whomper Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 (edited) My oldest daughter started soccer on saturday. I never played soccer in my life and this is her first year. She is 6 going in first grade. A lot of the girls on her team are in 2nd grade. She did a good job for the first time ever playing the game and she asked me to practice with her in our yard during the week. I watched all the drills the coaches did and we practiced them today in the yard and had a good time with it. It was just looking for some tips from the huddle soccer folk. Maybe some good drills that we can do. The coaches were great people and the league is instructional and all about having a good time and learning but I think she noticed the other girls had more experience and is looking to learn the game better. Any tips would be appreciated. We have thoroughly explained to her its all about learning and enjoying herself and not to worry if anyone is better then her etc. She just wants to practice with me a lot which I am psyched about but I dont have a soccer backround as I mentioned..TIA. Edited August 26, 2007 by whomper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Go buy some orange cones, place them in a line about 2 feet or so apart and have her dribble weave in and out of them. Try having her use both feet equally. I'd suggest having her kick you the ball from a distance (depending on how strong she is) using both feet. I excelled on the soccer field because I could put a good left foot on the ball - and of course a good right foot. Another good thing to learn would be to control a pass "softly", that is, when the ball is passed to her, she should be able to control the ball (in a stopped position) without it bouncing away from her. Just some thoughts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Go buy some orange cones, place them in a line about 2 feet or so apart and have her dribble weave in and out of them. Try having her use both feet equally. I'd suggest having her kick you the ball from a distance (depending on how strong she is) using both feet. I excelled on the soccer field because I could put a good left foot on the ball - and of course a good right foot. Another good thing to learn would be to control a pass "softly", that is, when the ball is passed to her, she should be able to control the ball (in a stopped position) without it bouncing away from her. Just some thoughts... Agree 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Go buy some orange cones, place them in a line about 2 feet or so apart and have her dribble weave in and out of them. Try having her use both feet equally. I'd suggest having her kick you the ball from a distance (depending on how strong she is) using both feet. I excelled on the soccer field because I could put a good left foot on the ball - and of course a good right foot. Another good thing to learn would be to control a pass "softly", that is, when the ball is passed to her, she should be able to control the ball (in a stopped position) without it bouncing away from her. Just some thoughts... I was just like you a few years ago, Whomp. My daughter started playing and I had never kicked a soccre ball in my life, outside of elementary recess. I did pretty much what Darin said above when I started working with her. She is now in her fifth season (going into 1st grade, too) and If I could name the basics that she is taking with her from her old team it would be the "soft" pass, stopping the ball, and knowing to get between the ball and her goal. I have had some experienced coaches tell me to work with both feet like Darin suggested, but right now, even with her previous experience she is still learing just the right foot stuff. For us it has turned into a whole family event with mom, dad, brother, and sisters out there cheering her on. Even though I love Sunday morning football, there is nothing like getting to watch her out there having fun and playing. The most important thing like you said is just make sure she is having a good time and the rest will all come with time. Good luck!! . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Whomp ,played soccer competitively for 20 years and coached my sons team in past Advice given by darin is actually very good and good start ...other thing is to wotk with her by just passing the ball back and forth between the two of you ..lettinf her learn how to trap the ball so it does not bounce away Main thing is that she practice as much as she likes always using the ball whether it be dribbling through cones or passing it with you I will see if I can think of more drills to help you guys out or I may even have a soccer video or two I can give you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 whomp-- I've been coaching soccer, at all levels, for about 20 years now. This is one of my favorite books: http://www.amazon.com/Skills-Strategies-Co...7501&sr=8-1 It provides everything you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 whomp-- I've been coaching soccer, at all levels, for about 20 years now. This is one of my favorite books: http://www.amazon.com/Skills-Strategies-Co...7501&sr=8-1 It provides everything you are looking for. Awesome..Thanks Unta and everyone else. I appreciate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 What they did with her at practice and what we worked on today was.. Dribbling ..zig zagging between the cones ( We used flower pots in the yd) They had her run straight towards the goal while he passed the