How to Teach Aggressive Soccer Receiving and One-Touch Kicking to Beginners
Use this Method from the Very First for U4, U5, U6 and Beginning Soccer Players

How to first teach kicking a ball and the kid to move to the ball, instead of standing still and waiting for the ball -- How to teach a child to be an "Aggressive Receiver" instead of waiting for the pass to come to them -- How to teach "One-Touch" Kicking while running: When my 3 year old granddaughter comes over, she sometimes wants to kick a little soccer ball that I keep in the house. (I keep a really colorful ball that she likes and that is fun to look at). We used to just stand there and kick it back and forth, but I realized I was unintentionally teaching her a bad habit -- I was teaching her to stand still and wait for the ball to hit her in the feet, instead of her moving to the ball as soon as it started moving toward her -- I was unintentionally teaching her that a pass should come to her feet instead of "Aggressive Receiving". It's VERY important to teach Aggressive Receiving -- that's a way of thinking about playing soccer -- that you are alert, and watch the ball, and go to the ball instead of waiting for the ball to come to you.

Here's how I'm starting to teach my 3 year old granddaughter to be an Aggressive Receiver and One-Touch Kicking: I stand about 5 steps away and kick the ball softly toward her and tell her to watch the ball and to run toward the ball as soon as it moves toward her, and kick it using her shoe-laces (the top of their foot, which is called an "Instep Kick" -- I demonstrate by pointing my toe down and following through on the kick). I've just started doing this but I'm getting great results. Here is what she is learning from this (1). Kick with her laces, not her toe. (2). Be alert and watch the ball. (3). Move toward the ball AS SOON AS the ball moves toward her instead of waiting for the ball to come to her feet. (4). How to "one-touch" kick the ball while running toward it (this will be very important as she gets older -- "one-touch" is a better and faster way to play). She will play on a U4 team in the Fall, and if I coach the team I will try this teaching method. I will get parents to stand across (about 5 steps away) and do as I describe above. Obviously, each kid will need a ball and I hope to avoid lines or keep them short. This isn't a game and it isn't a substitute for playing Practice Games -- it's just a good teaching method. If you try it and it works, or if you have a better idea, please let me know. If you try this, keep it short -- about 5 minutes -- and then play the Practice Games. Be patient -- it will take a while for them to learn this, but it will be much easier if you teach them this way from the first, instead of having to re-train them.

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