Has it ever occurred to you that head can be very effectively used in passing on the ball when 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.
In case your players have not performed this skill of heading before, start teaching them by using a deflated ball. Let some air out of the ball so that it becomes soft and easy to handle. In kids soccer drills, I’ll be happy to tell you the fundamental rules of heading before getting down to the major points.
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. If they close their eyes, they’ll get hurt. Teach them in youth soccer practice to use the top-front part of their forehead to strike the ball and not with the temples or top of the head.
Almost all youth soccer drills emphasize the movement involved in properly heading the ball. Out of many, here are two drills that your players can perform.
Sitting and Knees: This youth soccer coaching drill involves just 2 players and a ball. One player should sit on the ground with the legs spread out in the front. The second player should stand in front of the 1st one and throw the ball at a very low level towards him or her. 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.
This activity should go on with a 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. 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 be instructed to move their head to the ball and then 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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