Let’s accept this! When it comes to Coach Youth Soccer, every coach runs short of ideas on how to make practice drills interesting and enjoyable for the kids. While teaching soccer, the biggest problem is to keep coming up with new ideas so that the kids are always interested in the game.
Following are some drills that you can teach youth soccer players. These help them not just focus on the game, become proficient in soccer, but also enjoy the game.
Employ the players to do dribbling and shooting: This is an easy drill that helps all the players practice at the same time. Make the players stand on a single goal line. Now, disperse the balls all over the ground. Once done, tell the kids to play with the balls as if they are moving towards the opponent’s goal. They must also shoot the ball when they get a chance.
This workout helps the kids build their stamina, confidence and also improves their dribbling skills. As the players do not have any resistance, they move forward without any inhibitions and this brings out their unique style.
Understanding to pass the ball: Instruct the players to make a line at a distant corner of the field. Count till 3 and as soon as you finish, instruct them to run towards you as fast as they can. When they are running towards you, they should also try to take over the ball from the other player who has it. When you yell stop, the player in possession of the ball must pass it instantly to one of his mates.
When you coach youth soccer, these drills bring out the best in kids when it comes to passing and dribbling. In this way, the art of gabbing the ball from other players is also learnt by them.
Touch and Go: A game full of fun that kids just love to play it. Make the young players stand in two queues not more than 40 feet from the goal post. Moreover, it’s the goalie who should protect the goalpost. Position yourself anywhere amongst the two lines.
You pass the ball to one line and subsequently coach them to shoot or pass the ball with one stroke only. The objective should be to attack the goal. Continue practicing the game after the goalie has returned the ball.
If you have more than one goalkeeper in the team, keep them alternating between different sessions. This game involves team effort and also improves the shooting skills. The goalkeeper becomes skilled at protecting the ball from converting to a goal.
Keeping the ball with you: Players get to learn the skill of moving ahead with the ball protecting it from the opposite team. Get two players so that one plays as attacker and second guards the ball. Instruct them to start moving the ball as per their roles and when a player dominates the other, reward him with a point.
These account for some easiest practices to coach youth soccer. Make your kids practice them and you will help them learn and have fun at the same time. You can connect to our youth soccer coaching community to get more of these tips and information.
Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make training fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Coach Youth Soccer