How to be more aggressive (your kid needs this!)
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...
How to beat a defender with a move!
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...
