Youth Soccer Drills

Published August 23rd, 2007 by Gabby

Training Youth Soccer

Youth soccer is about learning, love of the game, scoring and having fun. Youth soccer drills should be well planned so that they are fun and meaningful for the young players so that their interest is maintained.

Planning practices is very important for a coach to keep the flow of the training going in a positive direction. warm-ups should always be first to get the blood flowing, muscles stretched and to prevent injury.

The next stage of practice should consist of skills/drills demonstrations and practice to teach new skills like dribbling, passing, defense, first touch and receiving the ball,heading and attacking the ball.

One of the most important skills to teach is the first touch. A good first touch is vital in controlling the ball and without the offensive game will suffer. They players will learn to move through the field with more control and will improve the ball movement on the field.

Drill:

A 10- by 10- yards area.

Players in groups of three with a ball to each group.Two players with the ball on one side of the square face the third player on the opposite side.

Action

The first player passes to the opposite player and sprints around him/her.

The receiving player taps the ball to the side, first touch, as the sprinting player comes around him/her. The sprinting player passes first touch to the next player facing him/her who repeats the action.

The end player changes after several sequences.

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After the teaching phase small sided games can be used to practice the techniques learned and put the new skills to use. A scrimmage can be done as a way to end the practice to give the players a chance to increase their stamina and learn to work with their teammate to build teamwork.

Coaching youth soccer can be a big challenge, but the rewards of seeing the progress of the young players over the course of a season is worth all the effort.

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Published August 22nd, 2007 by Gabby

Youth Soccer Drills and Nutrition

Soccer is obviously a very energetic and fast paced sport. During games,practice and youth soccer drills nutrition and hydration is very important. As a coach and parent I am always amazed at the fact that many kids often show up to practice without adequate water or looking lethargic from not eating properly. When asked if they have prepared for the practice or game by eating a good meal and hydrating the answer is often no! As a coach it is imperative to stress the importance of proper nutrition and hydration not only for performance but for safety. Without proper nutrition and hydration many complications could occur and could easily be prevented.
To insure proper hydration the young athlete should be trained to begin hydration about two hours before a practice or a game, water or water and a sports drink combination is best. Avoid sports drinks or fruit juices that have to much sugar. The liquid of choice should be close to room temperature as they are absorbed by the body and available faster than very cold water. There are many sports drinks that can be used to hydrate and add to water, these drinks provide the salts and minerals that water alone does not. Electrolyte replacement is very important when training and playing in games. potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium are all lost with heavy exercise an sweating and must be replaced to reduce the risk of muscle cramps and spasm.
Hydrating before games and practice should help to prevent dehydration, but continue to offer players breaks during youth soccer drills and practice. With frequent breaks during practice the young athlete will be taught the proper way to hydrate on their own.

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