In soccer at all levels, finishing is different from shooting
I think that part of the reason for my early baldness has been from watching young soccer players that I coach miss what appear to be easy chances to score goals. As a former player, obviously I have missed easy chances to score as well so I can certainly relate to the frustration that a player feels at that time. We have all seen it.
- A player dribbles through three defenders and has an open path to goal, but shoots the ball from twenty yards away directly at the goalkeeper rather than continue to dribble at the goal and calmly passing the ball into the back of the net.
- A player has time to trap and shoot directly in front of the goal, about eight yards away, but instead rushes a shot with one touch and it either goes wide or over the goal.
You get the picture. For U-14 and older players, this is something that they need to pay close attention to on their own but can be assisted with a little guided discovery in practice sessions……..were you really trying to finish by doing what you just did, or did you just take a shot to take a shot? If there was something else that you could have done, show me what it was. Was there something else you could have done to put either yourself or another teammate in a better situation to finish? Explain to me what you think that may have been.
For younger soccer players, the focus on finishing must deal with the technical side of the game. For example, some good questions would be:
1. When you are 1 v. 1 against the goalkeeper, what are some different parts of the foot you can FINISH with. Ok, show me.
2. Which part of the foot do YOU think is easiest to finish with in this situation? Why?
This will get younger players’ thought processes going and hopefully lead to more success in scoring goals in game situations.
You must be logged in to post a comment.