Have you ever imagined how the use of the head can be an effective way of redirecting the ball when it is still in the air? This does not hurt the player in any way if is it practiced correctly in the youth soccer drills.
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.
When the ball is in air, teach the players to move along with it so that their body is directly in front of it when they face the ball. They should keep their eyes on the ball all the way in, and continue watching it as it strikes their forehead.
Let the kids understand the significance of keeping an eye on the ball and watch it coming to them and going away from them. If they close their eyes, they’ll get hurt. In youth soccer practice, teach players to strike the ball with the forehead’s top-front part instead of the crown or temples.
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 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 should stand right in front of the second guy and pass the ball very low towards the other player. The idea is to throw the ball short so that the one heading it has to move forward to strike the ball.
This activity should be repeated with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Now, the player will have to move forward to actually shoot 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. The players need to hold the ball with their hands and then knock it off by heading it. They should be instructed to move their head to the ball and then the ball to their head.
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 there you have it; youth soccer drills to develop the skill of heading amongst the players and enable them to compete in the game without the fear of getting hurt. 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