Week 17

Outcomes

• ✓Players can roll the ball left and right with the sole of their foot.
• ✓Players can stop the ball dead using the sole.
• ✓Players can alternate sole rolls between left and right foot.

Equipment

• 1 ball per player
• 8 cones for grid
• music speaker (optional)

Run of show

1. 1. Arrival Free Play

   5m

   Set up: Grid with one ball per player.

   How to run it: Tell players: 'The bottom of your shoe has a secret power today! Explore what happens when you put your shoe on top of the ball.' Let them discover the sole-roll on their own.

   • ›Resist showing them — let curiosity drive discovery.
   • ›Join in yourself: model without instructing.

2. 2. Warm-Up Game: Pancake Stomp

   8m

   Set up: All players with a ball, spread in the grid.

   How to run it: Coach calls: 'ROLL RIGHT!' — sole-roll the ball to the right. 'ROLL LEFT!' — sole-roll left. 'PANCAKE!' — trap the ball flat with the sole. Make it a silly dance by adding arm movements. Go for 8 rounds.

   • ›Light toe touch on top of ball — don't squash it.
   • ›Opposite foot stays on the ground as an anchor.
   • ›Laugh with them — this should feel like silly dancing.

3. 3. Skill Theme Game: Pinball Machine

   12m

   Set up: Players each have a ball in a small personal 3x3 yard box (mark with 4 cones per player, boxes next to each other).

   How to run it: Stay in your box! Sole-roll the ball around your box — left wall, right wall, front wall, back wall — without it leaving. How many wall-touches in 30 seconds? Challenge: alternate feet each touch.

   • ›Keep the ball close — tiny sole rolls.
   • ›Head up occasionally — check where you are in the box.
   • ›Celebrate when kids alternate feet naturally.

4. 4. Small-Sided Games: 3v3 Sole Stop Goals

   15m

   Set up: Two 3v3 games. To score, players must sole-stop the ball on the goal line (a flat cone line, 3 yards wide) rather than kicking it through.

   How to run it: Play 3v3. A goal ONLY counts if the scorer receives the ball and sole-stops it ON the goal line — ball must be still. This rewards control over power.

   • ›Defend the goal line, not a post — spatial awareness.
   • ›Attacking teams: set each other up for a sole-stop.
   • ›Celebrate the technique, not just the goal.

5. 5. Cool-Down & High-Fives

   5m

   Set up: Seated circle, ball between feet.

   How to run it: Everyone does 5 slow sole-rolls left, 5 right. Breathe in on the roll, out on the stop. Show off your 'magic sole' one last time — shake your foot at your neighbour.

   • ›Reinforce: 'sole of the foot = bottom of shoe'.
   • ›Preview: 'Next time we'll roll AND run!'

Outcomes

• ✓Players can sole-roll without looking at the ball.
• ✓Players can react to commands with immediate foundation touches.
• ✓Players can link a sole-roll to a change of direction.

Equipment

• 1 ball per player
• 8 cones
• music speaker

Run of show

1. 1. Arrival Free Play

   5m

   Set up: Grid with one ball per player.

   How to run it: Players arrive. Challenge: do sole-rolls to the music — when music stops, sole-stop your ball. Practice in free play.

   • ›Instant freeze on music stop — builds reactions.
   • ›Praise clean stops.

2. 2. Warm-Up Game: Musical Balls

   8m

   Set up: One fewer ball than players (e.g., 8 players, 7 balls). Balls scattered in the grid.

   How to run it: Players sole-roll any ball while music plays. When music stops, everyone sole-stops the nearest ball. The player without a ball does 3 jumping jacks and jumps back in. Remove one ball every 2 rounds.

   • ›Keep moving between balls — sole-roll everything in reach.
   • ›React fast — get to the nearest ball quickly.
   • ›No one sits out — jumping jacks then back in immediately.

3. 3. Skill Theme Game: Ninja Controllers

   12m

   Set up: Players pair up. One player is the Controller, one the Robot. The Robot has the ball.

   How to run it: Controller gives commands: 'Roll left!', 'Roll right!', 'Stop!' — Robot must execute with foundation touches. After 30 seconds, swap. Progress: Controller points silently (no words) — Robot reads the gesture.

   • ›Robot: trust your feet — don't watch the ball.
   • ›Controller: give one command at a time.
   • ›Make it funny — silly voice for commands.

4. 4. Small-Sided Games: 4v4 Freeze Tag Soccer

   15m

   Set up: One 4v4 game. Standard flat-cone goals.

   How to run it: Play 4v4. Any player can freeze an opponent by doing a sole-stop near them and shouting 'FREEZE!' — the frozen player does 2 sole-rolls then unfreezes. Goals scored normally.

   • ›Celebrate creative use of the skill in the game.
   • ›Defenders: stay close, be ready to freeze.
   • ›Keep the game moving — quick freezes and unfreezes.

5. 5. Cool-Down & High-Fives

   5m

   Set up: Seated circle.

   How to run it: Slow toe-taps on the ball — count 10 together. Each player shows their 'signature sole-roll move' — even if they just wobble the ball!

   • ›Validate every attempt — confidence is the goal.
   • ›High-five and dismiss with big energy.