Soccer Agility
Click the title to read the entire article and get a great soccer agility drill at the end.
I was reading an article by a trainer who works with college and professional athletes. He believed that athletes don’t need much additional agility training. They would get enough by playing the sport.
What do you think?
For elite older athletes, perhaps he’s right. I really don’t know.
But for kids, I really disagree. Kids need to get as many movement experiences as possible. A few great athletes will not have to. But how many of us are great athletes?
In my experience, one to five percent are truely great. What about the rest of us, don’t we deserve a chance to work on our skills?
Here is an excellent soccer agility drill. It works with all ages and can be done as part as a warm-up, a transition drill or a conditioning drill. You’ve probably heard of it and done it, but I throw some twists in that aren’t done much.
Carioca
Athletes will be running sideways. The step forward with the lead leg, and then cross in front with the trailing leg. On the next step, the step forward with the lead leg, and step behind with the trailing leg.
Ten to twenty yards is a good distance. Kids will want to race and then get sloppy. Encourage them not to race, but to work on the coordination. You will want to make sure they switch, so both sides get equal exposure.
Here are four variations to do.
1. High steps. Exaggerate the knee lift.
2. Carioca, run, switch sides, carioca. The run can be forward or backward.
3. Carioca, switch directions, carioca. Surprisingly difficult. Use a whistle to have athletes change directions.
4. Carioca, touch the ground with the lead hand. This can be done every five yards or on the whistle.
Remember with kids you’re really trying to develop soccer agility and coordination. You don’t need to work them hard to learn the new neural patterns.
Training Youth Soccer
Improving core strength when training youth soccer is very important. I see more and more kids that don’t have good posture or adequate core strength. This will seriously affect their soccer conditioning as well as their general health.
Here are three variations of V-sits. V-sits are excellent for training youth soccer kids because they aren’t as hard on the back as sit-ups. They also develop balance.
This first position is fairly easy. Ideally, the kids would have a straighter back, but it is very important that kids be able to make mistakes and not be corrected all the time. Most kids will not be able to perform perfectly. They have to build up the strength, balance and coordination in steps.
This next position is a little more challenging. If your players place their hands behind their heads it becomes even more difficult.
This last position is even more challenging. You would want to do it to both sides, of course.
V-sits are exceptional exercises for kids to improve their soccer conditioning. There are a lot of variations you can to to make them more fun and challenging. Have them kick, twist side to side, or pass a ball back and forth.
For more exercises, buy my Build An Athlete Program. You want your soccer players to be athletes for life.
Youth Soccer Drill
What is the most important step in soccer?
It’s the first step. The first step sets up everything else. If you’re behind on the first step you’re probably never going to catch up.
If you’re off balance on the first step, you won’t be able to catch up. Or if you’re dribbling, passing, or receiving, you won’t have control over the ball.
Athletes need to learn to take a quick first step. Here are some ideas on soccer drills to use:
Do drills where they only take one or two steps. Instead of making it a workout for endurance (a common mistake) make it a teaching moment for being very fast at the beginning.
Have the kids take a quick step from different positions; athletic stance, easy jog, from the ground.
Have the move in different directions; forward, back, to the side.
Practice quick first steps to the ball. Typically, kids will address the ball slowly and then kick hard. Have them move quickly to the ball then use a soft pass.
Drill with a partner. Practice a quick step against an opponent who will only go 50%, then cut in front of the partner. Practice to see who can move the fastest for only two feet.
A quick step actually will be two steps. The first step will involve moving one foot under the body in preparation for the explosive next move. It may seem that this will take longer, but it doesn’t. It also allows the player more directional control.
By using quick step soccer drills with your team or child, soon they will be more than a step or two ahead of the competition. Let me know how it works for you.
Soccer Drills Defense
This is a great drill to use to improve your players defense. It builds fitness, strength and speed. It helps prepare them for the rigors of competition. It helps make them tough. And best of all it’s fun!
In this drill, you’re going to have the players use the ground. This means they are going to run or perform some skill. Then they are going to dive down to the ground. They may do a sit-up, a push-up or another exercise. Then they will get up quickly and run.
Here’s why they are going to the ground:
1. Frequently, in games kids fall or get pushed. Learning how to land is an important part of soccer.
2. It takes a lot of physical work to fall down and get back up again. This gets them in shape.
3. Tackling is a key skill for players to develop. To tackle kids need to learn how to get to the ground and then get up quickly. This is a first step to learning that skill.
4. Soccer is a physical game. The ground helps prepare them for this part.
Ok, but fun? Yes. If you make it a punshiment or act like a drill sargent, then no, it won’t be fun. But by making it silly (add a roll), challenging (race or relay), or varied (different exercises), kids will have a great time.
Try it and let me know how it works!
Soccer Drills for Youth
I know a lot of coaches are looking for unique soccer drills for youth teams. And there’s a lot of great drills you can find on this site, as well as others. But before you get too excited about trying out new drills with your team, think about how are you going to present it.
I was watching a 8/u soccer coach the other day. He was trying to teach them a pretty complicated shooting drill going on with his team. They were to pass a couple of times and between three kids with two players defending…
The drill didn’t work for a lot of reasons. The main reason was they hadn’t built up into the drill. They hadn’t take small enough steps before the drill to be able to do it.
The other problem, was that he spent 15 minutes explaining the drill instead of having the kids actually do something. Mostly they stood around trying to understand. They didn’t get any conditioning, ball touches or even any fun (except for one kid who was playing with a bug or something).
Here’s the takeaway:
1. Keep your drills simple
2. Keep your instruction short
3. Use progressions so the kids will be successful
Now get out there and coach!
Soccer Running Drills
Have you ever heard your soccer team complaining about how the other team cheats? How the pull and push and get very physical?
