Let it be known that during soccer practice games kids tend to have a lot of fun when they keep on scoring goals. It is therefore necessary for you to find out and add as many opportunities as you can for their practice. If you try, you’ll find countless ways that can be used to create such opportunities for them. For example there are small sided games, shooting drills, and full-field scrimmages.
During small sided games and full field scrimmages, it’s your responsibility to keep altering the various ways to encourage extra goal scoring. You can include such games that can be played without a goalie, or restrict their moves inside the warning lines. Widening the goalpost being used or adding more goals is one more possibility for increasing goal scoring.
In soccer training, when players develop their shooting technique and tactical knowledge, goal creation also increases. Just like with passing skills, it’s better to introduce shooting techniques at an early stage but put more emphasis on them in the later stages of development.
One of the ways to develop shooting skills is through soccer drills work. With a view to score more goals, these drills help the players develop and improve upon their shooting talents. As a coach, you should therefore work on developing your kids shooting skills progressively.
Teach the kids various methods of striking the ball right when performing the soccer exercises. Players are free to shoot at close range from the inside of the foot. When the inside of the feet is used, it has a greater precision. When the situation is such that more strength is needed to hit the ball, ask the players to strike the ball using the instep of the foot, with toes pointed downwards and ankle locked.
It depends on how the non-kicking foot is positioned that determines the height of the shot. Hence, tell the players to keep their non kicking foot further to the ball so that the shot is low. Remove all distractions for example moving balls, moving shooters, or defenders to help the players focus only on striking the ball.
You can start the drill progression in soccer practice games with a stationery ball and a stationery shooter. As the shooting techniques progress, add to the challenge by putting the shooter in action before he/she hits the ball. Such a shift will distract from the accuracy of the striking efforts at first, because the player’s visualization must serve a double purpose.
One, it helps the shooting player to get some space in the direction of the ball and two, it helps them manage their foot right where the ball is.
As the players gain confidence, create a game like situation where both the player and the ball are in motion. When they make progress in shooting, make them receive the balls at different speeds.
So now you know! Create more opportunities for scoring goals in soccer practice games and the players will derive the most of the sessions. You can join our youth soccer coaching community for more in-depth knowledge on youth soccer.
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Fun Soccer Drills.
Tags: soccer drills, soccer exercises, Soccer practice games, soccer training