Ever wondered the effectiveness of using the head to readdress the ball while it is still in the air? This heading skill in youth soccer drills causes no physical harm to the players when it is executed correctly.
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. This can be done by letting some air out of the ball so that it shrinks and becomes soft and supple for kids to play. 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. In youth soccer practice, players should be taught to strike the ball with the top-front area of the forehead instead of the temples or crown of the head.
A large number of youth soccer drills call attention to the movement involved in correctly handling the ball. Two of these have been discussed for your benefit and are as follows;
Sitting and Knees: This drill in youth soccer coaching requires 2 players and a ball. One player should sit on the ground with the legs spread out in the front. The other player should stand directly in front of the 1st and throw the ball at a very low level towards him or her. The idea is to throw the ball short so that the one heading it has to move forward to strike the ball.
This activity should be repeated with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Then the player will have to bend forward to strike the ball. This drill teaches the technique of using the head to direct the ball.
Head out of Hands: This drill requires cones and one ball for each player. It requires the player to hold the ball with his hands and then knock the ball out of their hands by heading it. They should learn to alternatively move their head to the ball and then bring 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. There is a wealth of information and resources on youth soccer available in our youth soccer coaching community and you too can take advantage of it by registering 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.
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