Aug 9 2010
Youth Soccer Drills: 3 Ways To Head The Ball Properly
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.
When you are about to teach the heading skill to players for the first time, you should do it with a deflated ball. 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.
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. The players must keep their eyes fixed the ball all the way through, till the time it comes into contact with their forehead.
Your players must recognize the importance of continuously looking at the ball whether it coming to them to going away from them. If their eyes are closed, they can be hurt. In youth soccer practice, teach players to strike the ball with the forehead’s top-front part instead of the crown or temples.
Almost all youth soccer drills emphasize the movement involved in properly heading the ball. Two of the drills have been explained below for a better understand of yours.
Sitting and Knees: This drill in youth soccer coaching requires 2 players and a ball. One player should ssit on the ground and have their legs stretched out in the front. The second player will stand directly in front of the first one and throw the ball really low towards him or her. The objective behind this is that because the ball is thrown short, the person will have 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 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: 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 learn to alternatively move their head to the ball and then bring the ball to their head.
Use of cones can help in teaching them the skill of heading to a specific location. The players learn the techniques to head the ball accurately and using their head.
There you go; using youth soccer drills, the players will head the ball fearlessly thereby making them better competitors. There is no limit to the amount of information and knowledge available in context of the heading skill and you can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community to let this knowledge help you too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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 training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Youth Soccer Drills
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