Introduction to Youth Soccer Training
Soccer, as with any type of training requires some fundamental skills – skills that can be developed in many different ways – especially when dealing with youth soccer training. One popular method is by observing the particular skill that you wish to coach or acquire. Once you have understood the basic concept of the skill, take action and put your newly acquired knowledge to work by trying it yourself.
The skill MUST be practiced repeatedly in order to be mastered. We’re not looking for perfection here, but we’re looking for progress – more on this later. Many people use the concept of visualization in order to perfect a particular soccer skill. In this introduction to youth soccer training , you’ll learn about the fundamental skills required for playing and enjoying soccer.
Before we get into it, some important words about confidence. When it comes to youth soccer training a player is successful when they become accustomed to performing a certain motion or skill. As he or she continues to practice the skill in which they are trying to acquire, they quickly gain confidence in their abilities. And in football, as in all sports, everything is to do with confidence. If a player is confident in his or her ability to perform the skill, and continues to practice he/she master the skill quicker.
I’m sure you’ll appreciate that this issue of confidence becomes even more important when coaching youth soccer.
Ball Control:
A soccer skill that’s paramount is being able to control the ball. If a player is unable to control the ball, the entire team will suffer.Period! There are some basic moves that will allow a player to control the ball effectively. Good coaches know that they must research and review these moves and get their players practicing and performing them.
Kicking:
It is essential, inyouth soccer training to acquire the skill of kicking. There are two basic types of kicks that a player will typically use. We will refer to them a ‘ground” and “volley” kicks. These particular kicks in the soccer game are established by how the ball is positioned on the ground. The secret behind successful kicking is balance and body shape at the point of impact.
Dribbling:
Dribbling is another necessary soccer skill that should be coached. In fact, it’s a skill that must be encouraged There are many different kinds of dribbles – most of which can be picked up by watching and ‘modeling’ past and present masters of dribbling. In particular you may wish to study and coach moves such as the ‘Cruyff turn’, the ‘feint’ , the ‘nutmeg’ and the current skill of choice – the ‘step-over’, and more during this part of your youth soccer training.
While there are many methods of dribbling, these remain among the most popular choices in soccer games.
Heading:
Heading is the process by which a player uses the upper side of the forehead in order to create an assortment of “heading” techniques for greater control of the ball. The most popular techniques include the following: diving, standard (defensive and offensive), glancing, and flick. As a coach, you must accurately describe all of these heading techniques so that as well as mastering them players intuitively understand why and when to use them.
In football, the more soccer skills a player acquires, the more joy he or she will experience while playing. And enjoyment has to be the goal! This article has outlined some of the more fundamental soccer skills. If you have any questions or concerns about any of these, feel free to get in touch.