ball from the side so she learned kicking on the move going straight towards the goal. We did dribbling from the side then kicking towards the goal with her outside foot dribbling forward then stopping the ball by putting her foot on top of it, flipping it back the other direction and dribbling the other way Then I just dribbled and made her try and steal it from me..She is a timid kid..When they scrimaged she didnt want any part of the ball..Im just working on her confidence and telling her not to worry and have fun . She was aggresive with me and had a good nose for the ball..I just need her to come out of her shell a little..That and perfect the bicycle kick I showed her today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 When my daughter was that young I bought her a ball that was on a rope. She would kick the crap out of that ball in the back yard to build up the confidence and the agility. It really seemed to help her a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Good advice from everyone. Have fun with it. My dad was my coach growing up, and he had never played soccer. He had fun with it. He made all of the other kids on the field have fun with it too. I had a net that went around the ball. It was tied to an elastic cord that got staked into the ground. I could work on kicking the ball and then trapping it when it came back. I also did the same thing by kicking against the garage door... until I broke a light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 perfect the bicycle kick I showed her today Hmm, thought that earthquake in Peru was a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 What they did with her at practice and what we worked on today was.. Dribbling ..zig zagging between the cones ( We used flower pots in the yd) They had her run straight towards the goal while he passed the ball from the side so she learned kicking on the move going straight towards the goal. We did dribbling from the side then kicking towards the goal with her outside foot dribbling forward then stopping the ball by putting her foot on top of it, flipping it back the other direction and dribbling the other way Then I just dribbled and made her try and steal it from me..She is a timid kid..When they scrimaged she didnt want any part of the ball..Im just working on her confidence and telling her not to worry and have fun . She was aggresive with me and had a good nose for the ball..I just need her to come out of her shell a little..That and perfect the bicycle kick I showed her today A nice pair of shin guards can do wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Anybody else worried what will happen to her if she kicks the ball into the eggplant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmarc117 Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 teach her the bicycle kick and she's a shoe-in for mvp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Anybody else worried what will happen to her if she kicks the ball into the eggplant so funny you should say that..We went over that extensively.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junebugz Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 What they did with her at practice and what we worked on today was.. Dribbling ..zig zagging between the cones ( We used flower pots in the yd) They had her run straight towards the goal while he passed the ball from the side so she learned kicking on the move going straight towards the goal. We did dribbling from the side then kicking towards the goal with her outside foot dribbling forward then stopping the ball by putting her foot on top of it, flipping it back the other direction and dribbling the other way Then I just dribbled and made her try and steal it from me..She is a timid kid..When they scrimaged she didnt want any part of the ball..Im just working on her confidence and telling her not to worry and have fun . She was aggresive with me and had a good nose for the ball..I just need her to come out of her shell a little..That and perfect the bicycle kick I showed her today This is quite normal for those starting to play soccer, especially girls. I have done the stealing the soccer ball away form the coach drill with a couple teams I have coached that were co-ed teams (they were k/pre-k teams) ... it seemed to help some of them get a little more aggressive, but you don't always see it until probably halfway through the season. For young kids that are more timid, they usually don't want any part of a kid that is bigger and more aggressive even if they have been working on it. The aggressiveness will come, but it will come a lot quicker if she is confident in knowing what she can do with the ball. Working on the kicking, trapping, dribbling, etc is about all you can do at that age ... if she wants to practice when you are at work and noone else can kick with here, have her find a wall and then just kick alternating the foot she kicks with (right, left, right, left ...) this way she can kick and practice trapping or one-touching. One of the next things to work on would be juggling (keeping the ball in the air either kicking with your foot, knees, head) ... although at a young age this isn't too easy to do, but it helps them learn control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Whomp and bicycle kick .... Nope don't see it unless you meant that you phyically kicked a schwinn or huffy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted August 27, 2007 Author Share Posted August 27, 2007 Whomp and bicycle kick .... Nope don't see it unless you meant that you phyically kicked a schwinn or huffy Is there another kind ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC Crazy Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Soccer Help The Soccer Help website is an excellent source for drills, skills and books/videos. I have been playing for 30+ years and coaching from clinic to college ages for the past 10. There are some excellent ideas in this thread. The key to coaching her age is making sure she is having fun - make everything a game. As Darrin said having her solidly hit the ball with either foot is key and everything builds on from that. I can't tell you how many times I have had to recoach U8 kids that were taught wrong and had to reteach such a fundamental yet critical skill. