Game version
Easy-wins game: two friends take turns on a soft ball and a short distance, cheering every success, then each moves one small step harder.
Confidence Round
Easy wins first: a soft ball and a short distance until you make 8 out of 10, then one small step harder.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Pick a skill your coach gave you (a pass, a stop or a shot).
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 6 min
- Players
- You and a partner or parent
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Softer or smaller ball, wall or partner or parent
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Passing & Receiving
The steps
How it works
- Pick a skill your coach gave you (a pass, a stop or a shot).
- Make it easy: a softer ball and a short distance.
- Do 10. If you make 8, step back one step or use a firmer ball.
- If it gets hard, go back a step. Finish on a good one.
Coaching point
Win most of them, then make it a little harder.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Climb your own ladder: stay at a level until you make 8 out of 10, then pick the next. Beat only your own last try.
Story
You are a gardener watering a seed: every success grows it a little taller.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
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An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.