Soccer Coaching Young Girls

Would you be surprised if I let you know that it’s really tricky for the young players to kick the ball with a straight leg? In coaching soccer drills, this is the trickiest part as far as the players and the coaches are concerned. The player keeps overall balance and the leg to be used to kick the ball is bent at the knee. Both power and stance to kick the ball emerges from below the knee.

In soccer practice, this is the starting position for almost all types of kicks. The speeding up of the foot from below the knee generates a great impact on the ball. This gives players the power to execute a variety of kicks. Still, the style of kick that would emerge would depend upon the nature of contact of the ball with the foot.

For example; it could be knocked very high, driven low, turn left, or sway to the right.

There are three basic passes in soccer namely, a side foot pass, the outside of the foot pass, and the instep drive. Let’s discuss them further.

Soccer Coaching

The side foot pass: In teaching soccer, this pass is considered as the most extensively used and the simplest. This is usually employed to make short distance passes. Despite the fact that this is somewhat slow and predictable, it’s easy to learn and simple to execute. The foot turned outward, ball comes into contact on the outside of the ankle and the foot.

When you are in the midst of coaching soccer drills, teach the players to be at ease with respect to their body. This is the most basic rule with all types of kicking actions. The ankle and the foot should be stiffened only at the time of contact with the ball.

The moment players feel confident about carrying out this task well; their action should seem relaxed, simple, as well as smooth.

Outside of the foot pass: This pass is a little complex to teach and learn but it must be learnt well as it’s the quickest, most accurate, and unpredictable pass. The ball gets in touch between the outside edge of the foot and the laces with the foot extended and turned inwards. With the help of the foot, the pass is modified into a quick flick for short distances.

During all these coaching drills, the body posture should be relaxed.

The Instep Drive: Both the versions of instep drive i.e. the low driven version and the lofted version are brought into play to pass the ball over longer distances. There is also an option to adapt this style to make a “chip pass” or an “in swinging pass”. Because the approach of the instep drive is angled to some extent, the non kicking foot is positioned about 12 inches toward the side of and behind the ball.

The ball makes a contact with the laces and inside of the foot, which should be firm and extended.

So then, go on and train your players on these basic techniques of kicking along with the variations so that the ball does little different things.

You can also get your hand on loads of relevant information pertaining to coaching soccer drills in form of newsletters, articles, and videos by subscribing to our youth soccer coaching community.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Training Drills.

It is well known that in coaching soccer drills, every skill and teamwork imparted to the players has only 1 objective; to shoot the goal. It takes skill as well as gut feeling to produce quality shooting. But apart from this, there is something else that is equally important and that is forceful attitude.

Even though, all players must do this but it is more onto the forward players to shoot the ball. While teaching soccer, put shooting on the top of your priority list.

There a number of things that may come out of shooting. Shots can be redirected into the goal. It might be that the goalkeeper drops the ball at the foot of your forward player. Wild shots can turn into great passes. Ground shots can get a timely rebound. You might even score a goal directly from the shot.

When in soccer practice, attacking players are always looking for a chance to shoot the ball right into the goal. They are trained in a way that they think of nothing else but scoring goals. These attacking players are known as sniffers in England. This happens because they are always reviewing scoring chances.

Soccer Coaching

They consider every chance the last chance to score a goal and hence shoot accordingly. You’ll always find them at the right place at the right time. They’ll even make the most of being in the wrong place at the right time. Therefore, in coaching soccer drills you must ask the players to hit the ball at every opportunity.

As a rule, a shot is whenever the ball it hit in the direction of the goal with the intent to score. Yet, one technique that is most effective is driving the ball through the middle by use of the laces of the foot. The player’s head should be over the ball, his toe extended, and his upper body should remain steady.

The players should be taught in coaching drills to shoot the ball low and wide of the goalie. In such a scenario, high shots are less preferred that low ground shots. This is because goalies find it difficult to stop the ground shots as they have to stretch their hands relatively more.

When kids practice inside the regulation sized goals, they are likely to score more by striking the ball above the goalie’s head. You must discourage your players to do this as it instills the habit of shooting high goals. When coaching soccer drills, put a stop to this activity by not permitting kids to play in adult sized goals.

So get going and train your team members to see and confirm the goalkeeper’s position before they shoot the ball into the goalpost.

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Before you get on with coaching soccer drills to kids, let me share with you some teaching ideas that are sure to help you, whether you agree or not. During soccer practice, focus on a specific objective like kids must have loads of fun in the game as it benefits both the coach and the players.

