Ideas For Youth Soccer Training

Are you a new coach?  Trying to come up with some ideas for your youth soccer practice?

There are many soccer drills that can be used in your youth soccer practice sessions.  By planning a few drills you'll use in every practice, you can gain consistency, and improve the efficiency of your practice time.

One drill I like to use every youth soccer practice is to setup a short course with cones, then have each of my players zig-zag through the course, controlling the ball, and ending up in front of the goal, and taking a shot at the goal, as I stand in the goal.  I'm not trying to block the shot.  I'm just providing an obstacle to the easy shot.  As soon as they make their shot, they retrieve their ball and rotate back to the line and go again.  We don't wait for one player to make his shot before the next one starts, we try to keep the line moving fast.

Another simple drill,  I commonly use, is very similar to the first one.  I use cones spaced about 10 feet apart, the players line up in two lines, the players then run in pairs down the field, passing the ball to their partner at every cone.  On the first round the player on the right kicks for a goal at the end.  The players then switch lines, and repeat the process, so they are passing the opposite direction and the other player gets the shot.  We then rotate players again, this time the shot on goal comes from the left side.  We continue until every player has taken a shot from both sides.  Speed and accuracy is the object.  This little drill works great in a youth soccer practice, when used immediately after the first drill.  You only have one setup to accomplish two drills.

I like to use game simulation drills during every youth soccer practice.  I put my defenders and goalkeeper in their positions, and then work with the offensive unit to pass the ball looking for a weakness, and to take the shot when they have one.  We rotate players in and out, swapping between defense and offense. You need to make sure no one becomes greedy with taking shots.

You need everyone to improve their play making ability.  I make sure any player that takes two shots on goal, must rotate to a defensive position.  I stop this drill often, to adjust positions, and to give ideas to both sides.  We make this a game, a clean shot on goal is one point, an actual goal is two points.  A goalkeeper stop is two points, and when the defenders clear the ball to center field, it is 1 point.  The kids really enjoy this drill, since even the defenders get to score points.

As you can see, youth soccer drills don't need to be complicated, but you do need a plan for your youth soccer practice.  Taking the time to learn a few drills you can consistently use to improve your players ball handling skills, and position play, will help you create a winning team.