Soccer Training has drastically changed and what you think you know almost certainly is not the top way of instruction. Take it from a recent former professional soccer player that has a behind the scenes understanding that what you're learning out there is probably counter productive. What do I mean by that?
Well most useful way to becoming certainly the best soccer player you are able to, or if you're a coach the proper way to teach your soccer players, is with effective soccer training. If you're still doing drills that consist of just standing in a line for minutes waiting to get your turn, then you're most likely 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're just flat out wasting training time plain and simple. In case 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 away at more individual skills either simultaneously, 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 2.
2. Soccer Practice versus Individual Practice.
While training is good for team building and team chemistry, you've to make certain that you or even your players are practicing individually if you want to sky-rocket their abilities to a higher level. Think of soccer practice as a period of time to put all of your individual attempts 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 understand that the average time a player has the ball in a given game is only 9 15 seconds? So you have to know that the time you've the ball is very important. Just as important you need to understand that the time off the ball has to be much more sharp since that's a majority of the game.
How can you do that exactly? Moreso, what should you be learning? These're both quite common questions I get.
When you think of soccer you need to be thinking of a few things to make you a game changing player. Personal skill, speed, conditioning, and what your soccer I.Q. which is the capability to out think folks on the field are is called by me only a couple of aspects of overall soccer training. You have to also understand exactly where you have to be, where your teammates should be and where the ball should go. players which are Great have great soccer I.Q.'s and that doesn't happen by accident. It comes through practice, understanding, and most importantly great guidance from a knowledgeable coach.
The third mistake that a lot folks make is certainly the biggest.
3. Soccer Training is ninety % mental.
Now this could come as a huge shock to you but let us think about the 9 seconds you've the ball on average per game. What are you doing the remainder of the game. You are supporting, helping some other players defend certain spaces of the field, and you are making runs into space. What do all these have in common?
Sure while some physical running which is very easy to train for is required by them, they are mostly mental.
A lot of people, especially in America, seem to play soccer physically. I was usually the smallest yet best player on the pitch because people were outsmarted by me constantly. How will you know in case you need to go in for a slide tackle or perhaps you must jockey the defender? Should you then push the offensive player towards the sideline so he doesn't have a place to go and should you turn him inside towards another teammate that is supporting you?
These are many things coaches do fail in teaching kids. Please don't make the mistake! I cannot stress that enough. There is a huge line between being a soccer player along with more info a great soccer player. But there is a very fine line between a fantastic soccer player and an epic soccer player that people will remember, will need to play with, and fear playing against.
All this starts with the right guidance, the right mental mindset, and the right soccer training.
Soccer has and will usually be coined as a sport of mistakes. It is who makes less mistakes and who can capitalize on another team's mistakes. So whether you're a coach, a parent, or a soccer player that's looking to become great remember that it all starts with your individual soccer training before anything else.