The Truth About Soccer Drills
Games Guy | May 27, 2010
You might disagree, but hear me out on this. When it comes to soccer drills, it is important that kids are first trained on the basic skills of the game so that they can get a feel of the game. This soccer training should always come first in the training schedule before moving on to the more problematical aspects of training or the right approach to play the game.
You as a coach must make it a point that players take their first step in the right direction. Therefore, train the players on all indispensable soccer skills which provide for a strong foundation. Discussed below are some basics of the game that every budding player must know.
Coaching the players to dribble and shoot the ball: Shooting and dribbling are the two most basic soccer skills to master. To become a successful player, these skills have a major role to play in their game. Nonetheless, training these soccer exercises must be arranged for in advance.
Beginning from one end of the field, arrange all players in a straight line with a majority of players placed all over the soccer field.
Next tell the players to start. They would then run onto the field, catch a ball with their foot, while dribbling and shooting it into a goal on the opposite end of the field. The players will improve on these two soccer drills soon after they continue practicing it on a regular basis.
Passing the ball and following directions: These are the two skills that help players to discover and practice unity in game. Soccer after all, is a team sport that should be shared equally between all teammates. It’ll be extremely difficult for the players to play as one team when they can’t follow simple instructions or can’t learn the skill of passing the ball amongst them.
You can use a simple exercise to make the players learn the passing skills and understand your directions. Start with lining the team up in a single file line at one end of the field. One team member should be then made to stand in front of the row almost 5-10 feet away.
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. With the help of this soccer practice, players will learn to listen and also follow your directions.
Handling the Ball: As a coach, you must train the players on the skill of dealing with the ball with the help of other body parts, excluding their feet. This way they’ll be able to perform more spontaneously on the 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.
These are the soccer drills which go a long way in developing professional soccer players and then allowing them to master the more difficult aspects and actual game skills. Find yourself abundant soccer specific information in form of articles, newsletters, tips, and guides at our youth soccer coaching community. So go ahead and become a member today.
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.