Football: beginners

My under 10's defenders keep getting caught forward when the opposition counter attack and we concede goals because we don't get back quick enough. How can I improve this please?

I'm struggling to come up with a variety of games for the younger kids. I usually resort to variations of sharks and minnows (bulldog), farmers and foxes or rob the nest. Are there any games that are good for absolute beginners and children with short attention spans?

Hi, I am a long time player, first time coach. I am going to be coaching 13-15YO girls who are very enthusiastic and most of the team have good skills already. We are about to start our 2 months of pre-season training and we are still looking for more players to join the team. There will be a small number of beginners in the group. During the open training session we held, I found they got bored very easily. How can I structure our first few sessions to ensure;1. They want to come back 2. They have fun and get to know each other 3. They feel like I am going to be a good coach that will help them develop their skills. I want to make sure they believe in me as a coach while I get the hang of actually coaching. Very overwhelmed at the moment.

Team keep getting thrashed every week - where to start? Having been the sole coach/manager of a little league team for the past two years, this year I lost all my senior players. I was therefore presented with 10 brand new lads, some of whom have never played competitive football. We are 8 games in and my lads are getting thrashed every week. The main problems are that they cannot get the ball out of their half, positions are usually a mess, finishing and chance creation are non-existent, and they don't apply any pressure or are unable to tackle. The main problems are keeping the ball as a team, getting it in the opponents half and staying there, and creating/finishing chances. I only have 1 and a half hours a week with them. I don't really know what to do, and I'm a little desperate. Does anybody have any advice? Thanks for literally anything.

Hi all, I've just started coaching a soccer team of 4 and 5 year olds and would like to discuss with my fellow coaches any drills which you have found to be safe, fun and valuable to the younger age group. I have my level 1 course under my belt and have difficulty in applying what I've learnt to the small kids. They get bored very quickly and are only interested in playing a match at the end of the session. They have no interest in passing the ball or shooting at goal whilst doing drills. Running with the ball is no problem as they are keeping active and all have a ball at their feet. As soon as they line up or have to share a ball, there are problems. I have a variety of drills which I run through with them, traffic lights, robin hood, alamo, sharks and fishes to name a few with variations of each but I crave more as everywhere I search caters for U6 upwards. I coach an U8 side midweek and have no problem with these lads as they are that bit older and have a greater level of concentration. (not by much mind). So I'm asking for advice from anyone who has coached 4 and 5 YOs and would like to know what has worked for you. PM replies welcome.  Marc

what is the best way to get a 10 year old girl to start diving in goal? we have a diving mat but i think its a mental block thats stopping her from reaching her potential. many thanks %3A)