Junior soccer training drills should focus on teaching soccer skills. Drills should progress through levels of difficulty, allowing a soccer player a relative level of success before stretching his ability further. A junior soccer coach should focus on creating a positive and enjoyable environment for players. Positive feedback should be delivered in an enthusiastic tone, focusing on two or three fundamental coaching points throughout the drill.
NASCAR
This is a fun drill that teaches players to dribble at different speeds while keeping the ball under control. Play this drill in a 20-yard box, and set 10 to 15 cones down as obstacles. The coach yells "start your engines," and the players begin dribbling in first gear, at a slow pace. The focus is on teaching them to keep the ball close and to look around as they dribble. Call through the gears, from second to fifth, increasing the speed of dribbling as the drill progresses. Players who "crash," by dribbling into a cone or another player, must perform three juggles before starting again. Add fun pit stops, such as juggling with the feet or head. Increase the difficulty by releasing a "runaway truck" onto the course. This can be the coach running around trying to tackle players, or making one player a defender.
Explode
This drill is designed to develop dribbling and ball control at speed in tight areas. It can also be used to teach a number of turns and techniques. Mark two circles clearly using cones. The outer circle should be 15 to 20 yards outside the inner circle. The inner circle should be 5 to 7 yards wide. Begin the drill by having players dribble on the inside of the smaller circle. On the coach's command, players should dribble around the cones making up the outer circle, and come back again. Award points for the first players back into the smaller circle. Use this drill to practice specific turns: Have the players run to the outside, perform the turn and come back.
Tug of War
The tug-of-war drill develops passing accuracy and technique. Choose a uniquely colored soccer ball as the target, and mark a straight line with cones 5 to 10 yards away on either side of the target ball. Teams of four stand side by side on the other side of each coned line. Teams aim to hit the target ball, scoring one point when the ball crosses the line in front of the opposing team. No player is allowed to cross the line in front of his team, other than to retrieve stray balls. Focus on teaching technique and accuracy over power during this drill.
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