How to put on a Halloween-themed soccer session

As coaches, we can use events like Halloween as opportunities to engage our players. It’s a chance to make things extra fun and to put a different spin on the way our players learn and practice soccer.

Here are some ways you can Halloween-ify your sessions!

Theme your practices

You can put a Halloween spin on any practice. Chasers can become ghosts, end zones can become mystical caves, the aim of the game can be to defeat the witches. Think about your practices and the small tweaks you can make to turn them into spooky, Halloween games.

Looking for some games that have already been Halloween themed? We’ve got you covered! Check out our Five favourite Halloween games here.

Use spooky names for everything

You might have ghosts as chasers and end zones as mystical caves, but the spooky names don’t have to stop there! What about calling the ball a pumpkin? Or goalposts broomsticks? Or instead of labelling teams by colour or letter, have the ghouls vs the skeletons?

Be as creative as you want to be with it! And let the players lead when they want to – you’ll find most players will get into the spirit (no pun intended) of it.

Dress up

Players love nothing more than seeing their coaches in a different light. You wearing a dinosaur outfit, or even just donning a witches hat, will give them reason to smile.

Encourage the players to dress up too, within the boundaries of health and safety, of course! You could even have a competition for best outfit.

Be mindful, though, that some players might not have the resources to whip up a Halloween outfit. Think about whether dressing up is right for your group, or whether you could bring some spare items for people that might need it, for example.

Decorate

Are there little things you can do to make the space a bit more spooky? Could you have cobwebs on the goals, for example? Or fake spiders hanging from the cross bar? Maybe you could have a cauldron, rather than a bag, holding the bibs.

Little touches like this will make things even more fun, and the players will enjoy discovering them as they go along.

Give out points, like trick or treating

Add a competitive element to the session by giving out points for various things. Points could be for the best outfit, for finding decorations, or for good football skills and behaviour. For players, collecting these points will be like collecting candy. At the end of the session, you can add the points up to see who gets the most.

Of course – you can also think about bringing actual candy to the session. But make sure to think about what’s within your club rules and if you have any allergies in the group.