Soccer Lessons

It’s sad to know that people fail to appreciate the importance of warming up in kids soccer drills. Being a coach, I’d let it be known that warming up is not only compulsory but is even critical to begin the day’s play at a brighter and healthier note. In youth soccer drills, this point is easily skipped by many coaches. The result is injuries to players while performing drills.

You will find some great tips on warming up your team before practice sessions. Teach the players to warm up by following those body movements that help all muscles to work up. This is the correct method of stirring up all the body parts. Rigorous sessions can result in stiffness and cramping of the muscles.

Tip 1: Have the players jog for about 5-7 minutes initially. It’s advisable to begin with a light jog and then move on to sprinting.
This must increase the pulse rate to at least 120 beats per minute. But, slow improvement is better. Then make them swing their legs forward cross-body for about 10 times each. Lastly, have them actively stretch their body over 20 yards.

Tip 2: Having said that, do remember that even this active stretching over 20 yards comes with some warm up drills of its own. Like the players can bounce backward and forward. You can also teach them cross stepping. They must also be taught high-knee carioca. These must be executed as if sprinting.

Youth Soccer Drills

In soccer drills for kids, running towards the back is also a very useful warm up exercise. However the right way to do it is to kick up the heels to the butt. No doubt, it is a little difficult to practice it this way but there’s no other way of correctly doing it.

Tip 3: There are various other warm up drills in kids soccer drills that build up the energy for practice sessions. The players can be taught to hop with swings and loops. These give an added element to the skipping exercises. You can also make them cross-over skip. Although a little advanced, Quick Hip Swings is also a very effective and tested method that warms up the body a great deal.

Then you can tell your players to do long shuffles with rotations in the middle. The players should be made to practice moving their legs backward and forward. This is a highly effective and useful body toning activity. Equally effective are high leg forwards and backwards.

Tip 4: Stretch adequately and complete it in the approved manner. For the legs, stretch hinging works the best. Ensure that every kid works out hamstring, quadriceps, groin and calf without exceptions. It is stretching that helps in increasing the range of muscles together with preventing any injury to the player.

It is also essential to note that in soccer drills for youth, kids abstain from overdoing anything. They have the tendency to get carried away in excitement and injure themselves as a result.

Now that you are armed with this information about kids soccer drills, ensure that kids do warm ups before performing the drills. There is a wealth of news and articles of similar nature on our youth soccer coaching community. Register now to enjoy the benefits.

Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Youth Soccer Drills.

It’s not wrong that in kids soccer drills, coaches are very much responsible for the downfall of the players as a team because of some errors. And it’s absolutely right. Lot of people must be busy finding out the big reason responsible for a team’s such great downfall. Then let me tell you, there can be numerous causes.

You will have to work very watchfully and advantageously in designing soccer drills for kids. It’s very important for you know the kid’s psychology. Exchange words with them discussing things from their point of view. But sadly, most coaches are not ready to adapt to this. They conveniently ignore fact that there is a disparity between training grown-up players and kids.

So here it is; top mistakes or sins as I call them that coaches make and put their teams on a losing track.

1. Several coaches don’t take their jobs seriously. They don’t arrange the drills, refuse to plan their sessions, and are always late in getting to the field. All these are not only bad traits but put off the kids too. Kids take soccer very seriously and so should you. Youth soccer drills should be pre-planned. Any equipment required to execute the drills should be assembled in advance.

Youth Soccer Drills

Always be prompt. Do not come to the field after kids. In reality, be present there to welcome the kids. It provides you some spare time to review the drills and organize things better.

2. When the coaches are instructing before the kids soccer drills, it is normal for them to take a long time. Can you believe how boring that can be? You must realize that players are more interested in playing than hearing. Keep your instructions brief and to the point. Use this talk to motivate the kids and increase their confidence.

It is also important not to disturb them in between the sessions. If you have observed anything that needs to be corrected, note it and discuss it after the drill. Also, observe the kids from outside when they are playing.

3. Some coaches get ruthless and unkind while dealing with the kids. In soccer drills for youth, this can prove to be catastrophic. It is never a good idea to show your emotions on the field. It is fine for the kids to make errors. Remember, they are just kids. There is no need to get sensitive about it and be rude to the players.

When this happens, you are making the kids loose interest and also making things difficult for yourself. Soccer is a game of the intelligent. When the kids understand this, they feel inspired.

Just keep yourself aloof from these problems in kids soccer drills. If you would like information on what you should or shouldn’t do, join our youth soccer coaching community. This will enrich you with a lot of tips and tricks.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Training Drills.

You may not be with me on this but even the listen to me. In order to train those kids who are attending high school or college, training methods in kids soccer drills are very different. This is because the former are in the first stage of the learning curve while the latter have a good idea as to what is it that they prefer to do and what not.

But, there are certain methods that can be used in soccer drills for kids which will help them become exceptional soccer players. Always keep in mind the fact that kids must enjoy playing soccer if their interest is to be retained in the game. If their level of interest is not maintained, they feel discouraged to play. The kids feel stressed and start thinking of doing away with the sport. So have patience and don’t make them feel obligated to play.

There are kids that play purely out of their choice and there are still others who do it for their parents wish. Neither of them feels motivated by rewards or recognition. Many soccer coaches tend to completely ignore this aspect in kids soccer drills. They force them to grasp the skills understanding. This has a negative affect on kids in form of over-exhaustion and loss of confidence.

Youth Soccer Drills

In planning soccer drills for kids, it’s normal for a new coach to feel somewhat troubled initially. This is because the kids in the team may not be disciplined. But, don’t fret. The kids will surely realize the meaning of regularity and team-work, no matter how much time it takes. They will get the point that it takes a great deal of respect for others that gets them their due.

Here, it is vital that young boys in youth soccer drills are made aware of the new regulations. This is because of the fact that they may not be aware of them and take time to learn them. Also, ensure that you involve everyone and take their view points before taking important decisions. This allows the kids to understand the system and accept the changes willfully.

As a coach, you must also know how to teach kids certain values in this process. To achieve this, measure the performance of the boys individually. The coach should ensure that the kid gets sufficient time in field and their hard work is acknowledged. Also, it is equally important to penalize the boys who do not follow the stated rules and regulations.
This makes the boys responsible for their actions.

Nevertheless, be alert with this exercise. Do not be abusive with the kid. He should not be mocked or made fun of. For example, a healthy penalty would be to keep the kid from being a part of the training sessions.

Now, you should translate these kids soccer drills into action. Translate these tips into reality and while you do that, become a member of our youth soccer coaching community. You will get the advantage of being with a community that is ever growing and has tons of resources.

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 Coaching.