I can’t say about you but for sure there are many coaches who still struggle a lot to find effective free soccer drills for their players. What it means is that they are looking for drills which the kids can practice by themselves.
The best way to kick-start the training sessions are to use soccer drills that do not require any equipment. You know why, because these soccer exercises are specifically designed to suit the player’s age , learning potential and the role he plays in the team.
One must teach this drill to the players: To dribble the ball and at the same time, be conscious of what is going on around them. This drill is used by many coaches and it is far better than asking your players to dribble through cones.
Sure that that this drill demands more involvement from players but it makes sure of it in soccer practice.
I’ll help you to organize this drill.
Mark a square of about 20 yards by 20 yards. And this depends on the number of players and their age.
Have an identical number of players positioned evenly alongside the square. Players, with their own ball, stand opposite to each other on the sides of the square.
When the whistle is blown, each player should dribble the ball to the opposite side and stop on it. This is better than the rest of the free soccer drills because this coaches the players to dribble across the square with their heads up and at the same time not disturbing the other player’s movement in the square.
One can add more fun by making the players dribble across the square and back again making them to turn 180 degrees with the ball. Across the square, for every run, the players vary the number of times they dribble the ball. This drill is a progression of many such runs and a player is eliminated for every run and this is continued until only one player is left.
Also, as the number of players decrease, feel free to introduce the concept of running with the ball rather than dribbling the ball.
The coach can have great fun with this drill and simultaneously teach the kids many important techniques of dribbling with the ball. The best of way of making soccer drills interesting is to mix some tough and some light drills together in the training. It is absolutely perfect, if some are just added for fun and not directly linked to the soccer game.
It is important in soccer coaching that kids shouldn’t do too much of anything.
Trust me when I say this, When you start applying these free soccer drills in your training programs , you will see for yourself how quickly the kids can learn the essentials of the game.
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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 coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Free Soccer Drills.
Tags: Free soccer drills, soccer coaching, soccer exercises, Soccer practice