Soccer 1:1

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,

Receiving the ball in the air is a key technique to master especially with the federation prohibiting heading for U-11 kids and below.

Yet over the last few weeks I’ve observed quite a few youth games and players were really struggling when the ball was not on the ground.

Kids were shying away from these situations too and when you see that they probably haven’t been taught the mechanics of how to cushion the ball to feet.

Even if they have they may not have put in enough practice time and without sufficient repetitions players just aren’t properly prepared.

Of course, good soccer is about keeping the ball on the deck and completing passes.

But at the same time kids must work on scenarios where the ball is bouncing and off the ground.

If not then when there’s a long pass, clearance etc. they won’t be equipped to deal with it.

Here are my top FIVE tips for receiving in the air…

1) Move into the line of flight of the ball.
2)...

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,

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.