Soccer Tricks for Kids

It's typical for kids interested in sports to emulate their favorite athletes. Basketball players want to shoot jumpers like Michael Jordan and football players want to throw a tight spiral like Peyton Manning. Soccer is no different, and there are many simple tricks a child can be taught to make them feel like Landon Donovan or David Beckham.

  1. Ball Stop Tricks

    • Once a player has learned how to confidently handle the ball with defenders present, one trick for moving through heavy traffic is dubbed "the Blanco." The Blanco -- named for professional player Cuauh Blanco, who frequently executed the move -- involves quickly stopping with the ball and holding it tightly with the insides of the feet. If, for example, two defenders are closing in, a player can stop and squeeze the ball between his or her feet, and then jump and propel the ball forward in the air. This way, the ball is essentially being tossed over the other defenders' feet. The Blanco can be used to advance the ball, if the player performing it can quickly regain control of the ball, or else can be used to pass to a teammate.

      A stall is a move that can be executed during a juggle. To perform a stall, the player needs to be able to catch the ball in the arch formed from the top of the foot and the bottom of the shin. When stalling a ball, the player must catch the ball at knee level and slow the fall by cradling it with the leg. Softly catching it with the foot and shin, the player then should be able to hold the ball out and, if desired, begin a new juggle.

    Ball Movement Tricks

    • A fun trick to teach kids is how to juggle a soccer ball. Juggling is when a player lightly kicks the ball straight into the air, under control, to eye level. When the ball comes down, another kick -- typically with the opposite foot -- keeps it alive. This move is similar to playing hacky-sack, but with the top of the foot used to kick the ball into the air repeatedly. Practice is essential, and before long, one can learn to control the ball and juggle for kick after kick.

      Another move that can be performed out of the juggle is a simple header. Heading the ball is the term given when a player bounces the ball off of his or her head in order to send it in a desired direction. In this scenario, once a player is able to confidently juggle a ball, a harder kick can send the ball above the players' head, where he or she can then lightly bounce the ball off of the very top of the head. It is important to hit the ball with the flat, hard part of the head and not the forehead or face. Hitting the ball with the top of the head will also ensure that the ball bounces straight up, and then falls straight down, where the player can stall it or continue the juggle.