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 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. 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 still in the air, the players should move along the ball for the reason that their body should directly in front of the ball when they face it. 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. If their eyes are closed, they can be hurt. Teach them in youth soccer practice to use the top-front part of their forehead to strike the ball and not with the 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. Out of many, here are two drills that your players can perform.
Sitting and Knees: When it comes to youth soccer coaching, this drill uses 2 players and 1 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 objective behind this is that because the ball is thrown short, the person will have to come forward to hit it.
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. This drill has the effect of teaching the players to use their head in directing the ball.
Head out of Hands: This drill requires cones and one 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.
The cones can help the players learn heading to a particular location. The players acquire the skill of heading the ball in a particular direction using their head.
There you go; using youth soccer drills, the players will head the ball fearlessly thereby making them better competitors. Our youth soccer coaching community has tons of valuable information on youth soccer and you can take advantage of it by enrolling 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.