At this point, it’s important to stay alert or else you’ll get distracted by other things. For this reason, I suggest that your goals should be as precise as possible both for your own good and for the good of your team. A few examples are promoting the physical fitness of the players, developing a good sporting attitude towards competition, and focusing on the individual soccer skills.

It is your duty to set reasonably high standards for players in relation to sportsmanship. Encourage attitudes like fair play, team spirit, and sportsmanship. When teaching soccer, you have the option to include any number of relevant objectives along with the ones stated above.

The theory of winning is one concept that I’d like to stress upon when it comes to coaching youth soccer. When you coach your kids, you must instill an open concept of winning in their minds. Teach them that as long as their performance is out of ordinary on the field, they are winners, no matter what the final result.

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The players as a result will feel totally relaxed but much more responsible to play the game sensibly with the team’s objectives in their mind.

When coaching soccer drills, always keep in mind the importance of giving clear and correct instructions if they are to be helpful. There are some clear dos and don’ts in soccer on which the players must be taught before you go ahead with your coaching sessions. The variation between coaching and teaching is prominent because coaching deals with a bunch of players who already play soccer pretty well.

While coaching drills, it is preferable to first demonstrate the drill to the kids and then give them a free hand in executing it themselves. This is because young players generally do not respond to oral instructions very well. If you attempt to explain an action in words, they won’t understand it. Relatively, they imitate perfectly.

Consequently, at all possible times, give a demonstration.

Finally, but still very important is your ability to keep the kids engaged in important activities. This becomes even more important when the weather is windy, wet, or cold. It’s a fact that all kids love to play in the rain. Hence, instead of simply cancelling the session, it makes more sense to have them play soccer games or something like that.

Ensure that in situations like these, the kids are wearing proper soccer gear as well as additional protection.

Now, it is time to add these tips to your training program and make the most of them. You’ll be amazed to see the results.

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Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Coaching soccer drills.

If you think the way I do, I’m sure you’ll agree that in coaching soccer drills, zeroing down the best method to organize conditioning programs is by far the most difficult part. There is a reason why I’m saying this and it’s because the thin line between educating and coaching the players has somehow vanished.

Regrettably, many coaches still don’t understand that when teaching soccer, drawing a coaching plan based on the player’s needs is of paramount importance. They should make an effort to develop them professionally together with educating them on the game. In some situations, it is seen many a times that the educational aspect in soccer is neglected totally.

Nevertheless, while deciding on the coaching drills that kids are to perform; one rule should be kept in mind. A young player becomes an elite player of great renown only when he grows as an individual first and then as a soccer player. The coach must therefore base his strategy on the above stated principle.

It’s easy to find out the reason that pushes a player to take on the duty of a coach.
Once his playing days are over, he desires to remain involved in the world of soccer. As a result, many successful players become soccer coaches. However, what they don’t understand is the seriousness that this role requires.

Soccer Coaching

It is considered by some as the first step that’ll take them towards the prospects of coaching adult players. Some look at this opportunity as a way to be able to share their passion for the game of soccer with the budding players. Both are compelling and very well acceptable reasons. But it’s not only these duties but additional principles too that need to be taken into consideration.

When it comes to coaching soccer drills, communication is the key concept and unfortunately, it is still very difficult for people to accept. It is not necessary that anyone who has achieved great success for ten consecutive years in various age groups can be regarded as a skilled youth coach.

There are a few standards that a youth soccer coach is expected to not only set but also meet. It requires a proficient and a skilled coach to push young players in loving soccer and regard it as an encouraging and an exciting incident in their lives. During the soccer practice, the players should feel at ease all the time so that their feelings are conveyed openly in course of the game.

In a team, there are players with varied talents, stamina, and caliber. It is not important whether each of them has great potential and skills of a winner or not. What is most important is that every single player must be able to reach his own ability ultimately.

This needs to be understood that every soccer player, no matter how skilled, renowned, and competent he may be, is not capable of coaching young players. Working with kids must come naturally to him; an inherent gift to get in touch with their human side and emotional feelings.

Some food for thought; serious consideration of one’s real motivations should always be a precondition in this context.

There is lot more that you can equip yourself about coaching soccer drills by just subscribing to our youth soccer caching community that offers a great amount of knowledge by way of articles, newsletters, and videos.

Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Soccer Drills.