Bethnal Green Celtic

If you ask a soccer coach what question they get asked the most, it will probably be “how can I improve my soccer skills?” Well, as the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”. This holds true in all aspects of life – including soccer. Luckily, you do not need your whole team or an entire soccer field to increase your athletic abilities. All you need is a ball, a wall, and a small area where you can have some quite practice time. Let’s take a look at a few things that you can do to help improve your soccer skills:

1) Juggle – One of the best things that you can do to help improve your soccer abilities is practice juggling the ball. For those who are beginners, this entails kicking the ball slightly into the air using the top of your feet, your thighs, or your head (no hands!). For beginners, start by aiming for 1-3 juggles at a time. Once you are more advanced, you can practice juggling the ball as many times as you want.

2) Pass and shoot- While it is best to practice passing and shooting with a friend or teammate, you can also do it on your own. All you need is a ball and a wall. Pass the ball to the wall. If there is a rebound, try to regain control of your ball as quickly as possible. If you want to practice shooting, place a small piece of tape on the wall and work on your aim, trying to hit it with the ball.

3) Turns – There are six different turns in soccer; the stop turn, the inside hook, the cruyff, the outside hook, the step over, and the drag back. Work on mastering each turn individually. Once you have done so, work on different combinations.

4) Moves – As you probably already know, there are a wide variety of different soccer moves that you can use. Because there are so many, you do not need to know how to perform all of them. Begin by choosing two moves that you like and work on them until they are perfected (until you can perform them without thinking). Once you have perfected these moves, you can more on to learn more. Try not to get caught up in learning too many different moves at once as you may end up confusing them up come game time.

5) Control – To practice control, choose an open area. Kick the ball in the air and practice controlling it as it comes down. Use your feet, chest, thighs, and head, controlling the ball with whichever part seems fit.

The above are just a few of the many techniques that you can use to improve your soccer skills. If you are on a team or know someone who wouldn’t mind practicing with you, invite them to join in on a practice session. Practicing with a wall can definitely improve your skills, but practicing with a teammate can take your skills to the next level. Always remember – regardless of whether you are a beginner or an expert, practice is necessary to improve and maintain your soccer skills.

When it comes to soccer coaching, there are two different aspects in which you need to focus; training sessions and game day. And while training sessions are vital to developing the skills and abilities of your team, what it all really comes down to is how well you do in the game. Here are some things that a soccer coach needs to consider for their game day coaching:

1) Choosing a starting team

When it comes to choosing a starting team, many coaches choose based on each player’s performance the previous week. Try not to do this. Rather, focus on how well each team member did in practice that week. In addition, you may also want to consider other variables such as attendance, effort, and attitude.

If you choose a starting team and notice that any of your beginning players are lacking in warm-up, feel free to change things up. You want to ensure that all players are ready to play and are focused on doing their best before you put them in, so never be afraid to change your starting line-up last minute if you need to.

2) Make adjustments

When it comes to team games, you never know how well your team (or any individual player) will perform on a given week. In addition, you may not be familiar with the other team’s skills and plays. Because the game is unpredictable, decisions that you made beforehand may not work out to your benefit. If this is the case, feel free to switch things up at half-time. If you notice that one of your team members is unequally matched with an opponent, switch it up. Similarly, if you notice that the other team is particularly athletic, feel free to change up your schemes.

3) Sideline coaching

If you are a good coach, most of your coaching should be completed during practice. Use practice time to train your players and improve on their skills, and use game time to see how well the training sessions are working. Do not use game time as an opportunity to yell and scream at your players. Rather, save any interjections for issues that require attention immediately.

4) Speaking at half time

As the game progresses, be sure to take notes about both the positive and negative aspects of the play. While you may see a great deal of things that need to be worked upon, try to limit your halftime discussion to speaking about 2 or 3 issues. Be specific when addressing problems and never be afraid to praise a player for a job well done.

5) Speaking after the game

After your players have had some time to cool down, take a few minutes to address anything that you did not have the chance to speak about during half time. Note any improvements that could be made and that could be incorporated into next week’s training session. Similarly, discuss where improvements have been made – addressing the positive will keep your players motivated!

When it comes to soccer coaching,there is a lot of work to be done both in soccer training sessions and on the field. If you are a good coach, you will develop a strong bond with your players that will make them motivated to win the game for you and their team.