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The star of this soccer player coloring page is a girl in a number 10 shirt, racing across the middle of a big stadium with the ball at her right foot. Her ponytail flies out behind her and her arms swing wide for balance. A scoreboard above the stands reads 2 to 1, and a packed crowd is on its feet. Three small figures chase after her in the distance, one of them the referee.
Kids from 5 to 12 will enjoy this one, and most need about half an hour. The player herself is big and quick to fill. The crowd is where the time goes.
Picking a kit for number 10
Start with the shirt, since it sets the colors for everything else. The colored sample uses teal with white shorts and teal socks. Your child might want the colors of a local club or a school team, and any mix works as long as the shirt and socks match.
The socks have a white ring near the top. Keep that part light and it will look like the fold of a real sock. The numeral on the shirt is an outlined shape, so it can take a second color. White on teal is easy to read, and so is yellow on blue.
For the rivals, go with something that clashes. If she is in teal, put them in yellow. The referee has a dark kit, which helps kids find that small figure on the far side of the field.
Handy ways to tackle a stadium scene
- Color the crowd first, while the page is clean. Three or four shirt colors, repeated, look like a real full stand.
- Do the board under the crowd in strong blocks. KICK and GOAL can stand out in yellow and green.
- Light the floodlights with a pale yellow, then go around them with a little orange.
- Fill the center circle with a slightly lighter green so it stays easy to see.
Sharp colored pencils are your friend in the stands. Felt tips work better on the player, since she has large smooth shapes. Slide a spare sheet underneath if you use both.
What a number 10 does
In soccer, the number 10 is often the team's playmaker, the one who sets up goals with clever passes. Pele, the great Brazilian forward, wore it for most of his career and helped make it famous. Older kids can read about each job on the field at Wikipedia's guide to soccer positions.
Top players often run around 6 or 7 miles in a single match. Much of that comes in short bursts, with quick stops and turns, and not at a steady jog.
Dribbling takes small touches. A good player keeps the ball close, using both feet and both sides of each foot. In the picture, the ball is just ahead of her front boot, ready for the next touch.
Keep the game going after your soccer player coloring page
Have your child fill in the scoreboard with a real result, then write a short news report under the picture. Who scored? How did the crowd react? Even three lines is a fun bit of writing for a reluctant kid.
Or head outside with a real ball and try the same pose. Set four cones in a line and dribble in and out of them, using small touches. Time each run, and write the best one on the back of the page.
Pages for your next player
You will find this drawing in our football coloring pages. For a bit of team spirit, print the soccer team photo next. Fans of the American game can compare her kit with the pads and helmet on our football player.
Questions
Can the player be a boy?
Of course. Color the ponytail to match the shirt as a headband ribbon or draw shorter hair over it with a dark marker.
Why does the board say 2 and 1?
It shows a close game. Kids can cross it out and add their own score, or a team name above it.
Is the crowd hard to color?
It has about 40 small faces, so it takes patience. A child can color shirts only and leave the faces plain.
