Lend me your ears even though you may differ with me on this. Talking about soccer drills, the most important thing for the players is to have an understanding of the game for which they should be taught the basics first. 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.
Since you are a soccer coach, the onus lies on you that the players start on a right note. Therefore, train the players on all indispensable soccer skills which provide for a strong foundation. Given below are a few soccer basics which are essential for all prospective players to learn.
Coaching the players to dribble and shoot the ball: Shooting and dribbling are the two most basic soccer skills to master. In order to be successful in the game, these skills play a defining role. Yet, make all necessary arrangements before hand for teaching these soccer exercises.
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.
Now signal 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. These two soccer drills will be easily mastered by the players if they practice it regularly.
Passing the ball and following directions: Players learn the importance of team spirit as a result of these two soccer skills. 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.
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. Place one team member stand in front of the single line at a distance of 5-10 feet.
As you blow the whistle, first person in row will try to catch hold of the ball form other team members on the field. When you tell them to stop, the player having the ball should pass it to the first individual in line. This soccer practice will teach the players to listen as well as follow your instructions.
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 will result in players being more natural in their performance 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 soccer drills offers the simplest way to develop great soccer players who can thereafter go on to learning actual game skills and more complex elements. You can get a ready access to tons of such information relevant to the game of soccer by registering yourself with our youth soccer coaching community. So register 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.