In 2015 LYS added a kickwall to Samoset field. It's a great tool for learning to kick and receive the ball with both feet, as well as for developing many other soccer skills.
Here are some ideas for how to use it:
- Basics
- Kick the ball against the wall 20 times in a row. Do it with both feet. Try with inside, laces, outside of feet. Receiving the ball "cleanly" off the wall and setting up the next kick is as important as kicking the ball against the wall.
- From 10 yards, how many kicks can you do in 30 seconds? Who has the high score?
- "Race to 20". Find 2 or more players. One player says "Go!" and kicks against the board 20 times as quickly as s/he can and then says "Stop!". Other players start at the same time and try to kick more times than the first player. Do they get more or less? Take turns being the player to say "Go!".
- "Knock out" - players form a line and kick the ball against the wall in turn. Choose constraints like the ball must hit all or a subset of the wall (horizontally), the ball must not stop before kicking it, you must kick the ball in the air only (if it bounces before hitting the wall you are "out"). Who wins?!
- Wall Juggle - players form a line and volley/juggle the ball off foot against wall and next player is allowed one bounce and then must volley/juggle the ball against the wall, and so on. Vary parameters to players skill level (e.g., 2 bounces okay).
- Rapid fire - line up all the available balls at some distance from the wall. Measure how long it takes to kick all the balls against the wall (e.g., how much time, how many hit the wall in the air, how many hit a subset of the wall, strong & weak foot, etc.)
- US Soccer - Kick ball so rebounds into a bucket (click for video)
- Volleys - Laces, Inside, Outside of foot (click for video)
- Wall Volleys (click for video)
- Throw-ins. Practice throw-ins against the wall. Ask a friend or coach to make sure you're making legal throws. Variation: start close, then see how far back can you get and still hit wall without a bounce.
- Chipping/Lofting ball. Pick a height on the wall and try to kick the ball from the ground over it. Can you do it 3 times in a row? With both feet?
- Penalty Shots Challenge! It's the World Cup and it's come down to five penalty shots. Get a partner and choose which nation you are representing. Shoot for corner targets to win a point. Who wins a best of 5 contest? Then do a rematch.
- Goalies. Practice rolling throw, overarm throw, and punts followed by cleaning collecting the ball.