Lend me your ears even though you may differ with me on this. In soccer drills, the players must first be taught the basics of the game in order to have then experience the game. The soccer training we talked about must happen first before starting with teaching them the more difficult parts or the best way of playing the game.
You as a coach must make it a point that players take their first step in the right direction. So teach them all the essential soccer skills that form the basis of the game. Given below are a few soccer basics which are essential for all prospective players to learn.
Teach the players the skills of shooting and dribbling the ball: Players must first learn the two most basic techniques in soccer, dribbling and shooting. In order to be successful in the game, these skills play a defining role. However, you must arrange for teaching these soccer exercises before hand.
Begin with placing several balls over the soccer field and line all the players up in a straight line on one end.
Afterwards tell them to start. They would cover the field, and get the ball with their foot, and would then make an effort to put the ball in the goal through dribbling it toward the opposite end of the field. When they practice these two soccer drills on a daily basis, they’ll be able to learn them fast.
Passing the ball and following directions: These two soccer skills have the potential to inculcate team spirit in the players. Soccer after all, is a team sport that should be shared equally between all teammates. They can never learn to play as a team if they do not possess good passing skills, and do not know how to follow simple directions.
For the purpose of teaching passing skills in the game and making them understand the guidelines, there is a really simple drill. At the start, the entire team should form a single line at either end of the field. At a distance of about 5-10 feet, any one player in the team should stand in front of that line.
When you give them a green signal, the first one in the row will try to get the ball from other players present on the field. As soon as they are told to stop, the player who has the ball would pass it to the player who is first in the line. This is a soccer practice that has the potential to teach the players the ability to listen and follow directions.
Handling the Ball: Since you’re the coach, teach the players the skill to manage the ball with their feet and with other parts of their body as well. This has the effect of enabling the players to give a more spontaneous performance on field. An easy way for players to do it is by practicing to stop the ball with the back or bouncing the ball using knees or the head.
Soccer drills like these help in developing players that become match winners and make their way to learning more difficult components of the game. Find yourself abundant soccer specific information in form of articles, newsletters, tips, and guides at our youth soccer coaching community. So register now!
Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Soccer drills.