Youth Soccer Training Aids – Part 1

Youth soccer is becoming more and more competitive at an earlier and earlier age. Children are learning the sport early and competing for spots on the grade school, high school and college teams as well as for scholarships and a chance to play on an international team.

The days when children could practice in the backyard with just a ball and a net are long gone. Today children are practicing with training aids that give them a distinct advantage during practice, games and tryouts. Those advantages take the form of faster footwork, response time, sharper kicking and trapping, blocking and juggling.

One of the first aids that’s been around for quite some time are the free standing goal nets that allow players to practice getting past the goalie. These products range between $25.00 and $65.00 depending upon the quality of the product and whether you just get the net this time or the support mechanism also.

Another training aid that has been available for some time are the soccer balls which return at the end of the kick. Most are anchored to the body of the player but there is another product, the Kick-Medic, which is anchored to the ground and can accommodate a kick in the backyard or on the practice field. The company states that players of all skill levels and those who play in any position will benefit from use.

The Soccer Pro is a product that also addresses the kick of a player. This is a sensor that is placed on the shoe and detects the proper contact with the ball. It then provides immediate feedback to the play using lights and sounds so the player knows what needs to be changed to improve the kick. The housing is moisture resistant and it can be placed on the top, right or left side of the shoe to accommodate all players.

Resources:

Dicks Sporting Goods

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=4414852

SoccerPro: Soccer Coach Equipment

http://www.soccerpro.com/Soccer-Coach-Equipment-c87/

soccersaurus: Soccer Training Equipment

http://www.soccersaurus.com/soccer-training-equipment.aspx

Coaching Kids Soccer: Soccer Training Aids

http://www.coaching-kids-soccer.com/soccer-training-aids.html

Soccer Innovations

https://www.soccerinnovations.com/