In soccer practice games, scoring goals is one thing that adds to the excitement of the young players while playing. This is why it’s imperative that you include scores of opportunities for your players to practice scoring goals. Scores of options are available today that can be carried out to generate prospects like this. For example: small-sided games, full-field scrimmages, and shooting drills.
During small sided games and full field scrimmages, it’s your responsibility to keep altering the various ways to encourage extra goal scoring. Slot in those games that can be played without a goalkeeper or you can confine their movement inside the defined boundary. Widening the goalpost being used or adding more goals is one more possibility for increasing goal scoring.
Once players develop good judgment and great shooting skills during the soccer training, it gets easy to score goals. Similar to passing skills, it works well to initiate shooting methods pretty early in the development of kids but lay more emphasis at the later stages.
Performing soccer drills is one way of developing shooting talent of the players. Players become skilled at shooting the ball accurately and score many more goals by way of these shooting drills. It is therefore important that you encourage your kids to become skilled at shooting the ball precisely.
During soccer exercises, the players should be taught the way to strike the ball appropriately when shooting. Players are free to shoot at close range from the inside of the foot. In using the inside of the feet, you bring more precision into the shots. In situations when more power is needed, teach players to strike the ball using the instep of the foot, with toes pointed downwards and ankle locked.
How you position the non-kicking foot impacts the height of the shot. So players should be taught to position the non kicking foot a little ahead of the ball to keep the shot low. Ensure that there are no distractions such as moving balls, moving shooters, or defenders so that the players can focus only on striking the ball.
You can start the drill progression in soccer practice games with a stationery ball and a stationery shooter. As the shooting techniques progress, increase the challenge by putting the shooter in action before he/she hits the ball. This shift will alienate from the accuracy of the striking efforts at first, because the player’s visualization must serve a double purpose.
On one hand, it allows the player kicking the ball to find some space in the direction of the ball and on the other, helps them put their foot right where the ball is.
As players grow in confidence, increase the difficulty by putting both the shooter and the ball in a moving state. Once their shooting ability improves, serve balls at different levels and speeds.
So there you have it! Create goal creation opportunities for your players in soccer practice games and make the most of your training sessions. For even more tips and tricks on youth soccer, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community.
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Fun Soccer Drills.
Tags: soccer drills, soccer exercises, Soccer practice games, soccer training