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The joy of U5 soccer

Off the Bench with Adam Roberts

In a recent trip down memory lane I watched home video of my brother, Jacob, now 20, playing soccer as a five-year-old.

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Jacob Roberts, at 5, playing U-5 soccer.

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His venture into soccer foreshadowed his eventual interest in football as he bashed into other players and dove on the ground.

He even employed slide tackling, before that skill was introduced, which led to even more pile ups on the field.

Watching a pod of pre-school children exchange kicks at a soccer ball in an effort to move it up and down the field was laughable, but then to see my brother bull rush the group and send the ball and his fellow competitors flying made the moment even more enjoyable.

While I was having fun watching this at home it was apparent the real fun was on the field.

With all of the laughs and smiles it’s hard to see what’s actually happening during these peewee games. The children are learning fundamentals.

By masking learning with simple games and activities, coaches are providing the essential lessons of the game without bogging down young players with the technical side of the sport.

David Gilmore, the commissioner for the Abington Youth Soccer League’s under five (U5) league, explained that during the 10- week season, children learn skills through a variety of games.

Players are taught ball control with games like follow the leader. Other games teach passing and accuracy.

The hour-long Saturday sessions teach the young players skills and then at the end of the day they play a game of soccer.

While the eventual goal is to pass on the knowledge of the game, the players don’t realize it because they are just having fun.

The AYSL achieves all of these objectives by keeping the teams small. With the pandemonium of Jacob’s soccer contest I understand.

Teams are usually made up of eight players and two coaches.

There is no coaching experience required for the AYSL. Each coach is given syllabus containing the skills they should be teaching.

Aside from promoting order, the structure allows more involvement from the children. Small numbers equate to more time with the ball.

Gilmore suggested that sometime between August and November, when this league is in session, that I take a Saturday morning to soak up the joy that is U5 soccer.

He explained that the sound of giggles, laughing and cheering from both players and parents would be all I’d hear.

I’ll probably take Gilmore’s advice and check it out. Maybe I’ll get lucky and see another four-year-old football player in the making brooding around the soccer field.

Adam Roberts is a reporter for the Abington Journal. You can reach him at aroberts@theabingtonjournal.com.