Have you ever imagined how the use of the head can be an effective way of redirecting 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.
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. 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. In youth soccer practice, teach players to strike the ball with the forehead’s top-front part instead of the crown or temples.
Most of the youth soccer drills highlight the movement required to head the ball properly. Following are the two drills that have been explained for you:
Sitting and Knees: Performing this drill in youth soccer coaching requires two players and one 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 strategy behind this is that the person who hits the ball has to come forward to do it because the ball id thrown short.
Repeat this activity with one player positioned with both knees on the ground. Then, the player will have to attack forward to hit the ball. This drill is useful in teaching the players to use their head in guiding the ball.
Head out of Hands: This drill requires cones and one ball for each player. It needs the players to hold the ball with their hands and then throw it out 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 this is it; using these youth soccer drills, your players will get confident in heading the ball and competing without getting hurt. There is a huge amount of resources in our youth soccer coaching community and you can benefit from it all by subscribing to 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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