“My favorite drill as a kid was just running around in an enclosed area with your stick in constant contact with the ball. The aim of the drill was to keep your eyes up to avoid colliding with others. It certainly forced me to keep my eyes up and I’d like to think it developed my passing-on-the-move game.”
“Another favorite was the continuous 3v2 drill, where it's all about finding a 2v1 at speed, under pressure and under fatigue. It's such an important drill we still run it with the U.S. Men's National Team.”
“It’s pretty basic but has been super helpful for me - a four-ball drill and you stand in about a 3x3 box at the top of the circle. Each passer has a number 1 to 4 and depending on the number called, you have to find them, trap the ball and shoot using only two touches as quickly as possible.”
“This drill has helped me with shot speed, shot selection depending on my first touch and also quick decision making in the circle which is crucial at the international level.”
“I have always loved dribbling and shooting drills! Setting up a few cones and practicing pulls and skills over and over has helped me a lot growing up. I still use these drills to practice, especially now since you do not need a lot of space for them. Getting a bucket of balls and shooting from different angles at different speeds is one of my favorite ways to train as well. Finishing is key as a forward so these drills are both useful and fun.”
“One of my favorite drills is our continuous 4v4v4v4. It mainly focuses on transition from attack to defensive, and vice versa, and also finishing in the front third. This drill is quick and makes you think fast under pressure which simulates what you will have to do in a game. You won’t always have time on the ball and you have to be aware of where you are going before receiving the ball to score or to outlet so you can maintain possession or score.”
“I like to practice baseline circle entries ending with a shot or with a pass to targets. I set up cones, sticks and other obstacles near the baseline on one side of the circle and targets at the penalty spot and other goal scoring positions.”
"Start with the ball near the end line several yards outside the circle. Dribble into the circle entering close to the end line. Then, you work your way toward the goal while avoiding the obstacles focusing on ball control and finding the targets. Gradually increase your speed. Once you can get up to a decent speed, remove the cones and go 1v1 against a teammate. This is great for getting comfortable and confident in small spaces and earning positive outcomes."
“My favorite is the long hit drill. Six different people start with a ball and each goes one at a time from a different position around the 25 yard line with either numbers down or numbers up attack. Since everyone stays in play after each ball, I find this drill very helpful as a goalkeeper because I get to practice the numbers-down scenario as well as the scramble when the ball is less than seven yards away from the goal.”