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