Soccer Exercises

I wonder what is it about soccer coaching drills that makes kids so keen on it. This is not considered as only a game by them rather a fun activity to channelize their energy. 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 done in a lot of different ways. Offer them to participate in fun activities that direct their energy in building up a feeling of competition amongst them. You should know that it’s a team game. Consequently, add playoffs that cheer the players to keep the team spirit alive.

Of the finest soccer coaching strategies, training kids in an engaging soccer game is one. This will have dual benefit of tapping kid’s energy with helping them stay focused on the game.

Guide the kids to first warm up their bodies by going for a small round of jogging or running. It’s important that they do too much of it. Since kids are a power house of energy, they may easily get overboard without realizing their limit. Take small breaks in between. It allows them to refresh and rejuvenate themselves. You can also use the breaks to discuss the subsequent drills with them.

Soccer Drills

Subsequently, engage them in group or individual activities. For instance, let the player who arrives first to juggle the ball. As players keep coming by, they can join him. In this manner, the entire group gets involved in the activity. Make sure to divide the players into groups for the soccer coaching drills if they get bigger.

There are other nice activities as well such as soccer golf where the players aim the soccer ball at a distant object. Another great activity is soccer volleyball where the kids play in a restricted area without letting the ball touch the ground. These soccer coaching exercises add an element of variety and fun to the 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. As the ball approaches the player, shout the name of the body part that you want the player to use in trapping it. Then the player has to use that body part only. This helps them concentrate on it.

Circuit training is another interesting drill. It pays a lot with large number of players. It is recommended to divide the players into tiny batches and involve them in great many activities. They should do these continuously with small breaks in-between.

Put these to the test right away. Soccer drills can be made extremely interesting by your imagination and creation of new activities.

Now it is up to you to pass these soccer coaching drills to the kids so that they can use them on the field in their sessions. You can benefit from the mass of resources and tips available on our youth soccer coaching community pages by joining 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.

What if I told you that 50% of soccer coaching drills should focus on enhancing the trapping skills of your players? You will not be convinced with the statement. But you know what! According to a study, in addition to dribbling and passing, trapping too plays a vital role in helping teams win matches.

The ability to capture the ball and retain it for a considerable time is called trapping. These are soccer exercises that permit the use of chest, thighs and feet while doing so.

It’s vital for your players to master the skill of trapping the ball. Failing to do so would mean that they can never be in command of the game since this is imperative. Below mentioned methods can be used to teach trapping skills to the players.

Use your feet: As a coach, you must teach the basic lesson of using the feet to maneuver the ball. Particularly in kids soccer drills, teach the kids to use inside of their foot. It is emphasized for the reason that inside area of the foot is big enough to catch hold of the ball.

Soccer Drills

Older and well-established players in soccer coaching drills should be trained to use their full foot, just the top, or instep. Train your players to adopt the strategy to apply ankle or shin to catch hold of the ball when it is jumping a lot.

Thigh Movement: A thigh is very useful in controlling the fast and bouncy approaching ball. Players should be taught to face of the ball, use one thigh to catch the ball and the other to stand on the ground. Most importantly, practice dropping your knee once it connects with the ball for the ball to drop down and stay with you rather than getting away.

Continue repeating this exercise till the time you learn it by heart i.e. stopping the ball with your thigh and then tumbling the thigh down so the ball stays somewhere close to you.

Use the Chest: Just like the thigh, chest too has a vital role to play in trapping the ball flying high in the air. Players should be positioned in front of the ball to face it but using the energy through their chest to stop it. The ball will therefore loose its pace immediately and drop down right away to the feet.

But keep in mind that in soccer training drills, young players are given only a few modest lessons on this technique. It is very typical of them to use their hands while trying to stop the ball with the chest. This can prove to be dangerous as the kids might develop a habit of using their hands while tackling the ball.

These soccer coaching drills should be then acted upon instantly. Encourage the players to practice these to a great extent. If you wish to learn a great deal of such tips and tricks, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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 training fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: http://www.soccerdrillstips.com – Youth Soccer Training Drills.