Run with the ball (or boot it!)
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...
Soccer is mental (this will help)
Parents and Friends,
Today's newsletter is focused on the ‘mental side’ of soccer...
...and I wanted to give you some quick insight having observed 1000's
of youth players over the past decade as a coach.
Here are my top 3 tips to share this week:
1) A player’s focus during games should not be on the score and WINS or LOSSES. Games are an essential part of the development process and must be a learning experience. Look at them as an opportunity to participate, be creative, experiment, and most importantly...
HAVE FUN :)
2) If things are not going well in a game — go back to the fundamentals. Getting back to the simple basics will restore confidence. That’s why at Soccer 1:1 we instill solid fundamentals into players in all our sessions.
3) Post-game, players are often over critical of their play and mistakes they have made. Yes it’s important to analyze your game... but don't forget to take away the positives of what went well and new skills that...
