Ever wondered the effectiveness of using the head to readdress the ball while 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. Let some air out of the ball so that it becomes soft and easy to handle. When it comes to kids soccer drills, like always, begin with the basics of heading, some of which I’ll be happy to share with you.
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. Teach the players to continue watching the ball all the way through and until that time when it strikes 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 their eyes are closed, they can be hurt. In youth soccer practice, players should be taught to strike the ball with the top-front area of the forehead instead of the temples or crown of the head.
Majority of the youth soccer drills lay stress on the value of movement necessary to head the ball accurately. Out of many, here are two drills that your players can perform.
Sitting and Knees: This drill in youth soccer coaching requires 2 players and a ball. One player should sit on the ground with the legs spread 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. Here, the player will have to lunge forward to strike the ball. Using this drill, the players learn to use their head to steer the ball.
Head out of Hands: This drill requires cones and one ball for each player. It requires the player to hold the ball with his hands and then knock the ball out of their hands by heading it. They should learn the art of moving their head to the ball and vice-versa.
When the cones are used, the kids learn to head the ball to a particular location. The players acquire the skill of heading the ball in a particular direction using their head.
So this is it; using these youth soccer drills, your players will get confident in heading the ball and competing without getting hurt. There is a wealth of information and resources on youth soccer available in our youth soccer coaching community and you too can take advantage of it by registering for 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.
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