Soccer practice can often become dull and tedious for younger players, especially if they are just starting out in the sport. To ensure that your young athletes stay engaged, it’s important to incorporate fun warm-up drills into your coaching sessions. Warm-up drills not only help to improve player performance but also serve as an icebreaker to get them used to playing together and communicating better. They also give coaches a chance to assess how well each player is performing. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring 5 exciting soccer warm up drills for youth soccer practice. Whether you are soccer trainers or a parents of a young athlete, these drills are sure to get the team into the game!
Dribble Across the Field
A good soccer dribble across the field should be executed with the following in mind: keep the ball as close to your feet as possible, change directions quickly, and be aware of your surroundings.
Begin by having your players line up on one side of the field. The first player in line starts with the ball at their feet and dribbles across the field to the other side. As they near the end of the field, they should make a sharp cut to change directions and head back towards the starting line.
The next player in line should start as soon as the first player has made their cut and is heading back towards them. This game can be played with cones set up as obstacles, or without. If you choose to use cones, have them set up in a zigzag pattern so that players have to execute sharp cuts around them.
This drill is great for warming up before practice or a game, and it helps players work on their ball control and awareness while also getting them moving around.
Zig-Zag Dribbling
First, have your players line up on one side of the field. To start, the first player in line dribbles the ball zig-zag across the field to the other side. As soon as the first player reaches the other side, he or she passes the ball to the second player in line and sprints to the back of the line. The second player then dribbles across the field while the first player rests at the back of the line. Players continue in this pattern until everyone has had a turn.
Circle Dribbling
Circle Dribbling: This drill is great for improving ball control and developing dribbling skills. Players will start by dribbling around a small cone in a clockwise direction. Once they reach the end of the cones, they will then dribble back in a counter-clockwise direction. The player should keep their head up and focus on maintaining control of the ball at all times.
The Figure Eight
One of the most popular soccer drills for young players is the figure eight. This drill helps players to improve their ball control and dribbling skills.
To set up the drill, you will need two cones placed about 10 yards apart. The player starts at one cone and dribbles around it in a clockwise direction. They then weave through the second cone and back around the first cone in a counter-clockwise direction. The player then repeats this pattern until they reach the end of their designated space.
This drill can be made more challenging by having the player change directions after each pass or by increasing the distance between the cones.
Snake Dribbling
One of the most fun and effective warm up 1v1 soccer drills for young players is snake dribbling. This drill not only gets your players’ blood flowing, but also helps them to develop their ball control skills.
To set up the drill, you will need a series of cones or markers placed in a line. The first player in line begins by dribbling around the first cone, then weaves in and out of the remaining cones until they reach the end of the line. They then turn and dribble back through the cones in the opposite direction. The next player in line then goes.
This is a great drill to get your players moving and to help them develop their ball control skills. It can be made more challenging by increasing the number of cones, or by having players dribble with both feet.
