Forwarding the ball by using the head while the ball is still in the air is an effective method and most of us have never thought about it. 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. This can be done by letting some air out of the ball so that it shrinks and becomes soft and supple for kids to play. Including heading skill in the kids soccer drills requires you to first teach them the basics of this skill before starting with the practice.
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.
Make the players aware of the fact that it is of utmost importance for them to keep their eyes open and on the ball when it comes to or goes away from them. They can be seriously hurt of they don’t keep their eyes open. 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. Two of these have been discussed for your benefit and are as follows;
Sitting and Knees: This drill in youth soccer coaching requires 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 in front of the 1st one and throw the ball at a very low level towards him or her. 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.
Repeat this activity with one 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: This drill requires cones and one ball for each player. 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 learn to alternatively move their head to the ball and then bring the ball to their head.
The cones can help the players learn heading to a particular location. The players learn the techniques to head the ball accurately and using their head.
So now you know, using youth soccer drills, the players will learn to safely head the ball in a game without hurting themselves. Our youth soccer coaching community has tons of valuable information on youth soccer and you can take advantage of it by enrolling for it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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 training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Practice
