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.
You should deflate the ball in case of teaching this skill to your players for 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. Before I get down to the details of kids soccer drills on heading, let me share with you the basics of this skill that players need to be taught first.
When the ball is in air, teach the players to move along with it so that their body is directly in front of it when they face the ball. They should keep their eyes on the ball all the way in, and continue watching it as it strikes their forehead.
The kids must know the importance of keeping their eyes open and watch the ball coming to and going away from them. It they don’t know which way the ball is going or coming from, they risk getting hurt. Players in youth soccer practice should learn to strike the ball by using the top-front portion of their forehead rather than using their temples or top of the head.
Majority of the youth soccer drills lay stress on the value of movement necessary to head the ball accurately. Following are the two drills that have been explained for you:
Sitting and Knees: This youth soccer coaching drill involves just 2 players and a ball. One player should ssit on the ground and have their legs stretched 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 concept is that the ball will be thrown short so that the person towards whom it travels has to come forward to hit it.
Repeat this activity with one player positioned with both knees on the ground. Then the player will have to bend forward to strike the ball. This drill has the effect of teaching the players to use their head in directing the ball.
Head out of Hands: To work with this drill, you need to have cones and a ball for each player. The players need to hold the ball with their hands and then knock it off by heading it. They should learn to alternatively move their head to the ball and then bring the ball to their head.
The cones can help the players learn heading to a particular location. The players learn proper handling techniques and accuracy for using the head to redirect the ball.
There you go; using youth soccer drills, the players will head the ball fearlessly thereby making them better competitors. 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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