I wonder what is it about soccer coaching drills that makes kids so keen on it. Kids look at these drills as an opportunity to have pleasure and not just a sport. So it becomes a sort of challenge for a coach to make youth soccer drills so interesting that kids just cannot wait to get to the field.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways. You can introduce a lot of games, fun drills, and even activities that promote a sense of competition among them. You should know that it’s a team game. Consequently, add playoffs that cheer the players to keep the team spirit alive.
Soccer coaching strategies has it’s best part in kicking off with the kids in an enjoyable soccer drill. It helps you to utilize their tremendous energy as well as make them focus on the game.
You can start with the kids doing a short round of jogging to enable them to warm their bodies up. Keep a check and see that it’s not overdone. It is easy for them to go overboard since they are full of energy and would not know when to stop. Ensure a few breaks between them. This way they will stay energized and alert. You can also use this time to talk to them about the next set of exercises.
Then, include the players in group or individual exercises. Take an example, the player who arrives first starts juggling the ball. He is then joined by players who keep coming in. In this way the whole group is involved in the activity. Make sure to divide the players into groups for the soccer coaching drills if they get bigger.
There are different activities such as soccer golf where the kids must aim and throw the ball at a distant object. There is another activity called the soccer volleyball in which the kids play in a small area and the idea is not to let the ball touch the ground. These soccer coaching exercises add interest and enjoyment to the practice sessions.
Apart from it, have the players dribble the ball and also use other parts of the body but not hands. Do not be aggressive. Keep in kind that they are children and will take time to master the skills. A great way of making this exercise interesting is shouting out the name of a specific body part such as foot, knee, elbow etc when the player is ready to tackle the ball. Then the player must use that body part. This helps them pay attention to it.
Another characteristic of fascinating drills is circuit training. It is extremely useful with large number of players. Divide the players into small groups and give them several tasks. The players should engage in these activities endlessly with small intervals.
Start testing them immediately. If you are creative, you can make up new and interesting activities every day.
Now that you have learnt these soccer coaching drills, transfer these to the kids so that they can make the best use of them on the field. You can use the tons of resources available on our youth soccer coaching community forums by subscribing to it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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 training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: http://www.soccerdrillstips.com – Youth Soccer Practice Drills.
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