Ever wondered the effectiveness of using the head to readdress the ball while it is still in the air? This does not hurt the player in any way if is it practiced correctly in the Youth soccer drills.

You should deflate the ball in case of teaching this skill to your players for the first time. It requires you to shrink the ball’s size by letting some air out of it, thus making it supple. Including heading skill in the kids soccer drills requires you to first teach them the basics of this skill before starting with the practice.

When the ball is in air, teach the players to move along with it so that their body is directly in front of it when they face the ball. Players should learn to maintain a clear view of the ball all the way in until it thumps their forehead.

The kids must know the importance of keeping their eyes open and watch the ball coming to and going away from them. If their eyes are closed, they can be hurt. Teach them in youth soccer practice to use the top-front part of their forehead to strike the ball and not with the temples or top of the head.

Youth soccer drills

Almost all youth soccer drills emphasize the movement involved in properly heading the ball. 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 should ssit on the ground and have their legs stretched out in the front. The other player should stand directly in front of the 1st and throw the ball at a very low level towards him or her. The strategy behind this is that the person who hits the ball has to come forward to do it because the ball id thrown short.

Repeat this activity with one player positioned with both knees on the ground. Now, the player will have to move forward to actually shoot the ball. Using this drill, the players learn to use their head to steer the ball.

Head out of Hands: To work with this drill, you need to have 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 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 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 a wealth of information and resources on youth soccer available in our youth soccer coaching community and you too can take advantage of it by registering 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: Youth soccer drills