AYSO Under 5 Program
Thank you for enrolling your child in the Under 5 AYSO program. We will do everything we can to make our soccer program a positive experience for players and parents alike. We would like to give you a little information about our approach to preschool soccer.
First things first:
• Learning soccer techniques and tactics is completely unimportant at this age level; however, that doesn’t mean we don’t teach kids to play soccer!
• We focus on the following skills: kicking the ball in a given direction, running and moving the ball with your feet, stopping the ball without using your hands, shooting at the goal and blocking shots.
However, we consider it just as important that they learn the following skills in our program:
• Interacting comfortably with a group of one’s peers.
• Working together as a team toward a common goal.
• Dealing with both victory and defeat.
• Respecting opponents.
• Accepting and obeying the rules of the game.
In addition, your child can:
• Develop his/her own style of handling the ball.
• Learn how to move in a variety of situations.
• Improve his coordination (mobility, agility, reaction speed).
• Have FUN playing the game of soccer and being part of a team.
U5 soccer is composed of two parts: practice prior to the game, and the game itself. We want every child to be physically active and to have fun playing the game. Each child should be playing a minimum of 50% of the game, so team sizes are limited to 4-5 players.
Preschool children are not good at sticking to assigned positions, so we don’t work on position play until they are older. We encourage all children on the team to attempt to score, and to make attempts at preventing the other team from scoring.
All games and practice time occur on Saturday; there are no mid-week sessions at this age. During the Saturday morning sessions, all children must have a parent present for the whole duration. Please make sure that you arrive 15 minutes ahead of your scheduled time. The first 30 minutes of the session is practice, where the coach will work with the team to develop key skills. AYSO 630 utilizes the assistance of professional coaches to assist in this. The second 30 minutes of the session will be a game for the children to use what they have learned in drills and apply it right away. It is critical to the success of the program that all parents remain positive and encouraging during the session. Inappropriate action could result in the parent and child having to leave the field and not participate in future sessions.
Region 630 is committed to making this program a success. We believe we have assembled a great program and with your support the season will be a great success.