You might disagree, but hear me out on this. It’s important in soccer drills that players are able to have a sense of the game and as such teach them the very basics of soccer. This soccer training should precede the training the kids on more complex components of soccer or the correct method of playing on field.
Since you are a soccer coach, the onus lies on you that the players start on a right note. For this reason, coach your players on every important soccer skill forming the basis of the game. Discussed below are some basics of the game that every budding player must know.
Teach the players the skills of shooting and dribbling the ball: Players must first learn the two most basic techniques in soccer, dribbling and shooting. To become a successful player, these skills have a major role to play in their game. But, for teaching these soccer exercises, you should see that all preparations are made in advance.
Start with positioning several players over the soccer field and arrange all players in a straight line on either ends of field.
Afterwards tell them to start. The players must then run around and attempt to catch the ball using their foot while dribbling and shooting it inside the goal on opposite side of the field. These two soccer drills will be easily mastered by the players if they practice it regularly.
Passing the ball and following directions: These soccer skills will help the players to learn the value of playing in a team. In the end, soccer is a team game that must be jointly shared by all the team members. They can never learn to play as a team if they do not possess good passing skills, and do not know how to follow simple directions.
You can use a simple exercise to make the players learn the passing skills and understand your directions. In the beginning, make the entire team line up in a single row at one side of the field. Place one team member stand in front of the single line at a distance of 5-10 feet.
When you give them a green signal, the first one in the row will try to get the ball from other players present on the field. When they are told to stop, the one with the ball should pass it on to the first player in the line. In this soccer practice, players will get an opportunity to practice listening and following instructions.
Handling the Ball: As a coach, you must train the players on the skill of dealing with the ball with the help of other body parts, excluding their feet. This way they’ll be able to perform more spontaneously on the field. Do this by making the player’s practice bouncing the ball with their heads and knees, or stopping the ball with their backs.
Soccer drills like these help in developing players that become match winners and make their way to learning more difficult components of the game. You can get as much information as you like on all soccer related topics by joining our youth soccer coaching community. So go ahead and become a member today.
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: Soccer drills.