Soccer Exercises

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 by far the biggest problem that a coach and the players face. The player keeps overall balance and the leg to be used to kick the ball is bent at the knee. Both position and control to kick the ball appears from below the knee.

This is the starting point for almost all styles of kicks in soccer practice. The increase of rate of the foot from below the knee puts together a powerful blow on the ball. This gives players the power to execute a variety of kicks. However, what type of a kick would it be is determined by the precise contact of the foot on the ball.

For example; it could be thumped very high, driven low, turn sharply to the left, or move 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. It is generally used for making short distance passes. Though it is a little slow and quite predictable during the game but is very easy for the kids to learn and execute accurately. The ball touches the inside of the foot and the ankle with the foot turned outwards.

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: Since this pass can never be predicted, is pretty accurate and quick, players must be trained on this even though it’s a little tough to master. The ball makes a contact between the laces and the outside edge of the foot, when the foot is extended and turned inward. The pass is then transformed into a quick throw for short distances by using the foot.

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. Once mastered, this style can also be modified 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, go ahead and teach your players these basic kicking techniques with variations to make the ball do slightly different things.

If you would like to enhance your knowledge on coaching soccer drills for kids, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that has a huge amount of information in form of articles, newsletters and videos.

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.

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. Let’s say that the soccer practice has one broad goal for both the coach and the player and it is to have fun while participating in the practice sessions.

At this point, it’s important to stay alert or else you’ll get distracted by other things. So, it is suggested that more specific objectives are decided upon that benefit not only the team but also the coach. For example; develop a sense of team spirit and a sporting attitude in your players, help them identify their individual soccer skills, and emphasize on improving their physical fitness.

When it comes to sportsmanship, the onus lies on you to set a high standard for the players. Encourage attitudes like fair play, team spirit, and sportsmanship. However, in teaching soccer, you can have numerous other objectives that you can add to those mentioned above.

One more concept that needs to be highlighted in youth soccer coaching is the notion of winning the match. 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.

Soccer Coaching

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.

In coaching soccer drills, make sure that your instructions are very precise for them to be effective. Before coaching, you need to teach your players about some explicit do’s and don’ts in soccer. The dissimilarity between coaching and teaching lies in the fact that coaching is concerned with a group of players who are already familiar with the game to a certain extent.

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.

Therefore, consider giving demonstrations wherever you can.

Last but by no means the least; keep your players active with several purposeful activities. This holds even bigger importance when the weather is not conducive to a regular session. 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.

Just make sure that in a situation like this, your kids have an extra layer of clothing and proper footwear.

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.

To know more about coaching soccer drills, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that offers effective and practical knowledge to help you excel in your career as a soccer coach.

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.

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 both skill and instinct to develop the art of good shooting. But apart from this, there is something else that is equally important and that is forceful attitude.

Every player should take care of this but it is more upon forward players to shoot the ball. When you are teaching soccer, give shooting top priority.

There are so many things that may be a consequence of shooting. Shots can be redirected into the goal. The goalkeeper might drop the ball exactly at the feet of your forward player. Rowdy shots can turn into accurate 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 conditioned in a way that the only thought that keeps roaming inside their mind is getting the ball into the nets. In England, these attacking players are called sniffers. This is due to the fact that they are always on the lookout for 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.

In most cases, when the ball is knocked with a view to get it through the goalpost, it is termed as a shot. But driving the ball through the middle using the laces of the foot is by far the most effective technique for shooting. While performing this, head of the player should be over the ball, his upper body be steady, and his toes should be extended.

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. The reason is that low shots are especially difficult for the goalies to stop as they have to move their hands a greater distance than for high shots.

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. In coaching soccer drills, don’t allow the kids to play in adult sized goals to stop this practice.

So now go teach you kids to become master shooters when it comes to scoring goals by checking the goalie’s position once before they are ready to shoot.

To know more about tips on coaching young players, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that offers effective and practical knowledge to help you excel in your career as a soccer coach.

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: Youth 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. The reason I say this is because in the last few years, the fine line between coaching and educating has gradually dissolved.

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 concentrate on their professional grooming and simultaneously educate them about the game. In certain situations, it has been observed that this educational side in soccer takes a backseat.

Still, we must not forget one theory on which the coaching drills for the layers should be based. A young player becomes an elite player of great renown only when he grows as an individual first and then as a soccer player. A coach should therefore act according to the above principle.

If we try to figure out something that cheers a former player to become a coach is pretty easy.
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

Some look at youth coaching as a stepping stone to coaching adults. There are still others who take this up because they truly love working with kids and wish to share with them their passion for soccer. Theses reasons are both suitable as well as acceptable. 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’s a capable and an expert coach who alone can cheer his players to fall in love with soccer so much so that they begin to experience it as an upbeat and a stimulating practice. During the soccer practice, a coach should ensure that the players can openly convey their feelings through the game.

All players in the team vary in terms of strength, style, and individual skills unique to them. 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.

So we must understand that not every soccer player is cut out to be a skillful and a proficient youth team coach. 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.

You can lay your hands 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 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.