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. Doing this skill in youth soccer drills is particularly safe when it is carried out with care and caution.
You should deflate the ball in case of teaching this skill to your players for the first time. 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. When it comes to kids soccer drills, like always, begin with the basics of heading, some of which I’ll be happy to share with you.
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. The players must keep their eyes fixed the ball all the way through, till the time it comes into contact with 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. In youth soccer practice, teach players to strike the ball with the forehead’s top-front part instead of the crown or temples.
A large number of youth soccer drills call attention to the movement involved in correctly handling the ball. Two of the drills have been explained below for a better understand of yours.
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 second player should stand in front of the 1st one and throw the ball at a very low level towards him or her. The objective behind this is that because the ball is thrown short, the person will have 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. This drill has the effect of teaching the players to use their head in directing 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 be taught to move their head to the ball and not move the ball to their head.
Use of cones can help in teaching them the skill of heading to a specific location. The players learn the techniques to head the ball in a direction using their head.
There you go; using youth soccer drills, the players will head the ball fearlessly thereby making them better competitors. 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.