u/PriorityKey519

I've only been coaching for a year, but I've noticed that many kids seem to lack the creativity that previous generations developed by playing street football. Do you agree? If you do, how can we help develop that kind of creativity in our training sessions?

So, I've been coaching for just one season and I'm really happy with how it went. Everything went well and everyone at the club was super helpful. This season I had a group of 9-year-olds, and now I've been offered to take over the 7-year-old group. I don't have much experience with players this young, so I'd love to hear from anyone who does. I know patience is going to be key, but what else should I expect? Things like:

• How do you structure a session at this age without losing them halfway through?
• How much "real" technique can they actually absorb vs. just letting them play?
• Any go-to games or drills that work especially well for 6-7 year-olds?
• How do you handle the kids who are way ahead of (or behind) the rest of the group?

Any tips, mistakes you learned from, or session ideas would be hugely appreciated!