Shomit Mukherjee’s Soccer Blog

The challenge of coaching young soccer players is unique. Their attention span is so small, that sometimes you have to capture their imagination. Playing maze games while incorporating technical ball skills can lead to a fun way to improve overall ball mastery. Simple things such as dribbling the soccer ball around randomly placed objects in the yard at home to get from the beginning of the maze to the end of the maze can be a fun way to improve ball control.

Here is the key: After you have set the parameters of the maze and how to solve it, now put restrictions on what surfaces of the foot that they can use to go through the maze. For example: You can only use the insides of both feet. 2. You can only use your right foot. 3. You can only use the outsides of both feet….etc…

Some parameters of a maze can include, “Dribble through a goal made of small cones, then a goal made of tall cones” and things of that nature……at home, it could be a pair of slippers alternating with a pair of shoes. You get the idea. As a coach and soccer parent, we have to use our imagination to capture these young players” attention and STILL put them in a position where they can improve their ball skills. If young players start doing and ENJOYING these types of activities, their love for the game will continue to grow along with their technical skills. For U9 soccer players, maze games are simply amazing.