Soccer Training has drastically changed and what you believe you know probably isn't the most effective means of instruction. Take it from a recent former professional soccer player that has a behind the scenes understanding that what you are learning out there is most likely counter productive. What do I mean by that?
Well most beneficial way to becoming certainly the best soccer player you can, or in case you are a coach the best way to teach the soccer players of yours, is with effective soccer training. In the event that you are still doing drills that consist of just standing in a line for minutes waiting to get the turn of yours, then you're probably subject to your first mistake.
1. Drills are dead!
First off for the coaches let me clarify what I mean as a "drill". In case you've players standing around waiting for their turn to play you are just flat out wasting training time plain and simple. If you're working on offensive strategies and then make sure your defense is off working on defensive strategies also.
In addition, players must be working on more individual skills either at the same time, exactly where they each have a ball to work on touch drills or passing with a partner, or perhaps they ought to be working on individual improvements on the own time of theirs. This brings me to mistake number two.
2. Soccer Practice versus Individual Practice.
While practice is great for team building and team chemistry, you've to make certain that you or your players are practicing individually if you want to sky rocket the abilities of theirs to a higher level. Think of soccer practice as a time to put all your individual efforts to make use of and get them game ready for game situation. I saw my soccer skills literally explode over the off season when I made a decision to do my very own individual soccer training rather than join another club team.
Did you know that the average time a player has the ball in a given game is 9 15 seconds? So you have to know that the time you have the ball is extremely important. Just as important you need to learn that the time off the ball needs to be much more sharp since that's a majority of the game.
How do you do that street soccer exactly? Moreso, what should you be learning? These're both common questions I get.
When you think of soccer you need to be thinking of a couple of factors to make you a game-changing player. Individual skill, speed, conditioning, and what your soccer I.Q. which is actually the capability to out think individuals on the field are is called by me just a few aspects of overall soccer training. You must also understand where you need to be, where your teammates need to be and where the ball must go. players which are Great have great soccer I.Q.'s and that does not happen by accident. It comes through practice, understanding, and most of all great guidance from a knowledgeable coach.
The third mistake that a lot folks make is undoubtedly the biggest.
3. Soccer Training is 90 % mental.
Now this may come as a big shock to you but let's think about the 9 seconds you have the ball on average per game. What are you doing the rest of the game. You are supporting, helping other players defend certain spaces of the field, and you are making runs into space. What do all these have in common?
Sure while they require some physical running which is easy to train for, they are mostly mental.
Most people, especially in America, tend to play soccer physically. Simply because people were outsmarted by me constantly, I was generally the smallest yet best player on the pitch. How will you recognize in case you need to go in for a slide tackle or perhaps you need to jockey the defender? Should you then push the offensive player towards the sideline so he does not have a place to go and should you turn him inside towards another teammate that's supporting you?
These are all things coaches really do fail in teaching kids. Please do not make the mistake! I cannot stress that enough. There's a big line between being a soccer player and an excellent soccer player. But there is a super fine line between a great soccer player and an epic soccer player that people will remember, will have to play with, and fear playing against.
All this begins with the proper guidance, the right mental mindset, and the right soccer training.
Soccer has and will usually be coined as a sport of mistakes. It's who makes less mistakes and who can cash in on another team's mistakes. So whether you're a coach, a parent, or perhaps a soccer player that's looking to become great remember that it all starts with your individual soccer training before anything else.