Youth Soccer Drills

It is amazing to see just what kids can do when they are instructed properly and challenged to make decisions and think about their actions. The drills in this book not only work to teach young players a new way to learn the game but the fun they get by being successful is echoed by their smiles and cheers and by their parents on the sideline. We use these drills in our youth recreation program with players ages four to seven. It is our 5th year with the book and it works.

The trick to getting young kids to improve their skills is to keep them getting lots of touches during practice participating in games that are fun. These drills may not seem "gamelike" but they will improve the skills required to become better players. The matrix at the front helps coaches tailor practice to the drills that target the specific skills that you want to work on (dribbling, passing, shooting, etc,). I've used them with great results and recommend this book.

I found this book to be very helpful to new coach's that didn't grow up playing soccer or that didn't play when they were young. It has a lot of good drills for teaching the basics of soccer. This isn't a one book teaches all though, but it is a good start to help preparing for practice sessions.

As I am new to soccer and coaching, I was looking for ways to keep my U8 girls busy, continuing to learn new skills and mostly, having fun! This book is the way to go. The drills (games) are well organized, progressive and eaily adapted to your individual teams or players needs. Great book to keep in your "coaches bag". Thats where mine is!

This book makes the vital connection between space (a very abstract, adult term) and soccer in such a way that children can understand. "Bunch ball" is the nemesis of youth soccer. While it is fun for a while, it does not teach skills that are valuable in the adult version of the game. By suggesting drills and games that children can play and are fun, the kids can learn the concept of space ("big, fat triangles") without recognizing they are doing it. Clif Brittain