Soccer Tips & Drills

1. Stretching

   Stretch before AND after practice/games to make sure you don't pull a muscle and aren't stiff or sore the next day.

2. Communication (Speaking & Listening Ability)

   You must be a good listener either as a player or coach. Players must adhere to instruction before and after the game. Know your position, what and when to do what. Understand your teammates. Talk or shout when you need to. Coach Olu

3. Nutrients

   Having a good diet is key to keeping up good energy supply and water is key to staying hydrated. You should drink about 3 quarts of water per game if you're at the varsity level. You should eat lean meats and pasta because they are high in carbs and protein. Go out there play hard and stay healthy!

4. Team Bonding

   This is essential in ALL sports. Bonding develops chemistry between players on & off the court. This could be as simple as playing Duck, Duck, Goose! or running a relay on the court. Teams with great chemistry tend to understand one another's personalities and strengths/weaknesses, which ultimately helps players work better together on the court.

5. Have your head always up

   If you have the ball look who is better positioned to receive the ball from you. REMEMBER: GET THE BALL - PASS THE BALL. The faster you pass the ball, the less chances you will have to be hurt by an opponent trying to take the ball from you.

6. Stretching

   A good stretch helps keep you from cramping.

7. 4 on 2 / 4 on 3

   This drill is one I use with my AYSO U14 Girls to practice staying in their lanes and passing as they move down the field. Using a 4 person frontline, and a 2 person backline (goalie optional) the forwards must move the ball down field passing, staying in their lanes, setting up a shot, and not letting the backs intercept a pass.
   
   OBJECTIVE: The forwards must remain spread out while setting up for a shot on goal whether in close or farther out. This drill should emphasize passing, communication, field positioning, teamwork, dribbling.
   
   My forwards and midfielders rotate through against my back fielders; however, I do bring my backs up and run them through as forwards.

8. Breakaway

   There is a goalie and a player. (The goalie and player will switch.) The goalie MUST come out at the dribbler/player. The dribbler will roll the ball out to the goalie, the way he would while carrying the ball. The player can make one move around the goalie. If the goalie gets the ball, the play is over. If the player makes it around the goalie, the player has one touch to shoot. The player and goalie should switch out every other breakaway.

9. Attitude

   Always have the right attitude so the coach will know that you're there to play.

10. Set Goals

    All athletes can improve their athletic performance by determining goals and outlining steps that they can take to achieve those goals.

11. Recovery After Injuries

    Active rest will help in recovery and regeneration after sports related injuries. A brisk walk or slow swim is considered active rest. Also, a sports massage will help reduce muscle fatigue.

12. Safety Equipment

    It is important that your safety equipment be well fitted. Safety equipment is not effective when it does not fit properly.

13. Training

    Do not increase training time or intensity by more than 10% at a time. This should help reduce injuries.

14. Shooting Tips

    When shooting, keep your supporting leg in line with the ball. Add power to your shot by leaning forward and shooting front foot. Add accuracy by shooting instep.

15. Increase Your Speed

    Utilize proper running mechanics and run uphill (or use resistance chutes)to increase your running speed.

16. Challenge Yourself

    Don't simply practice the skills that you are good at. Challenge yourself to learn new skills and practice them. The more you learn and master, the more valuable you are to your team!

17. Healthy Living

    Make healthy choices off the field. Don't smoke or drink, eat healthy and get enough sleep.

18. Practice

    Arrive at scheduled practices early, stay late and work hard while you are there.

19. Performance Growth

    Listen to your coach. A coach not only determines your play time, a coach is also a valuable resource because coaches generally want to help you grow and develop as a player, and they will have training and experience to help make it happen.

20. Ball control

    Walk around your house with a soccer ball without ever leaving contact from it. Doing this will help you instinctivly move with the ball on the field.

21. Tips

    Do Leg Ups everyday and you will see a huge difference.

22. Tip

    Remember that if you put your heart and soul into it you can accomplish anything... Just say in your head "I think I can, I think I can". Iit may sound "stupid", but I have been playing soccer for 12 years and whenever I say that in my head I am great.

23. Believe

    Keep up your grades and practice everyday. Believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything. Thank GOD everyday for giving you the ability to play sports and be great.

24. Discovering Your Talent

    Discovering your talent starts from the classroom. Keep making good grades and see the difference in your talent discovery.

25. A Soccer Tip

    Do not ever stop or you might forget about the ball.

26. Catching The Ball

    Do not extend your hands far (unless it is in the air) and bring it to the body.

27. Out in Front

    My son is just learning to play soccer and I noticed that his young teammates have trouble getting down field so that the person with the ball has someone to whom to pass. Pair up the players at one end of the field. The first player runs out in front and then turns to receive the pass from the second player. The first player starts dribbling down the field while the second player sprints past the first player. The second player turns to receive the ball and begins dribbling down the field while the first player sprints past. And so on down the field. Cones can be added for turnning points to give the drill more structure.

28. Injuries

    When you are hurt tell someone -- don't cover it up and say you are fine if you are not!

29. Four Posts to the Middle

    Four corner post, length determined by age group. One person at each post plus one person in the middle of the square. All four people at the posts have a ball. The person in the middle does not. Post 1 passes to person in the middle then moves at a moderate pace toward post 2. Person in the middle passes to the moving person from post 1 just ahead so the moving person does not have to stop. Person in the middle moves to post 1. Post 4 passes to the middle person moving to post 1. Post 2 dibbles to post 3, post 3 dribbles to post 4, post 4 goes to the middle position. Between posts 2 & 3 and between post 3 & 4 are additional cones so while dribbling they must weave between the cones. The drill can go right to left then change left to right thereby utilizing both feet for passes. Speed the drill up once everyone is familiar with the drill. Builds ball control and passing skills not to mention stamina.

30. Learning to Dive

    As a former goalie I wanted to teach my son at an early age how to dive correctly. It can be difficult to get a child to dive for a ball; they are scared of getting hurt. If they dive on their stomach they get the wind knocked out of them. I got an old mattress and placed it in the yard. To start my son turned sideways with the long end of the mattress to his side. At first I had him fall to the mattress on his side so he would stop landing on his stomach. From there he started to dive out and on his side. Then with his arms out and hands in a W. Then I began to throw the ball and put all of these steps together. At the end of each practice he does a few dives without the mattress. The mattress teaches them how to dive without the fear of getting hurt. Once they are no longer scared to dive and learn to do it right teaching them is a snap. My son is 6 and makes diving saves on or off the mattress.

31. How to Catch a Soccer Ball

    How to catch out of the air:
    
    First, get your body in front of the soccer ball. Then, raise your hands and crook your elbows so they are not fully extended. You have to comfort the ball into your hands. Your hands also have to be comfortable. There can't be any stress in your hands. The fingers and the palm have to have an arc to them.
    
    How to catch on the ground:
    
    First, you have to get your body on the ground behind the ball. The arm with the shoulder on the ground must be behind the ball. The other hand must be on top of the ball.
    
    How to catch a ball to the body:
    
    Put two hands straight out and arch your back. When the ball hits your arms pull the arms up and trap the ball into your chest.