U9 Wet Saturday Survival

Wet-weather mods: skip bear crawl and crab walk (wet hands on cold ground = misery). Stick to upright animals — frogs, kangaroos, penguins. Also add 'tall giraffes' (walk on tip-toes). Keep the heart rate UP — that's the warmth strategy. 10 minutes here, not 8.

High-energy continuation of the warm-up. Kids stay warm; engagement stays high. Run 4 rounds of 90 seconds. Generous 18×18 yard square so the ground gets churned across a wider area (less mud build-up in one spot).

Wet-weather mods: shrink the area (10×8 yards). Skip the 'wild ball' round — slippery balls + wet legs = falls. Just 2 rounds of stop-on-the-ball. Faster rotation, more touches, less standing around.

Run two parallel pitches if you have 10+ players (5 vs 5 mode). NO substitutions or rotations — wet weather means subs get cold standing on the touchline. Keep everyone playing. Shorten halves to 3 minutes each (4 halves total). End the session 3 minutes early if anyone is visibly shivering — better to send them home warm than complete the session.

30-second huddle. NO long talk, no static stretches (cold muscles + static stretches = injury risk). 'Great work today, see you Tuesday' — and let them go. Parents will love you for ending on time in pouring rain.