Space Minions – Fun Soccer Warm Up For Kids

This exciting and fun soccer warm-up game for kids is based on the Despicable Me movies and is a fantastic game to play to add some fun to your soccer training session. In this game, one player will act as the baddy, ‘Gru’, who will try and catch as many players as possible to add to his ‘Minion Army’.

Space Minions Soccer Game

Set Up The Drill

Set up a 25×25 yard grid using small cones. In each corner of the grid mark out another 4×4 yard grid. These are the ‘planets’. Have a supply of balls ready (enough for each player) that you can utilize in the progression.

Instructions

Select one player to start as ‘Gru’ (the baddy) and place them in the center of the grid. All the other players can choose any of the 4 corners (planets) to start in. Explain to the players that Gru is trying to recruit minions for his Space Army. 

Upon the coach’s call, every player must leave the planet they are currently on, go out in space and run to another planet. Gru chases after them and tries to tag them before they reach the safety of another planet. If a player gets tagged they become a Minion and join Gru’s army. The Minions must help Gru to catch more players to join the Minion army. Repeat the game until all but one player has been recruited to the Minion Army. That player is the winner.

Progression

Give every player a ball. They now must dribble the ball out in space when they are running to another planet. If Gru wins the ball off them or kicks it out of the grid, they become a Minion in his army.

Coaching Points

• Encourage players to keep their head up at all times and look for space to run into.
• Can you use your body to ‘duke out’ Gru and the minions? (i.e/pretend to go one way and then go another?)
• Use of cuts, feints, and sharp changes of direction with the ball to avoid getting tackled (progression only).
• Dribble as fast as you can without losing control of the ball (progression only).

Fun Tip:

To make this game even more fun, have the coach start as Gru at the start of the activity.