From: The Myers Family [myer@sgi.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2002 7:11 PM
To: coach@pleasanthillssoccer.org
Subject: Week 3 Summer Session for U8's: Heading the Ball
Pleasant Hills Soccer Association
Summer Session, July 7 - July 13, 2002

`Striking the Ball With the Head (Under 8's)`

Suggested summer session for week 3 of U8's. The theme of the summer session is "Its in the Air" and striking the ball with the head is within this summer theme.

`Warmup: Jog and Toss`

Each player should have a ball in hand. While the jogging in free space, the players are instructed to toss the ball up in the air to themselves and receiving the ball off parts of the body as indicated by the coach.

As a review, .have the players receive the ball off the thigh
As a review, have the players receive the ball off the chest.
As a challenge, see if the players can double touch the ball from thigh to foot, chest to foot, and/or chest to thigh.
Demonstrate some other different body parts such as shoulder, back, hip, etc. Have the children try to perfect a creative or different body part touch on the ball.

`Activity With Partners:`

Have the players pair up with one ball between them.

DEMONSTRATION: With their partner holding a stationary ball at head height. Demonstrate to the children how to position and balance their body for striking the ball with their head. Their body should be well balance with one leg slightly ahead of the other. Their hands should be held up toward the ball. Their back should be arched back. Show the players how they should strike the ball by snapping the head forward, month closed, eye on the ball, striking the forehead at the hair line. The players should take turns heading the ball held stationary by their partner. Please, although I have given you a lot of technical information above about striking the ball, please do not do a lot of correction of technique. The idea of the entire session is to introduce the player to the proper technique and to challenge them to attempt to head the ball.
Challenge the U8 to attempt to head a ball held by themself to their partner who is standing a few yards away.
After some success with the above, have them strike a ball served by their partner with their head. The service should be fairly close, say 2 to 3 yards away. The distance is chosen so as to be close enough for good service to a relatively stationary receiver, and yet far enough for the players to have time to react to the ball.
After some success, challenge the pairs to get as many head balls during a fixed time. Use the task orientation of the U8 player to see if they can do better a second or third time.

`Game Related: 2 v 2 Catch, Recieve, and Header to Goal`

Divide the players into teams of two's to play 2 v 2 on a fairly long (say 20 yards) and narrow field (in fact, there is no need to mark the touch lines. At each end of the fields, put a 5 yard goal. In each field of 2 v 2, have one team in possession with the ball in hand. The other team must lock elbows and stand on their defensive goal line. These players can play keeper, but they cannot move off the goal line. In addition, they can only use their free hand to stop the ball.

The other team in possession of the ball must run down the field toward their offensive goal, tossing and catching the ball as they move down the field. They cannot run more than one or two steps with the ball in hand. As they get close to their offensive goal, one player serves up the ball to the other, who attempts to head the ball across the goal.

Once a goal is scored or crosses the end line, the other team gains possession and IMMEDIATELY attacks the other goal as described above. Please realize that the team that does not have possession of the ball cannot defend the goal until they get back to their defensive goal, elbows locked, and standing on the goal line.

The rules of the game call for scoring by headers only. In addition, quick immediate counter attacks are to the advantage of the team in possession of the ball. Let them play for five minutes or so and maybe switch some teams around to start another game of 2 v 2 Catch, Receive, and Header to Goal.

`Game Related (Alternative to above game): Multi-goal Game in Pairs with Header`

Place many small goals with cones (two yards wide) in a open and free space in a ramdom pattern.

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Have the players get into groups of two with one ball between pairs. The players are instructed to dribble the ball to a goal, pick the ball up, self serve the ball in order to strike the ball with the head through the goal to their partner. Their partner must receive the ball and then dribble to the next goal in order to repeat striking the ball with the head through the goal to their partner.

First have the player perform the instructed sequence and "visit" each goal. They cannot "visit" the same goal two times in a row.

After a good degree of success, challenge the pairs to see how many goals they can get during a given fixed time limit. Do this several times so the players can have a chance to improve.

`Game: Regular two goal game of soccer`

`Warm down: Head - Catch`

Have the players line up in a circle around the ball. The coach stands with a ball in the middle of the players. At any given time, the coach moves to a player at random. The coach lightly serve the ball up to the player and says either "Catch" or "Head". Upon the command "Catch" the player must head the ball with a ball back to the coach. Upon the command "Head" the player must catch the ball with their hands. If the player fails, they must sit down. The last player standing must be able to do the challenge three times in a row without a mistake to be called the winner.