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I’m not sure if you know this but young players have real trouble in kicking the ball by using a straight leg? Both coach and the kids feel that this is by far the greatest trouble in way of coaching soccer drills. It calls for the player to keep complete balance and bend the leg at the knee in order to kick the ball. Both posture and strength to kick the ball comes out from below the knee.

This is the preliminary position in soccer practice for almost all kinds of kicks. The acceleration of the foot from below the knee creates a powerful impact 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 knocked very high, driven low, turn left, or sway to the right.

In soccer, the three critical passes are the instep drive, a side foot pass, and the outside of the foot pass. Let’s discuss them further.

Soccer Coaching

The side foot pass: In teaching soccer, this is the most widely used and the simplest pass. This is usually employed to make short distance passes. Despite the fact that this is somewhat slow and predictable, it’s easy to learn and simple to execute. The contact with the ball is made on the inside of the ankle and the foot with the foot turned outwards.

In coaching soccer drills, guide the players to keep their bodies totally relaxed throughout the entire movement. The most essential rule pertaining to various kicking action is this. Players should strengthen the ankle and the foot only at the time of making contact with the ball.

Subsequently, as players are convinced of their ability to perform it, the action should come out smooth, natural, and relaxed.

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 gets in touch between the outside edge of the foot and the laces with the foot extended and turned inwards. With the help of the foot, the pass is modified into a quick flick for short distances.

During all these coaching drills, the body posture should be relaxed.

The Instep Drive: Here, the two versions; lofted versions and the low driven version are utilized to pass the ball to longer distances. After the players have learnt it, variations can be brought in to make a “chip pass” or an “in swinging pass”. 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 then, go on and train your players on these basic techniques of kicking along with the variations so that the ball does little different things.

Subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that has tons of interesting articles, videos, and newsletters to help coaches get tips on coaching soccer drills to young players.

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.

You’ll more that agree with me that when it comes to coaching soccer drills, the toughest part is where the most suitable mode of organizing the player’s conditioning schedules is to be decided upon. This is because in the past few years, the distinction between educating the players and coaching them has diminished.

I’m sorry to say that even today, there are many coaches who fail to recognize the importance of designing player specific coaching plans in teaching soccer. The players must be taught about the game as a person along with their professional conditioning and training. There have been a number of situations where this educational facet of soccer has not been considered at all.

However, we should always remember one principle while working out the coaching drills for kids. 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.

It’s easy to find out the reason that pushes a player to take on the duty of a coach.
His desire to remain associated with the game even after his days as a team player are over. As a result, many successful players become soccer coaches. But they fail to seriously consider the nature of this job.

Soccer Coaching

It is considered by some as the first step that’ll take them towards the prospects of coaching adult players. Some look at this opportunity as a way to be able to share their passion for the game of soccer with the budding players. Both the reasons are equally acceptable and convincing. But at the same time, the person should also be aware of the moral responsibility that his choice implies.

Communication is main aspect in coaching soccer drills, but unfortunately it’s very complicated for almost everyone to acknowledge. The absolute qualification of a youth soccer coach is not necessarily his successful career as a brilliant player consecutively for some good number of years.

In order to be accepted as a great coach, certain standards need to be set and followed. 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, the players should feel at ease all the time so that their feelings are conveyed openly in course of the game.

In a team, there are players with varied talents, stamina, and caliber. It is not important whether each of them has great potential and skills of a winner or not. But what’s really important is that every player must reach his own competence in the due course.

The fact that every successful, skilled, and competent player does not necessarily make a talented youth coach must be understood. He should have a special bent for working with young players; an innate gift for human contact and emotional 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.

There is lot more that you can equip yourself about coaching soccer drills by just subscribing to our youth soccer caching community that offers a great amount of knowledge by way of articles, newsletters, and videos.

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.

You may know this already that in coaching soccer drills, every other skill leads to one final aim, a shot at the goal. It is both a matter of skill and intuition to cultivate the art of shooting. But other than this, winning attitude is also equally important.

All the players must be involved in this but more importantly; it is up to the forward players to shoot the ball. When teaching soccer, give a lot of emphasis on shooting.

There are so many things that may result from a shoot. Shots can be redirected into the goal. The goalkeeper might drop the ball exactly at the feet of your forward player. Wild shots can turn into great passes. Ground shots may bounce back. You might even score a goal directly from the 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 trained in a way that they think of nothing else but scoring goals. These attacking players are known as sniffers in England. It is so because they are always looking for scoring opportunities.

Soccer Coaching

They take every chance for a shot as if it is the last chance that they’ll ever get. They are always present when the opportunity is right. Amazingly, they have the ability to be in the wrong place at the right time. Hence, in coaching soccer drills, you must instruct the players to hit the ball whenever they get a chance.

In most cases, when the ball is knocked with a view to get it through the goalpost, it is termed as a shot. Yet, one technique that is most effective is driving the ball through the middle by use of the laces of the foot. The player’s head should be over the ball, his toe extended, and his upper body should remain steady.

The players should be taught in coaching drills to shoot the ball low and wide of the goalie. At this point, low ground shots are favored 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 while practicing inside regulation sized goals, tend to score more by kicking the ball over the head of the goalkeeper. As a result of it, the players develop the tendency to shoot high goals so this must be discouraged. When coaching soccer drills, put a stop to this activity by not permitting kids to play in adult sized goals.

Now get out there and start teaching your players to look up once before they shoot the ball with a view to check the position of the goalkeeper.

If you would like to enhance your knowledge on soccer coaching 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 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.

Even though I’m not very sure about how you work, I’d still like to discuss some simple yet effective teaching techniques in coaching soccer drills before you start your practice sessions. In your soccer practice, identify one goal that is common to both the team and the coach for example; to have a lot of fun while playing the game.

At this time, it’s essential to follow your goal and not feel distracted by other things. Consequently, identify such objectives that are particularly important for you as a coach and also equally important for the team. Some examples are; focus on player’s individual soccer skills, promote the importance of their physical fitness, and help them grow into mature, professional, and sporting soccer players.

You, being the coach are solely responsible to set high standards for sportsmanship. 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.

The theory of winning is one concept that I’d like to stress upon when it comes to coaching youth soccer. Infuse an open concept of winning in your player’s minds when you are coaching them. 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

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

When coaching soccer drills, always keep in mind the importance of giving clear and correct instructions if they are to be helpful. There are some clear dos and don’ts in soccer on which the players must be taught before you go ahead with your coaching sessions. The disparity between coaching and teaching is obvious in the fact that coaching deals with the bunch of players who already know the game to some extent.

In coaching drills, it’s best to give the players 5 or 6 fine demonstrations of some specific skill and then let them perform it themselves. It is because kids have a tendency to learn quickly by watching than by listening. If you try to explain everything as a lecture, they may not get it. However, they are good at replicating things.

Therefore, consider giving demonstrations wherever you can.

Finally, but still very important is your ability to keep the kids engaged in important activities. This becomes even more important when the weather is windy, wet, or cold. It’s a fact that all kids love to play in the rain. So, rather than just telling them to go home, it is more beneficial to find ways so that they can still enjoy soccer in some form.

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

Now get out there and start incorporating these teaching suggestions into your practice sessions. You will be surprised by the results.

To access more similar tips on coaching soccer drills, enroll for our youth soccer coaching community that has tons of useful tips and tricks on youth soccer coaching.

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.