I bet you have…and I bet the kids on the other side of the field are saying the same thing.
Look, soccer is a physical game. There is a lot of pulling, pushing, and grabbing. It may not be strictly to the rules but it does happen.
And kids have to learn how to deal with it.
So as a coach, there are lots of drills you can do to get your team prepared. Here are five simple soccer drills to use to get your team used to physical contact.
1. Any running drill with players holding a wrist. The idea is to run together…not slow each other down. Players should switch frequently. Short distances (10 to 20 yards) are ideal.
2. This time the players lock elbows. This brings them much closer together. Their hips will touch and it becomes more physical.
3. Same drill but the player will hold the tail of the shirt. Again, the idea is to get used to having someone hold on to your jersey…not to drag the other player down to the ground!
4. In this drill, one player will be in front with her hands on the shoulders of her partner. Here, the player must get used to having someone in front, holding them back.
Again, the emphasis is on dealing with the contact. These drills are great for kids of all ages and abilities. At higher levels, you would want to increase the resistance and the difficulty. Have the players use 50% effort to impeed the runner.
Or, add a ball and dribbling and passing drills. Remind players that the soccer drill is meant to teach how to be successful dealing with the physical contact. The defender must all allow the offense player success for these drills to work.
Let me know what you think. Comments are appreciated!
Soccer Conditioning and Ball Control Drills at the Same Time
You know there’s not a lot of time in practice. As a coach you want to get as much bang for your buck with your soccer drills as possible. As a parent, you want to keep things fun.
Here’s some simple soccer drills with some variations that you should try. They come from a standard one, but then go into other directions. Every player should have a ball.
Basic Ball Touches
1. Player stand in front of ball in an athletic stance. (Encourage athletic stances instead of standing straight)
2. Player touches ball with one foot, takes three steps, touches with other.
3. Repeat
Ok, basic drill. You didn’t come here looking for that one. Let’s make it creative.
Variations
1. Same drill with players running in place.
2. Ball is at the side. Players touch ball, then hop over it.
3. Ball is behind the player. They touch it with their toe.
4. Players do a burpee then touch the ball. This is a great conditioner, especially if added with running in place.
5. Players run around the ball clockwise, then counter clockwise. Then ten touches. Repeat. (Spinning gets kids dizzy. They like to get dizzy. This is a great proprioceptive drill for younger kids)
Here’s some more variations. These start to develop more ball control and touches on the ball.
1. Players touch ball and move the ball in a small circle in both directions. Do with the ball to the front, side, and back.
NOTE: Younger players and less experienced players might need to circle their feet without touching the ball.
2. Dribble ball five yards. Do ten touches, dribble again. Repeat for 20 yards.
3. Pass ball with a partner, do ten touches, pass back.
4. Combine drills…get creative.
By using ball control drills with conditioning, you make the conditioning fun and bring the ball control skills closer to competition. It’s easy to pass back and forth when you’re fresh and not moving. By making skill development more challenging you players are more likely to be able to use the skill in a game.
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Conditioning Drills for Soccer
The typical coach or parent thinks that conditioning drills for soccer should be tough. Make the kids work. Make them sweat. If they aren’t puking, then they aren’t getting in shape.
For most kids of all ages, this just is not true.Proper soccer conditioning takes skill, knowledge and thought.
Here’s what can happen by pushing the kids too hard.
1. Only the kids that are fast or in shape will have success. The rest of your team will be resentful.
2. You greatly increase the risk of injury.
3. 90% of kids need work on skills before they work on conditioning.
4. If a little conditioning works, then more is not better.
Coaches and parents, work on building complete athletes. Build strength, coordination, technique and speed. Teach proper techniques.
Incorporate a few conditioning drills for soccer into your workout. Space them out throughout the practice and the week.
You’ll end up with fitter, healthier and happier soccer players.
Soccer Drills…how to use them
Are you looking for great soccer drills to use with your kids?
Well, in this post you won’t find them. But you might find something even more valuable.
It is how and when to use drills.
Because if you just throw drills at kids, it’s like having a hammer and nails but no idea what or how to build a house.
When you use soccer drills, you need to keep two things in mind.
1. What do you want the kids to learn
2. What is the progression of the drills to use to get them there.
Most coaches use drills as time filler. Or they think that doing a few soccer drills is going to teach ball handling skills.
It won’t. No more than randomly nailing two by fours together is going to build a house.
Soccer drills can be used to teach everything from ball handling to team work. They can teach shooting skills or conditioning.
Know what you want to teach your kids, then come up with three to four drills that will lead them to success in a game situation.
That’s the secret to good coaching, good teaching and good use of soccer drills.
Should soccer athletes work on fundamental movement skills?
If you’re a coach or a parent, you’re probably concerned about how your player dribbles, kicks and controls the ball.
But there is another very important skill. And that is how do they move WITHOUT the ball. Because if you don’t move well WITHOUT the ball, you’re not going to move well with it.
Read this exerpt from an article on Yahoo Sports:
“First, his footwork is so much better now than it was a year ago,” Meidt said. “You can’t even compare it. That’s really all we spent last season on – below the waist. His footwork, explosiveness in his drops, rhythm in his drops, getting his depth, the play-action game, all of it is better. Second, his decision-making is better.”
Do you know who they are talking about? They are talking about Jason Campbell the quarterback for the Washington Redskins. I repeat…the Washington Redskins.
Here is a player playing at one of the most competitive and elite levels of sports there is. And what are his coaches working on? His footwork.
They aren’t working on his passing strength or accuracy. They are working on how he takes three, five or seven steps back. That is it.
Before you get carried away with working on nothing but ball skills, before your child or team has the fundamental movement and athletic skills needed.
Otherwise, they will not make it.
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