Heading against the wall was an exercise I thoroughly enjoyed as a kid…(and as an adult).

A two minute explanation of proper technique followed by 15 minutes of practice on his own was all that was necessary to introduce my son to the concept of heading. While reaching his Day 1 goal of 5 headers against the wall, I saw his confidence grow in a very short period of time.

Don’t you think that the heading ban for under 12’s is foolish? Watching kids back away from a ball that is at head height has such a negative influence on the game. In some cases, backing away invites MORE dangerous play than simply attacking the ball with the head.

A quote from the November 18, 2016 blog post entitled, “Heading in the Right Direction,” Graham Ramsay states –

“Banning is what insurance companies and other sanitized legal entities want…and thereby strangle the sport by another means.  Rarely seen is anyone teaching heading and reinforcing those lessons….the danger of heading a soccer ball has a simple cure – EDUCATION  & PRACTICE.”

Check out what a little bit of education and practice does for a relative beginner.