Soccer Goalkeeper Drills

How would you react to the fact that one thing that young players find truly hard is to use a straight leg to kick the ball? In coaching soccer drills, this is the trickiest part as far as the players and the coaches are concerned. The player has to be in total balance and the leg used for kicking the ball is bent at the knee. Both poise and power to kick the ball comes 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. The players get immense power from this to perform several styles 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 chipped very high, driven low, swerved left, or swung right.

There are three vital passes in soccer i.e. a side foot pass, the outside of the foot pass, and the instep drive. We’ll now chat about them further.

Soccer Coaching

The side foot pass: In teaching soccer, this is the most widely used and the simplest pass. It is generally used for making short distance passes. Although this pass is slightly slow and almost predictable, it’s very simple to teach the kids and perform accurately. 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. The most essential rule pertaining to various kicking action is this. The ankle and the foot need to be stiffened only at the time when the players is about to get in contact with the ball.

After the players are confident in it’s execution, their action should appear comfortable, smooth, and natural.

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. The pass is then transformed into a quick throw for short distances by using the foot.

In coaching drills, it’s imperative that the players maintain a comfortable posture.

The Instep Drive: Both the lofted version and the low driven version of the instep drive are used to pass the ball over longer distances. After the players have learnt it, variations can be brought in to make a “chip pass” or an “in swinging pass”. As the approach of the instep drive is slightly angled and the non kicking foot is placed about 12 inches to the side of and behind the ball.

Here, the ball gets into contact in between the inside of the foot and the laces which is extended and very firm.

So, go forward and make the kids try different things with the ball by teaching them the basic kicking techniques as well its variations.

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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.

In coaching soccer drills, there are certain training tips that I’d like to share with you before you initiate your training program even if you have been doing this for quite a long time. 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.

Here, it’s easy to lose track of the fun part if you are not cautious. I therefore recommend that you decide on more specific objectives for yourself and your soccer team. 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. Support them in developing a sporting attitude, a feeling of team spirit, and an attitude of fair play. When teaching soccer, you have the option to include any number of relevant objectives along with the ones stated above.

Winning is another important concept that I’d like to emphasize in coaching youth soccer. Try to infuse an open idea of winning the game inside your player’s minds while training them. Let them know that to be tagged as winners, they must focus on playing their best game and not worry about the results.

Soccer Coaching

This will take away the pressure off the kids and they’ll focus more on playing their best game rather than just winning it.

In coaching soccer drills, make sure that your instructions are very precise for them to be effective. Before you start coaching your team, educate your players on some specific do’s and don’ts in the game of soccer. 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. It is because kids have a tendency to learn quickly by watching than by listening. If you endeavor to explain in instructions, they will not understand it. Instead, they take demonstrations more enthusiastically.

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 holds even bigger importance when the weather is not conducive to a regular session. It is well known that the kids love playing in the rain. Therefore, in place of cancelling the training session, rearrange it in a way that the players make the most of their energy and time.

Just keep in mind that the kids should be wearing additional protective gear in such weather.

Move forward now and start using these tips to your training sessions. You will be surprised by 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.

You may have heard that in coaching soccer drills, all skills have only 1 goal and that is to take a shot at the goal. It takes skill as well as gut feeling to produce quality shooting. But there is one more thing that is equally important towards shooting; an aggressive attitude.

It is the responsibility of every player but more importantly that of the 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 converted into goals. It might be that the goalkeeper drops the ball at the foot of your forward player. Unruly shots can turn into brilliant passes. Ground shots may spring back. You may even hit a goal through a straight shot.

During the soccer practice, attacking players are always on a lookout to shoot the ball into the goal at every possible opportunity. They are conditioned in a way that the only thought that keeps roaming inside their mind is getting the ball into the nets. These attacking players are referred to 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. They are always present when the opportunity is right. They have the skills to even convert negative situations into positive ones. So, in coaching soccer drills motivate the players to kick the ball whenever they can.

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. While performing this, head of the player should be over the ball, his upper body be steady, and his toes should be extended.

In the course of coaching drills, teach your players to shoot the ball wide and low to the goalie. Here, low ground shots are preferred over high shots. For the reason that goalies have to stretch their hands a greater distance to stop low ground shots, it is a little tricky for them.

Young players tend to score more when they practice inside regulation sized goals by kicking the ball above the head of the goalkeeper. As a result of it, the players develop the tendency to shoot high goals so this must be discouraged. This practice can be put to stop in coaching soccer drills by not allowing players to adult sized goals.

So go ahead and make your players expert in shooting the ball to score goals by confirming the position of the goalkeeper once before shooting.

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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.

In coaching soccer drills, there’s no doubt that perhaps the most complex part is that of finding out the most appropriate method of managing the conditioning schedules of the players. 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.

Unfortunately, not all coaches realize that teaching soccer involves designing coaching plans specific to the players’s requirements. At the same time, they should focus not only on professionally coaching the kids but also educating them. 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 player should first grow as an individual before he grows and becomes a prominent soccer player of great repute. The coach must therefore base his strategy on the above stated principle.

The main reason why an individual decides to become a coach is fairly simple to make out.
After the player is no more a part of the team, he wishes to continue being associated with soccer. This results in many successful soccer players settling down as coaches. But they fail to seriously consider the nature of this job.

Soccer Coaching

Some look at youth coaching as a stepping stone to coaching adults. Some others decide to take up this role due to their love towards the sport and an intention to instill the same passion in the kids. 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.

Communication is main aspect in coaching soccer drills, but unfortunately it’s very complicated for almost everyone to acknowledge. It is not enough to have a great career history spanning many years of top rated success and achievements to qualify as a professional coach.

To become a youth soccer coach, the goals that one needs to set for himself are well defined. 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.

All players in the team vary in terms of strength, style, and individual skills unique to them. What’s not important is that every player must possess the competence and talents of a great player. What is actually important is that each player ultimately reaches his own potential.

The fact that every successful, skilled, and competent player does not necessarily make a talented youth coach must be understood. A special ability to work with kids is of paramount importance; an inborn gift to make contact with people and nurturing relationships.

Some food for thought; try and figure out the true motivations that cheer you to follow this prospect since it’s a pre requirement in this context.

Register to our youth soccer coaching community that has loads of knowledge on coaching soccer drills available in form of newsletters, articles, and videos relevant to coaching young players.

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.