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. This heading skill in youth soccer drills causes no physical harm to the players when it is executed correctly.
When you are about to teach the heading skill to players for the first time, you should do it with a deflated ball. It requires you to shrink the ball’s size by letting some air out of it, thus making it supple. 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.
When the ball is still in the air, the players should move along the ball for the reason that their body should directly in front of the ball when they face it. They should keep their eyes on the ball all the way in, and continue watching it as it strikes their forehead.
Your players must recognize the importance of continuously looking at the ball whether it coming to them to going away from them. If their eyes are closed, they can be hurt. Players in youth soccer practice should learn to strike the ball by using the top-front portion of their forehead rather than using their temples or top of the head.
Most of the youth soccer drills highlight the movement required to head the ball properly. Out of many, here are two drills that your players can perform.
Sitting and Knees: This youth soccer coaching drill involves just 2 players and a ball. One player needs to sit on the ground with the legs stretched out in the front. 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 be repeated with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Now, the player will have to move forward to actually shoot the ball. This drill teaches the technique of using the head to direct the ball.
Head out of Hands: In this drill, one requires cones and a ball for each player. The players need to hold the ball with their hands and then knock it off by heading it. They should be instructed to move their head to the ball and then the ball to their head.
Using the cones has the advantage of teaching the players to head the ball to a specific location. The players acquire the skill of heading the ball in a particular direction 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.
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.