| I know a lot of people think that working with | | | | the dribble. Or, you could simply form two goals out of |
| grown-ups is a lot harder than working with children, | | | | cones, one for each player and the score would be |
| because grown-ups already have a formed | | | | based on whoever crosses the opposing goal line with |
| personality, they have their own experience with the | | | | the ball at his feet. |
| game of soccer and each of them needs to be | | | | -Soccer Drills for Young Players - Unbalanced Drills |
| treated as an individual at all times. For me, soccer drills | | | | Unbalanced drills usually refer to 2 versus 1, 3 versus 2, |
| for young players are a lot harder to apply, because | | | | 4 versus 2 or 5 versus 3 group passing. Let's say you |
| you don't have a lot of options to take in your | | | | have your youngsters playing 4 versus 2, which is the |
| relationship with them. | | | | most popular version of the unbalanced group passing |
| With grown-ups, you can base your coaching on a | | | | drill. Four players form a square of around 20-25 feet |
| close relationship with them, on severity, | | | | and two players form a smaller team in the middle of |
| professionalism, honor and several other concepts that | | | | this square. The four players on the outside have to |
| might or might not work well with a group (still, all these | | | | pass the ball from one another, without moving too far |
| options might be viable). With kids on the other hand, | | | | away from their corners, while the two in the middle |
| you're basically stuck with providing them with a fun | | | | need to get the ball away from them (touch it). |
| environment to play in. You can't be "hard" on a bunch | | | | Additionally, you could ask the passing players to only |
| of kids. Yell at them and they'll leave crying and not | | | | use 2 or a maximum of 3 touches before the pass, |
| come back to training again. It's as simple as that, | | | | but that's not recommended if the kids you work with |
| they're sneaky :) | | | | are really young. The player who loses the ball will go |
| So if you're stuck with fun soccer drills, let's make sure | | | | inside the square, becoming a runner in the team of |
| you make them really fun, so that your team of | | | | two and the player who touched the ball earlier will |
| youngsters can both enjoy them and learn from them | | | | take his place, thus keeping the 4-2 ratio. This fun |
| at the same time. Before presenting a few fun soccer | | | | soccer drill teaches kids several things: |
| drills you could try working with, let me just say that | | | | >> it's important to work as a group, regardless if |
| you can't really train "passing", or "shooting" or a single | | | | you're in the team passing the ball, or in the team that |
| concept with kids. It's not fun to shoot for 30 straight | | | | must recover it |
| minutes, or practice throw-ins or whatnot. | | | | >> it's important to give precise passes, if you |
| You need to find soccer drills for your young players | | | | want the player to pass the ball back to you |
| that combine these raw concepts, so that they | | | | >> sometimes it's important to use first touch |
| practice them, even if unknowingly. | | | | passes |
| -Soccer Drills for Young Players - One Versus One | | | | >> it emphasizes on working in a tight space, |
| Dribbles | | | | which will prove invaluable later on |
| The kids will love this one, it's truly a fun soccer drill! | | | | Provided you make these fun soccer drills actually |
| Even as small children, when it comes to sports, we're | | | | worth the effort, it's a win win situation: the kids will |
| extremely competitive and with a one versus one | | | | gladly come to training, knowing that they'll be having |
| dribbling drill, you get to put them head to head, | | | | loads of fun with their friends and you also get to |
| competing. | | | | teach them the basics of passing, receiving and |
| What they compete for is up to you. For example, you | | | | dribbling. Once they get the hang of these soccer |
| could count a score like this: every time the attacking | | | | fundamentals, you can pass on to headers, shooting |
| player manages to dribble the defender, he gets a | | | | and more complex concepts. |
| point, but so does the defender if he manages to stop | | | | |