About KickZone

Peter D., editor

Hi, I'm Peter D., the editor of KickZone. I live in Spain and I'm closely involved in grassroots youth soccer in my area. (Peter is simply the English version of my name.)

In Spain, most kids meet the game through small-sided formats and futsal: lots of touches, short games, very little standing in line. KickZone takes what works in that approach and turns it into practical help for American families in their first seasons of rec soccer, whether you just got handed a bag of balls and a team of 5-year-olds, signed up as team parent, or are trying to figure out what your child actually needs on Saturday morning.

What you'll find here

• Practice plans and games for 4–8-year-olds that actually hold their attention.
• Plain-English explainers of U6 and U8 rules, and how they change from league to league.
• Team parent toolkits: snack schedules, end-of-season ideas, checklists.
• Gear advice that starts with "does my kid even need this?"

How I work

• Rules come from the official documents. US Soccer, US Youth Soccer, AYSO and the state associations publish their small-sided rules, and they don't always agree. I tell you which organization says what, and I'll always point you to your own league's handbook, because that's the one your referee follows.
• Training ideas come from Spanish grassroots practice and from US Soccer's age-group guidance. When something is my observation rather than a rule, I say so.
• I'm not part of any US league or club, so I won't pretend to know how your league runs on the inside. Corrections from US coaches and parents are welcome.
• Health and safety come first. Heading, heat and concussions follow official guidance (US Soccer, the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics), with links. Nothing here replaces your pediatrician.

Independent

KickZone isn't affiliated with US Soccer, US Youth Soccer, AYSO, any state association or any club, FC Barcelona included. Some links may be affiliate links (see our Terms); recommendations are based on what actually helps families, not on commissions.

Kids' privacy

You won't see photos of real children here. Drills are shown with diagrams.

Get in touch

Does your league do something differently? Spotted a mistake? Write to me.