Soccer is one of the oldest and most popular games, going back as far as 200 BC in China and about 4 BC in Greece, and still the most popular sport in the world as well as the fastest growing team sport in the United States (Christensen, 1999, p.348). It is a game that is good exercise and relatively safe, an all-around attractive sport that is taught in school physical education programs, as well as specialized camps, such as the one at California State Northridge, during their Summer Youth Fitness and Sports Camp, a program that includes soccer for its potential for helping the students to learn cooperation, social skills, self-esteem and a positive self-image (Gray, 1989, p.9A). In particular, gifted children and those with learning disabilities develop enhanced self-esteem through improved physical skill.
Soccer is unique among sports in the use of heading, the purposeful use of the head to move the ball. According to Christensen, heading is essential to the game. In amateur leagues, a player could hit the ball six or eight times in a game, and more often during practice 199, p.348). Usually young children are not encouraged, but by middle school, they can learn this movement, which is a part of soccer.
What happens during a heading movement? The player's eyes should be open, as he or she is watching ball as it moves towards the forehead. The player bends slightly at the waist, and meets the ball with the forehead with the eyes open, still watching the ball, all the way to the forehead. The stomach muscles are tightened. At impact, the weight of the body goes through the ball, and there is a follow-through motion with the head, completing the movement (Heading, handout, p.187). Possible errors or inefficiencies in the movement can include leaning back after hitting the ball, hitting the ball too high on the head, closing the eyes, striking the ball too low (possibly hitting the nose), and not following through with ...