Soccer youth coaching tips and drills can help you improve your players' offensive and defensive skills. In addition to working on their on-field technique and precision, soccer drills can help to improve their overall speed and in-game endurance. Drills can range from scoring drills to full-game simulations. While winning is important, establishing player fundamentals and teamwork is essential to youth soccer coaching.
Soccer Kicking Technique
Have your team line up 10 feet in front of the goal. Place a ball down on the ground, and have one player step out of line and prepare to kick the ball. On your whistle, have the player run toward the ball at an angle, then plant his back foot and swing his shooting leg at the ball. Since the player has approached the ball at an angle, he can rotate his body into the shot and get more power behind it. According to Soccer Practice Books, it is important to make contact with the ball at its lowest point for increased height and distance.
Cone and Pass Relay Race
This relay race drill can help improve your players' dribbling skills as well as their ability to pass on the move. Place two cones 10 feet apart. One cone is the start cone, and the other is the turn cone. Break your team up into groups of three, and have them line up at the start cone. Stand 5 feet from the start cone with a stopwatch, and blow your whistle to signal the first team. Have one player from the first team dribble to the turn cone, turn and dribble back to his teammates, who each do the same thing. The team with the fastest time wins the race.
World Cup Soccer Drill
This drill will help improve your player's scoring ability inside the penalty box. Break your team down into four teams of three, making sure that each team wears a different jersey. Have one goalie defend against all shots on goal. On your whistle, kick a ball into the penalty box, and have each team try to score a goal. The last team to score a goal gets eliminated from the first round. In the second round, the last team to score a goal is eliminated. In the final round, the first team to score two goals wins the "world cup."
