SOCCER Training Drills and Strategies FOR 8+ AND 10-

PASSING AND STRIKING(8 YEARS AND ABOVE)

You must be aware that teaching kids to play football is far different from teaching adults. In a way it is slightly more difficult mainly because if there is no fun and enjoyment involved, the kid is not interested in playing the game.

Once they are enjoying and having fun, slowly introduce the fundamentals such as dribbling, passing etc., and these skills should be disguised as fun. You should be able to gain their confidence and make them aware of sharing, team work and friendship. Feed them with appreciation – work on their idols and tell them that they can become the next Beckham or Ronaldo.

This game is good for kids who are 8 years and above.

Collect a number of cones and place them in a 10 x 10 square. The objective of the game is to knock down the cones. The kids will be given free kicks to pass the ball and knock these cones down. The kid who has knocked down the maximum number of cones with the least number of shots is the winner. Try also to figure out whether they can knock down more than one cone with a single shot!

DRIBBLING ACROSS A SQUARE(10 YEARS AND BELOW)

This game is one of the best methods to teach kids dribbling. Easy to set up, it is a game where everyone would be given a ball. Not only it is better than dribbling the ball using cones, but it is also a good warm up exercise. It hones those areas of the brain that are rarely used and provides the brain a healthy workout.

This game teaches control dribbling, turning, speed dribbling, responsiveness and reflexes, brain and vision control, acceleration, sudden stop and turns, and controlling the ball in a crowd. It also helps the child how to dribble under pressure and how to avoid other players in a traffic. It also teaches the child on how to identify openings and to make sudden decisions.

The game basically involves the using of 4 cones which are initially about 10 or 12 steps wide. The square size would depend on the age and number of players involved. In other words, a step for a child that is under 8 years would be shorter for a kid that is under 10 years. Each player, is then given a ball and the players are spread around the square (as in the image).