Soccer 1:1

Parents and Friends,

We’ve all observed kids practicing on their own at the fields and they are nearly always doing the same thing… they’re taking shots.

Then they chase the ball down to take another.

Sure, it’s fantastic they’re out there having fun but it’s pretty much useless in terms of quality technical training.

It’s essentially wasted time because it’s not PRODUCTIVE.

When chatting with new families one of the main concerns they have is their child doesn’t know how to practice on their own

Their kid has never been encouraged to do so nor been given guidelines on how to individually improve their game.

At Soccer 1:1 every player in the program receives a handout on footwork, fundamentals and ball mastery exercises specific to practicing on your own.

And I make it a requirement that they follow through. 

How? The kids maintain soccer journals with their practice days and I read them at every session.

This makes players...

Parents and Friends,

We’ve all seen kids lacking the confidence to get the ball under control and dribble with it. Kicking the ball forward then becomes the first and only option.

What is dribbling? It’s CLOSE control of the ball. Quick touches that give a player the ability to change direction at speed.

It is essentially ball mastery, so the ball feels like a part of your body.

Think Messi! The ball appears to be TIED TO HIS FOOT as he weaves past defenders changing angles constantly.

While Messi is the master kids must develop their dribbling technique to a comfort level. It’s crucial to staying in the game long-term.

Here are my top FOUR basic dribbling tips:

1) Use the inside (‘big toe’) and  outside (‘little toe’) of your foot 
2) Keep the ball within playing distance.
3) Take quick small steps.
4) Dribble with your head up.

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Chat soon,...

Parents and Friends,

We’ve all observed players struggling with the mechanics of stopping the ball and turning.

What you’ll frequently see is a kid stepping around the ball in an attempt to move it in the opposite direction.

Or a ball is about to run out of play and the player kicks or dribbles it over the line trying to keep it in play. That can be really frustrating.

At Soccer 1:1 we teach EIGHT fundamental turns as standard (and more if those are mastered quickly!).

That ‘turns toolkit’ significantly improves a player’s confidence because now they can get quickly the ball under control and change direction.

One of my favorite turns is the PULLBACK and the 4 basic steps are…

1) Push the ball out in front of you and step on the ball.
2) Lower your hips and drag the ball back towards you with the sole of the foot.
3) Turn and bring the ball with you.
4) Race away quickly in the opposite direction.

 Go slowly at first to get down the mechanics,...

Parents and Friends,

There are few things as exciting in soccer than seeing an attacker throw a move and go past a defender at pace.

 And when it comes to youth soccer it’s VITAL that every kid has quality moves in their locker to beat a defender in a 1v1 situation.

 That player will be much more confident and aggressive on the field when they are confronting what is often their immediate opponent (e.g. right midfielder vs. left back).

 And if a kid can win that battle consistently then they can become a go-to player. Their teammates give them the ball!

At Soccer 1:1 we teach a minimum of TEN moves to every player in the program.

The Mathews is one of the best-known fakes in the game and these are my step-by-step tips:

•  Attack the defender with speed.
• DROP YOUR SHOULDER to lead the defender one way.
• Touch the ball forward to that same side with the inside of the foot.
• Hop with the supporting foot on contact with the ball.
• Use the outside of the foot...

Parents and Friends,

It’s vital that we teach kids what to do WITHOUT THE BALL as much as on it.

After all, if you think of what happens in a typical match…

the opposition or a player’s teammates have the ball while an individual only has it for a small portion of the game.

That individual will spend the vast MAJORITY of their time making runs to support the attack or defending around or off the ball.

At Soccer 1:1 we focus on 1v1 defending and the corrections that need to be made in those sessions are nearly always the same.

The most common bad habit we see is that a kid runs at the ball in a straight line and then just tries to kick it.

We teach players that quality 1v1 defending is all about the 3 P’s (Patience, Posture & Pressure) and applying those principles.

Here are FOUR more great tips for 1v1 defending:

1) Approach at an angle.
2) Staggered stance like a boxer with toes at a forty-five-degree angle.
3) Don’t commit to a tackle and stay on...

Parents and Friends,

To stay in the game a player must develop an understanding of how to complete a pass to a teammate.

Yet we’ve all observed kids with bad habits. Kicking the ball to nobody in particular using poor technique.

Unfortunately, when a player applies the same mechanics for passing as for shooting that is the result.

QUALITY passing is all about transferring the ball accurately to a teammate from distance.

It must be worked on at an early age because the game only becomes more complex as numbers and the field size increase.

An 11 v 11 pitch is typically 115 x 74 yards. With that there are even more options, considerations and complications!

At Soccer 1:1 we instill solid fundamentals into players at each session. Here are my top FIVE tips for basic passing:

1) Toe pointed slightly up.
2) Ball slightly out of feet and at an angle.
3) Non-kicking foot must be placed beside the ball and pointed at the target.
4) Picture the ball as having two eyes, a nose and a mouth....

Parents and Friends,

We’ve all seen players lacking the confidence to get on the ball. Not taking a touch.

But you can tell when a kid HAS that confidence and skill set.

They are aggressive, go hard to the ball and have the ability to stop it with INSTANT control.

Better yet they have what’s called directional control. With that first touch they place the ball where they want to, into space and away from pressure.

At Soccer 1:1 one of the first skills we work on with players is receiving the ball.

Teaching the correct mechanics requires instruction and to break bad habits we always have players on their toes and running to receive a moving ball.

Here are 5 great receiving tips:

1) Arms must be out for balance and to protect the ball.
2) Use the inside of your foot.
3) Toe should be pointed up and ankle locked.
4) Slight hop on the planted foot.
5) Touch the ball out of your feet.

You can get in repetitions by practicing with a friend. And of course, practice with BOTH feet!

Parents and Friends,

A question I frequently get from families is how do they improve their child’s foot skills.

Footwork is the key! It is the basis and the first step to building any player.

At Soccer 1:1 every child in our program goes through at least SIXTY footwork exercises in their first three-month period.

This specialized curriculum (130 exercises total!) significantly improves a player’s ability and increases their confidence with the ball at their feet.

Here are three FUN exercises that develop great footwork…

1) Sole roll sideways-stop: roll the ball across your body with the sole of one foot and stop the ball with the opposite foot.
2) Boxes-moving forward: pass the ball from one foot to the other moving forward using the inside of both feet.
3) Toe touches-circle: little touches on the ball using the toes of both feet while circling the ball.

Go slowly at first to get down the mechanics. Then lots of REPETITIONS!

If you enjoyed today's message, please...

Parents and Friends,

Running with the ball is a technique that we focus on in trainings with all our players. It’s a key skill that must be taught and major gains can only be made with proper instruction, corrections and repetitions.

Any youth player may be quick or a good athlete but that’s movement without the ball. Moving at speed with the ball at the feet is a completely different matter.

You can tell in a game situation when a player doesn’t have the confidence to carry the ball…
they treat it like a hot potato!

The player just kicks the ball first time (boots it!) when it comes to their feet or they kick the ball forward and run after it.

We are here to help and my top 3 tips for running with the ball are…

1) Start at a jogging speed… speed can be built up as technique improves.
2) Both the inside (‘big toe’) and outside (‘little toe’) of the foot should be used.
3) Run with the ball varying the length of stride and...