JUGGLING SOCCER DRILLS v1.6
Newsletter
SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS
U7-U8-U9 Soccer Juggling Drill:
Juggling is an under-rated soccer skill in my opinion. It something the kids can do at practice, on their own at home or school and even in groups. Juggling a soccer ball will add soccer touch, soccer coordination, ball control and awareness of the soccer ball in relation to a players body. As a coach, introducing this early to a player is fun because you will be the first to see a difference on the feel in terms touch and control.
To teach the basics there are a few key points to communicate to the group.
1. The goal of control and touch, which means we are not trying to kick or hit the ball high into the air because this is the opposite of control. We want the soccer ball to not touch the ground while the player continues to hit in the air in a controlled manner.
2. Any part of the players body can be used except the hands. Feet, thighs, head and even the chest can be used.
3. Let the players know it is not easy and takes time. Set a base number at first (2, 3 or 4). Each player will be different.
4. Let the players know there is going to be a challenge as the year goes on. Rewards for achievements. These goals will need to be set by you as the coach and will vary based on the age and skill of the kids. For example, demonstrating 5 juggles the player gets a sticker on their bag, 10 a pin, 15 a red marble and so on. I have seen coaches use different colored beads tied to the players bag to indicate how many juggles have been achieved. The players will start to take pride in this and practice on their own. You can also break this up into number of juggles by feet only, head or thigh only. You will be surprised how quickly the number will start to increase, and you will also quickly be able to tell which players that are practicing on their own. Keep pushing them and challenging them. Have an ultimate reward of a metal or trophy. You will see a difference on the field.
INDIVIDUAL SOCCER JUGGLING DRILL
Spread the team out and have them start using their thigh. Help them and show them that they do not want the ball to go above their eyes. How many can they do. Maybe write it down and see if they beat it next practice. Move to feet only. This will be a little tougher. They should try to keep the ball below their belly button, but explain if for some reason it does go higher then use the upper thigh to regain control to drop it back down to their feet. Again, how many, challenge them to get to five or higher. After you this, explain why juggling is important and that you will be implementing a rewards program. This soccer drill will teach valuable basics that will serve the player well throughout their soccer playing days. Professional players still juggle today. Touch and control are a huge part of the game so practice as much as you can.
SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS
U9-U10-U11 Soccer Juggling Drill:
Pair players up and have them juggle as a team. They should be using their head in this drill, as well as feet, thighs and chest. Make a competition of it. A single player should try to get it back to the other player in one touch, but realistically this sometimes can not happen so allow each player touch it twice before passing, but only one time. If a 2nd time occurs then the count stops. This soccer drill will really start to teach control because they are not just trying to place the ball with touch to themselves, but place it another player. Point out good spots to set your partner up, like the the thigh or head. If the two touch rule is too much, then remove it. This should be fun.
SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS SOCCER DRILLS
U11-U12-U13 PLUS Soccer Juggling Drill:
This is a tough one. Find a tennis court you can use and tell the player to bring their turf shoes because they are going to play soccer volleyball. This drill is good on a hot day when you want to limit running and have some fun. Split the team up into two teams, equally. Note: I have seen this played with as little as one person on each team, so the number really should not matter, but remember to adjust the size of the court based on the number of players.
This is just like volleyball. Serve by dropping the ball to a players foot and kicking it over the net. Each player can only touch the ball one time and the goal is to get it back over to the other side without it hitting the ground. Players can use anything but their hands. I also run a variation of this soccer drill where the ball can bounce one time.
Let the players know they should try to score by setting up their team mates in a way they can drive the ball down to the ground. A good example might be a header (see heading drills) driving the ball down. They should also look to place the ball with touch to an open space.
No comments:
Post a Comment