Ever wondered the effectiveness of using the head to readdress the ball while it is still in the air? In youth soccer drills, this exercise in no way hurts the player provided it is learnt properly.
In case your players have not performed this skill of heading before, start teaching them by using a deflated ball. For this, let some air out of the ball and make it soft so that players find it easy to play with. Before I get down to the details of kids soccer drills on heading, let me share with you the basics of this skill that players need to be taught first.
The players should learn to move along the ball while it is still in air because they need to be in front of the ball when making a contact with it. Players should learn to maintain a clear view of the ball all the way in until it thumps their forehead.
Your players must recognize the importance of continuously looking at the ball whether it coming to them to going away from them. It they don’t know which way the ball is going or coming from, they risk getting hurt. In youth soccer practice, teach players to strike the ball with the forehead’s top-front part instead of the crown or temples.
Almost all youth soccer drills emphasize the movement involved in properly heading the ball. Following are the two drills that have been explained for you:
Sitting and Knees: This youth soccer coaching drill involves just 2 players and a ball. One player will sit on the ground with their feet straight out in front of him or her. The second player should stand right in front of the second guy and pass the ball very low towards the other player. The concept is that the ball will be thrown short so that the person towards whom it travels has to come forward to hit it.
This activity should go on with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Then the player will have to bend forward to strike the ball. Using this drill, the players learn to use their head to steer the ball.
Head out of Hands: You will need cones and a ball for each player in this drill. 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 instructed to move their head to the ball and then the ball to their head.
The cones can help the players learn heading to a particular location. The players learn proper handling techniques and accuracy for using the head to redirect the ball.
So there you have it; youth soccer drills to develop the skill of heading amongst the players and enable them to compete in the game without the fear of getting hurt. There is no limit to the amount of information and knowledge available in context of the heading skill and you can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community to let this knowledge help you too.
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.
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