Curriculum

CURRICULUM BY AGE GROUP

The purpose of this curriculum is to provide age appropriate player and coach development information for all WUSC coaches, players and parents. This document deals with player and coach development as they relate to the components of the game: technical, tactical, physical and psychological. The curriculum is also based on Jean Piaget's human development domains: cognitive, psychomotor and psychosocial.

The curriculum is organized into the following major sections as detailed in the Table of Contents:

The U6 Age Group (Pre-K and K).........................page 5

The U8 Age Group (Grades 1-2)...........................page 12

The U10 Age Group (Grades 3-4).........................page 19

The U12 Age Group (Grades 5-6).........................page 26

The U14 Age Group (Grades 7-8).........................page 34

The U16-U18 Age group (Grades 9-12)................page 41

Important Resources..............................................page 47

The Age Group sections are full of valuable information such as:

Role of the coach

Age group player characteristics

What game components should be taught to players in the age group

What the training session should look like for players in the age group

Sample practice plan for the age group

Link to more age appropriate practice plans

The Important Resources section provides very valuable supplemental information such as:

Team Management – Parent Communication

Prevention & Care – Risk Management

Proper Warm-up/Cool-down/Stretching

Player Evaluation/Assessment

Coach Evaluation/Assessment

The Training Environment

Coaching Points

Systems of Play (Formation)

Small-Sided Games in America

Locate the age group section that you are interested in and read it carefully. Refer to the Important Resources section for ways to create a positive, safe training and playing environment for your players.