Ever wondered the effectiveness of using the head to readdress the ball while it is still in the air? In Youth soccer drills, this exercise in no way hurts the player provided it is learnt properly.

When you are about to teach the heading skill to players for the first time, you should do it with a deflated ball. Let some air out of the ball so that it becomes soft and easy to handle. In kids soccer drills, I’ll be happy to tell you the fundamental rules of heading before getting down to the major points.

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.

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. 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

A large number of youth soccer drills call attention to the movement involved in correctly handling the ball. Two of these have been discussed for your benefit and are as follows;

Sitting and Knees: This youth soccer coaching drill involves just 2 players and a ball. One player will sit on the ground with their feet straight out in front of him or her. 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 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 attack forward to hit the ball. Using this drill, the players learn to use their head to steer the ball.

Head out of Hands: You will need cones and a ball for each player in this drill. 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 be instructed to move their head to the ball and then the ball to their head.

When the cones are used, the kids learn to head the ball to a particular location. The players learn proper handling techniques and accuracy for using the head to redirect the ball.

So now you know, using youth soccer drills, the players will learn to safely head the ball in a game without hurting themselves. There is no limit to the amount of information and knowledge available in context of the heading skill and you can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community to let this knowledge help you too.

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