Helping kids learn soccer involves teaching them the fundamental skills they will need in order to succeed on the field. These include passing, dribbling and shooting. Drills are an effective way to teach these skills, and with kids you might find that the more fun the drill, the better you're able to keep their attention.
Red Light, Green Light
This adaptation on a popular children's game is actually an effective way to teach kids how to change speeds while dribbling the soccer ball. Have your players stand at the midfield line while you stand near the goalie box. When you yell "green light" and raise your arms, the players begin running and dribbling toward you as fast as they can. Let the players run a few yards, then bring your hands down and yell "red light." Players must come to a complete stop and rest one foot on the ball. Any players who continue running and dribbling are out of the drill. Continue to alternate between "red light" and "green light," mixing up the amount of time between each. The first player to reach you is the winner of the drill.
Monkey in the Middle
This is another fun drill that will have kids laughing as well as learning. Monkey in the middle develops players' passing skills. Divide your team into groups of five. Four players should form a square, with one player in the middle. The four players on the outside practice passing the ball between each other as the monkey in the middle does anything he can to deflect, stop or intercept the passes. If the monkey touches the ball, he goes to the outside, while the last player to pass the ball becomes the monkey.
Pass and Shoot Drill
Kids will love learning how to receive a pass and shoot at the goal in this drill, and it will also give your goalie plenty of practice. Set up a cone to the left of the goal about 10 yards out. Have half of your players stand behind the end line on the same side as the cone. Have the rest of the players line up on the other side of the goal, each with a soccer ball. On the whistle, have the first player with a ball dribble out a few yards as the first player on the opposite side of the field runs out to and around the cone. The player with the ball then passes it to the other player, who takes a quick shot at the goal. The goalie then tries to stop the ball. Repeat the drill, having players switch from one line to the other after completing their side of the drill.
Member Comments