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 does not hurt the player in any way if is it practiced correctly in the youth soccer drills.
Before you begin with training the players in the skill of heading, deflate the ball a bit especially when they are doing it the first time. Let some air out of the ball so that it becomes soft and easy to handle. 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. 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 they close their eyes, they’ll get hurt. In youth soccer practice, players should be taught to strike the ball with the top-front area of the forehead instead of the temples or crown of the head.
Almost all youth soccer drills emphasize the movement involved in properly heading the ball. Two of the drills have been explained below for a better understand of yours.
Sitting and Knees: When it comes to youth soccer coaching, this drill uses 2 players and 1 ball. One player should sit on the ground with the legs spread out in the front. The second player will stand directly in front of the first one and throw the ball really low 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.
Keep doing this activity with a player positioned with both knees on the ground. Here, the player will have to lunge forward to strike 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. It needs the players to hold the ball with their hands and then throw it out by heading it. They should be instructed to move their head to the ball and then 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.
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 huge amount of resources in our youth soccer coaching community and you can benefit from it all by subscribing to 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.
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