Soccer 1:1

Parents and Friends,

We’ve all seen young players struggling with the mechanics of taking the ball from an opponent.

Trying to make foot contact with the ball to regain possession.

In soccerspeak we call this tackling.

New families who want help will frequently tell me their child is shying away from these 1v1 situations.

While the kids that do attack the ball often just run and attempt to kick it! 

Of course, 'get stuck in' can be great feedback for an adult soccer team but how do we actually get young players to tackle?

Like any other technique it needs to be taught by reversing bad habits, proper instruction and lots of REPETITIONS. 

There are three types of tackle: the block, poke and slide.

And our players work on these in sessions solely focused on defense.

These are my top 5 tips for the block tackle...

1) The non-tackling foot must be beside the ball.
2) Your tackling foot must be off the ground and directly behind the ball.
3) Execute the tackle using the...

Parents and Friends,

Thanks to all the families that attended our recent skills clinic!

I always like to hear feedback… especially from the kids.

One child said “everybody tried really hard”. They put in a shift!

Another comment was “it was fun, and I got a lot of touches in”.

That’s interesting because as we all know kids get bored very quickly.

They certainly don’t want to stand behind a cone waiting for a ball.

Unfortunately, kids are often in an environment where they are NOT getting touches.

There are too many stoppages, they are stuck in lines, listening to lectures or playing in mass scrimmages where they rarely have the ball at their feet. 

These elements tend to creep in when the emphasis is on team tactics and preparing for upcoming games and tournaments.

When that happens technical training and individual development take a backseat.

Kids will enjoy the game if they are given a solid technical base and are learning new...

Parents and Friends,

With new families interested in our training program there are there two prerequisites before they can sign up.

Those are a phone interview followed by a field evaluation.

I screen because unlike other training programs I don’t want to help everyone!

I’m looking to establish early whether the family really wants help.

Simply because I know the perfect fit is a COMMITTED family that really wants their child to improve.

When chatting on the phone the problem the player is having is nearly always technical.

The parent feels their kid isn’t getting the PERSONAL ATTENTION they need and help with their game.

And that’s never a surprise because players can display significant technical limitations despite having played soccer for years.

Especially if the child is coming from an environment that prematurely focuses on team success and not individual player development.

If the phone interview goes well the next step is the field evaluation with...

Parents and Friends,

Thanks to all the families that showed up for the recent skills clinic!

As a coach I always enjoy meeting new parents and hearing about their soccer experience.

And of course on the field I LOVE the challenge of training new players and that’s what was so fun about the day. 

We had a whole bunch of super enthusiastic kids from different soccer backgrounds, teams and skill sets.

We had local players, players from outside SF and a kid who just moved to the city from NYC!

This is just the beginning as my goal is to help more kids and reach as many players as possible.  

Families these days are looking for OPTIONS and want their child to experience different practice environments.

And that’s what these clinics will be.

Supplemental technical training where kids will be picking up new skills and exposed to another approach.

Our next clinic is coming up on March 3rd in Presidio Heights at 12:30.

The focus will be increasing CONFIDENCE with...

Parents and Friends,

Working with many families and young players over the years one of the first things I mention is that we do weekly soccer homework.

The response is frequently what could that possibly be! 

I am always quick to explain that if they want help then homework is a CRUCIAL and integral part of that process.

Why? Because practice time is limited to a few hours a week (or less!) and I want to have an input on what players are doing outside of those trainings.

It's also an opportunity to be productive and get ahead especially when soccer kids these days are often IDLE for months on end. Sometimes for whole seasons.

The content of the homework can vary but typically it will be based on learning a new skill and increasing a player’s Soccer IQ.

I recently had the kids working on the backheel and they had to…

1) Study a technical handout on backheels.
2) Watch a video of Alexis Sanchez’s backheel assist against Brighton.
3) Answer five questions based...

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.

If you enjoyed today's message, please share it with a friend or fellow soccer enthusiast.

Chat soon,...

Parents and Friends,

I’m currently working on a new project (book & app) that I'll be sharing with the soccer community soon!

The project is essentially a footwork program. Technical exercises that increase a player’s confidence on the ball and improve overall ball mastery.

The motivation behind creating the program was twofold.

Kids are NOT GETTING the foot skills work they need and are pushed into games far too early with the same results. They’re overwhelmed!

Secondly, I wanted to help more players with an online presence. Not just locally but everywhere.

We are in the production process of creating this program and I made this quick one question survey that I hope you can take.

>> Click here to help me out

I appreciate it.

Chat soon,
Patrick
Soccer 1:1

P.S. On February 17th I will be running a third free skills clinic in San Francisco. You can click here to register your child and I will keep it open for the first 10 players that register online.

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,...