Lend me your ears even though you may differ with me on this. Talking about soccer drills, the most important thing for the players is to have an understanding of the game for which they should be taught the basics first. This soccer training should take place before you begin coaching them on more complicated elements of the game or the right way of playing the actual game.
Being a soccer coach, it’s your duty to see that the players kick off on the right note. Therefore, train the players on all indispensable soccer skills which provide for a strong foundation. Discussed below are some basics of the game that every budding player must know.
Coaching the players to dribble and shoot the ball: Shooting and dribbling are the two most basic soccer skills to master. These techniques play a critical role in making the players successful in the game. However, you must arrange for teaching these soccer exercises before hand.
Begin with placing several balls over the soccer field and line all the players up in a straight line on one end.
After that indicate the players to kick off. They would cover the field, and get the ball with their foot, and would then make an effort to put the ball in the goal through dribbling it toward the opposite end of the field. The players will improve on these two soccer drills soon after they continue practicing it on a regular basis.
Passing the ball and following directions: These two soccer skills have the potential to inculcate team spirit in the players. In the end, soccer is a team game that must be jointly shared by all the team members. It’ll be extremely difficult for the players to play as one team when they can’t follow simple instructions or can’t learn the skill of passing the ball amongst them.
For the purpose of teaching passing skills in the game and making them understand the guidelines, there is a really simple drill. In the beginning, make the entire team line up in a single row at one side of the field. At a distance of about 5-10 feet, any one player in the team should stand in front of that line.
As you blow the whistle, first person in row will try to catch hold of the ball form other team members on the field. When you tell them to stop, the player having the ball should pass it to the first individual in 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. An easy way for players to do it is by practicing to stop the ball with the back or bouncing the ball using knees or the head.
These are the soccer drills which go a long way in developing professional soccer players and then allowing them to master the more difficult aspects and actual game skills. You can get as much information as you like on all soccer related topics by joining our youth soccer coaching community. So register 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.