 on mini goals (FUNino). After each game (7 minutes), teams rotate: winners up, losers down. Quickly, equally strong opponents, no overall winner, equal playing times for everyone.
Parents as partners
Transparency at parents' evening: Why no rounds, why everyone plays the same amount. Use parents as helpers at stations, sporting sovereignty with the coach. Shouts like “Shoot!” unsettle – be fans, not assistant coaches.
Example unit (60 min.): “Journey to Treasure Island”
Complete G-Youth training session
"Escape from the crocodiles"
Each child has a ball at their feet. Marked field = island. Coach (crocodile) tries to touch balls. Lead the ball closely, change direction. On “Storm!” put on the ball, on “Sun!” Back and kick.
Station tour
1. “Over the river”: Jumping hurdles (without a ball). 2. “Through the jungle”: Slalom dribbling (with ball). 3. “Coconut Throw”: Throwing the ball into a hoop and catching it (hand-eye). Short distances, no waiting times.
3v3 on 4 mini goals (FUNino)
Field 15×12m. Goals only from the shooting zone (6m). Change: After every goal or every 2 minutes, players rotate in/out.
Penalty shootout & battle cry
Each child shoots at a goal (coach makes funny saves). Closing circle: “What was the most fun today?”
Hall/winter plan (60 min.)
0-10 min: Free play
Balls, tires, ropes in the hall. Children are allowed to try.
10-45 min: course & game
"Fire, water, storm", adventure land (climbing, balancing, rolling), shot on goal in between.
45-60 min: King of the field
Everyone against everyone. Lose the ball → repeat. Fun final chaos.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about G-Youth
Conclusion: Wild, free and a lot of fun
G youth football is the basis. A trainer who sees himself as a loving companion, who allows chaos and focuses on joy, does the most valuable work.
It's not about the perfect pass, but about the shining eye after the first goal. Let's let the children play - wildly, freely and with a lot of fun.