Forwarding the ball by using the head while the ball is still in the air is an effective method and most of us have never thought about it. Doing this skill in youth soccer drills is particularly safe when it is carried out with care and caution.
Before you begin with training the players in the skill of heading, deflate the ball a bit especially when they are doing it the first time. Let some air out of the ball so that it becomes soft and easy to handle. Including heading skill in the kids soccer drills requires you to first teach them the basics of this skill before starting with the practice.
The players should learn to move along the ball while it is still in air because they need to be in front of the ball when making a contact with it. They should keep their eyes on the ball all the way in, and continue watching it as it strikes their forehead.
Make the players aware of the fact that it is of utmost importance for them to keep their eyes open and on the ball when it comes to or goes away from them. They can be seriously hurt of they don’t keep their eyes open. Players in youth soccer practice should learn to strike the ball by using the top-front portion of their forehead rather than using their temples or top of the head.
Almost all youth soccer drills emphasize the movement involved in properly heading the ball. Two of the drills have been explained below for a better understand of yours.
Sitting and Knees: When it comes to youth soccer coaching, this drill uses 2 players and 1 ball. One player needs to sit on the ground with the legs stretched out in the front. The second player should stand right in front of the second guy and pass the ball very low towards the other player. The concept is that the ball will be thrown short so that the person towards whom it travels has to come forward to hit it.
Repeat this activity with one player positioned with both knees on the ground. Here, the player will have to lunge forward to strike the ball. Using this drill, the players learn to use their head to steer the ball.
Head out of Hands: In this drill, one requires cones and a ball for each player. The players need to hold the ball with their hands and then knock it off by heading it. They should be taught to move their head to the ball and not move the ball to their head.
When the cones are used, the kids learn to head the ball to a particular location. The players learn the techniques to head the ball in a direction using their head.
So now you know, using youth soccer drills, the players will learn to safely head the ball in a game without hurting themselves. Our youth soccer coaching community has tons of valuable information on youth soccer and you can take advantage of it by enrolling for it.
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: Soccer Practice.