Best Soccer Drills For Kids
The best soccer stars in the world have been training since a really young age. While they may have the best scores on any leader board imaginable, let’s not forget they, too, were aspiring kids who had to practice their way to stardom. Our soccer youth need the best coaching guidance to get them far on the football field and investing sufficient time, and age-appropriate soccer training is an effective game-changer in the soccer world.
While every youth soccer player is individual in his/her skills and weak points, age-appropriate soccer drills can help give any young football player the tools to level up in a steady, logical manner. Missing essential soccer passing drills or soccer dribbling drills can really rock the fundamental core of any aspiring football player.
Best Drills For Kids
In this article, we are going to take a look at the best soccer drills for kids that should be practiced routinely, so that it becomes an integral and intuitive part of the kid’s soccer regimen.Whether you are a soccer coach or a parent, check out these great youth soccer drills from the Playform app.
Kicking Drills
Let’s start with the most exciting part of any youth soccer player’s practice…. Goal kicking! Goal kicking can really be regarded as the quintessential soccer drill and is of the utmost importance for kids to practice this golden drill. Apart from goal kicking, there’s also general kicking frills that aid in passing and kicking skills during a soccer match.
Best Kicking Drills
1. Power Kick
Practice- On-field or off-field
Drill time — 8 seconds Setup- Requires a soccer ball
This drill is called a power kick because it really is meant to see how hard and accurate one can kick a ball. This is a true test for strength. Whether you’re on-field or off-field, simply count 12 steps from the goal post or a wall, place the ball on the twelfth step, and kick the ball as hard as you can.
2. Turn & Kick
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Tennis Ball, soccer ball, 2 cones
This swift, yet precision-based soccer drill only takes two minutes to practice but makes a world of a difference when practicing on swiftness and co-ordination. Turn your back towards the wall and place the soccer ball behind you. Drop the tennis ball, catch it, turn around and kick the ball between the cones, as shown.
3. Throw & Kick
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Tennis Ball, soccer ball, 2 cones
Throw the tennis ball against the wall and catch it with one hand. Once you catch it, quickly kick the soccer ball between the cones. Try do as many of these throw and kick drills successfully in two minutes. To level-up, also try beat your personal score!
Passing Drills For Kids
Passing drills has to be one of the best and most crucial drills to accomplish. Keeping possession of the ball, executing a successful pass, and advancing it down the field is a top skill that any youth soccer player can have. Here are 3 great passing drills that can be found on the Playform app.
The Best Soccer Passing Drills
1. V-passing
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Cone, soccer ball
How good are you at alternating quickly between both feet and executing a successful pass to a fellow team mate? This is one of the best youth soccer drills and can be practiced justabout anywhere. Simply alternate your kicks by using a cone as a guide. Kick the ball with your right foot, on the right side of the cone, and repeat the same with your left foot, on the left side of the cone.
2. Pass & Turn
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Soccer ball, 2 cones
Passing and turning requires good concentration and ball movement. That’s why this is one of the best drills for passing. Using the same setup as the above-mentioned drill, Kick the ball against the wall, let the ball roll past you, turn toward the ball, and if you turn right, use your right foot to claim it back into your control. If it passes to the left of you, use your left foot and turn accordingly.
3. Pass & Roll
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Cone, soccer ball
Being able to not stop a ball but let it flow with the rhythm of where you want it to actually land up is another incredible skill that can be practiced even for u12 soccer drills. Alternating between your left and right feet, kick the ball against the wall, when it rolls back, stop it with the same foot you kicked the ball with, then quickly rolling it to your alternate foot in a swift and timely fashion.
Dribbles For Kids
Most coaches and parents alike would agree that dribbles are not only fun, but give a great boost in eye- coordination, and even stamina. For the best dribble- friendly drills for kids, then check out these top 3 that can be found and measured on the Playform app.
Best Soccer Dribbling Drills For Kids
1. Knee Juggling
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Soccer ball
This famous dribble can even be practiced in one’s bedroom. Set a two minute timer for yourself and kick the ball into the air with your knees. The trick here is to alternate between your knees and see how many knee juggles you can do in a set amount of minutes. Should the ball fall, then the rule is to try again.
2. Soccer Dance
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup- Soccer ball
This may seem like a classic Ronaldo dance that we are all accustomed to, but this dribble is fierce and hard. It’s brilliant for kids as it teaches great feet coordination for when the ball lands in their possession. To do the soccer dance, simply tap the ball with your toes, both on top and on the side. Alternate between sides and feet as you quickly tap and move along.
3. Sole 8’s
Practice- On-field or off-field Time — 2 Minutes Setup-Two cones, soccer ball
Get your ball control game on with this fantastic dribble that can be practiced virtually anywhere. Place two cones apart, and with the soles of your feet, maneuver the ball around the left cone using your left foot, and around the right cone, using your right foot. The aim here is to not lose control of the ball while lightly and articulately tapping it around the cones to form an “8” shape. This is also one of the best drills that promotes balance.
Best Drills- The Bottom Line
There are so many simple yet powerful drills for kids and the best part- some of them don’t require your kid to be on a football field. Additionally, you can measure and check your kid’s drills by using the Playform app. Get real, accurate, and data-driven insights with Playform’s elite measuring app. All you need is a smartphone, cones, and of course, a soccer ball to practice and perfect your soccer passing drills and soccer dribbling drills. Unlock a world of articulate and powerful drills with the Playform app- download it here.
Perfect for kidsThe Playform app is perfect for kids of all ages, even U6 soccer drills and U12 soccer drills and is available on Android and the Apple Appstore.