Soccer 1:1

 Parents & Friends,  

Homework is a fantastic way to engage kids off the field and of course gauge their interest level in the sport. Are they keen to learn more and increase their knowledge? How long will it take them to complete? If the child is younger are their parents supporting their journey? Homework will answer these questions!  

In the past we would print out homework and give to the kids at the field. But in the last few years we've used Google Drive to share. The parents submit when complete through the drive and we then give the kids feedback at the field. The level of detail and frequency of the homework would always depend on the age of the child.  

The qualities of a great teammate is always the first homework we issue to any new child in the program…  

Title: The qualities of a great teammate? 

Task: Please write or type up 5 qualities that a great teammate should have and include a brief explanation e.g., a great...

Parents and Friends,

FIFA launched their “Living Football” campaign for Russia 2018 and it certainly feels like that after 48 games in two weeks!

I hope everyone has had a chance to catch at least some games of what has been an outstanding World Cup so far.

It’s been the perfect tournament to observe the intensity, passion, excitement and drama that goes hand in hand with international soccer.

And of course, it’s special when it’s only every four years!

The first round finished on Thursday and 122 goals were scored with only one match finishing 0-0.

Mexico, Japan, four South American teams and ten European progressed but for the first time since 1982 no African team did.

That was a surprise because many pundits backed Senegal to do well.

Ultimately, they were unlucky as fair play criteria was used to determine the standings when they finished level on points with Japan.   

The big story so far though has been reigning champions Germany...

Parents and Friends,

Ball juggling is a fantastic exercise kids can do training on their own and it significantly improves ball control and touch.

But nobody ever said it was easy!

It’s you against the ball and requires dedication, mental focus and most importantly technique.

A nine-year-old I worked with recently said she couldn’t understand how it’s done. How do you keep the ball off the ground?

Here are my top SIX tips:

1) Let the ball drop low.
2) Don’t lift your foot up and kick the ball when it's high in the air.
3) Keep your ankle locked (not floppy!) so the ball is hitting a hard surface.
4) Your foot must be curled back towards your shin.
5) Make contact with your laces near the base of your toes.
6) Use little taps and try to get back spin.

Start off practicing the correct mechanics without the ball, then proceed to juggling once and catching it.

Once you get to a comfort level move on to two juggles catch and so on.

Set a monthly goal improving your...

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,

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...