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Former travel-team and varsity soccer player here: Make sure she gets her passing stroke down - don't worry about the long ball yet. To properly pass, have her use the inside of her foot and strike in a downward motion over the top of the ball (kinda hard to describe in words) - basically, make sure the ball rolls on the ground and eliminate an airborn strike (airborn is harder to handle as the receiver of the pass etc.. also keeping the ball on the ground ensures a more accurate pass). Also, any type of ball control drill such as "passing" the ball from one foot to the other repeatedly (and with some swiftness). Also, juggling and other such drills will vastly improve her foot-eye coordination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Is there another kind ?? sure ..here you go bro ..nice goal scored on one by the guy who got Zindane kicked out of world cup game Bicycle Kick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REZ Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Personally, I never liked the cones on the ground for dribbling drills. I just think it teaches them to look down too much. I'd put poles that were like 6 feet tall there and have them dribble through those. Any additional time you spend with her is going to help. Dribbling and learning how to receive the ball and pass it are going to really help her at this beginning level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 We do a drill where I roll the ball from the side while she is running straight towards the net..The ball meets her as she runs and she kicks it in straight on..I noticed when she did this one thing I saw her doing that I need to work on is her foot drags on the ground right before it hits the ball and it reduces her power significantly when that happens..When you are headed straight to the goal and kicking straight on are you supposed to kick it with your toe ? and how high on the ball ? I know if there is a goalie you will kick to an angle etc but im talking just straight on with no goalie..Thanks again all..This has been very helpful..She is excited to get in the yard with me . She calls me at work now and talks about it..Its been great bonding so far and shes having fun..We let my little one kick with us yesterday..She was actually pretty coordinated until she missed the ball and went down in a heap..We had to escort her to the sideline..My wife gave me and I shot back a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 We do a drill where I roll the ball from the side while she is running straight towards the net..The ball meets her as she runs and she kicks it in straight on..I noticed when she did this one thing I saw her doing that I need to work on is her foot drags on the ground right before it hits the ball and it reduces her power significantly when that happens..When you are headed straight to the goal and kicking straight on are you supposed to kick it with your toe ? and how high on the ball ? I know if there is a goalie you will kick to an angle etc but im talking just straight on with no goalie..Thanks again all..This has been very helpful..She is excited to get in the yard with me . She calls me at work now and talks about it..Its been great bonding so far and shes having fun..We let my little one kick with us yesterday..She was actually pretty coordinated until she missed the ball and went down in a heap..We had to escort her to the sideline..My wife gave me and I shot back a If she's hitting the ball for power, make sure she isn't using her toe. I agree with a previous poster that at her age, working on using the inside of the foot and striking the middle of the ball is important. When striking the ball for power, the toe points down and she hits it with her laces (unless you bought her more expensive soccer cleats where the cleat is laced up on the side). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Go buy some orange cones, place them in a line about 2 feet or so apart and have her dribble weave in and out of them. Try having her use both feet equally. I'd suggest having her kick you the ball from a distance (depending on how strong she is) using both feet. I excelled on the soccer field because I could put a good left foot on the ball - and of course a good right foot. Another good thing to learn would be to control a pass "softly", that is, when the ball is passed to her, she should be able to control the ball (in a stopped position) without it bouncing away from her. Just some thoughts... A Texan giving soccer advice. It must be the End Times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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