June 24, 2010
Youth Soccer Drills:The Truth About Heading
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 does not hurt the player in any way if is it practiced correctly in the youth soccer drills.
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.
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.
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 their eyes are closed, they can be hurt. 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.
Majority of the youth soccer drills lay stress on the value of movement necessary to head the ball accurately. Two of the drills have been explained below for a better understand of yours.
Sitting and Knees: When it comes to youth soccer coaching, this drill uses 2 players and 1 ball. One player should sit on the ground with the legs spread out in the front. The second player should stand right in front of the second guy and pass the ball very low towards the other player. 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.
This activity should be repeated with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Now, the player will have to move forward to actually shoot the ball. Using this drill, the players learn to use their head to steer the ball.
Head out of Hands: To work with this drill, you need to have 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 taught to move their head to the ball and not move the ball to their head.
Using the cones has the advantage of teaching the players to head the ball to a specific location. The players learn the techniques to head the ball in a direction using their head.
So there you have it; youth soccer drills to develop the skill of heading amongst the players and enable them to compete in the game without the fear of getting hurt. 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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