Has it ever occurred to you that head can be very effectively used in passing on the ball when it is still in the air? This heading skill in youth soccer drills causes no physical harm to the players when it is executed correctly.
In case your players have not performed this skill of heading before, start teaching them by using a deflated ball. This can be done by letting some air out of the ball so that it shrinks and becomes soft and supple for kids to play. Including heading skill in the kids soccer drills requires you to first teach them the basics of this skill before starting with the practice.
Teach the players to move along the ball in such a way that their body comes directly in front of the ball when they get in contact with it. The players must keep their eyes fixed the ball all the way through, till the time it comes into contact with their forehead.
Make the players aware of the fact that it is of utmost importance for them to keep their eyes open and on the ball when it comes to or goes away from them. If they close their eyes, they’ll get hurt. Players in youth soccer practice should learn to strike the ball by using the top-front portion of their forehead rather than using their temples or top of the head.
A large number of youth soccer drills call attention to the movement involved in correctly handling the ball. Out of many, here are two drills that your players can perform.
Sitting and Knees: This youth soccer coaching drill involves just 2 players and a ball. One player needs to sit on the ground with the legs stretched out in the front. The second player will stand directly in front of the first one and throw the ball really low towards him or her. The objective behind this is that because the ball is thrown short, the person will have to come forward to hit it.
Keep doing this activity with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Then the player will have to bend forward to strike the ball. This drill is useful in teaching the players to use their head in guiding the ball.
Head out of Hands: You will need cones and a ball for each player in this drill. This drill requires the players to hold the ball with their hands and the throw it off by heading it. They should be taught to move their head to the ball and not move the ball to their head.
The cones can help the players learn heading to a particular location. The players learn the techniques to head the ball accurately and using their head.
So now you know, using youth soccer drills, the players will learn to safely head the ball in a game without hurting themselves. There is a huge amount of resources in our youth soccer coaching community and you can benefit from it all by subscribing to it.
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Practice.
Tags: kids soccer drills, youth soccer coaching, youth soccer drills, youth soccer practice